Former Washington head coach joined “The Chris Russell Show” on Team 980 Monday for his regular weekly appearance during the NFL season. Gruden not only reviews the most recent Commanders’ game but other action from around the NFL.
Before Gruden dove into Washington’s latest loss to the Miami Dolphins, Russell asked him about his tweet after the game ended on Sunday.
Here’s the tweet:
4-5 years now. Figured culture would of been the difference.
— Jay Gruden (@Coach_JayGruden) December 3, 2023
Washington fans, obviously angry, felt it was a cheap shot from Gruden, while others agreed with him.
On Monday, Gruden was honest about his message.
“Yeah, basically, that was kind of my going away present was the horrible culture I left behind. Which I didn’t figure was that bad, but a lot of people said it,” Gruden said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy. “So I just reacted to it. I just thought after four or five years they’d have the right people in there, and it’d be a much better place, but it looks like it’s worse.”
Gruden is referring to his firing in 2019 and former owner Dan Snyder and current coach Ron Rivera’s constant comments about the improved culture under the new regime.
Yet, Rivera’s winning percentage in four seasons is .421, while Gruden’s was .418 in less than six full seasons. Gruden did have two winning seasons in Washington, something Rivera has never done and something Mike Shanahan only did once.
Next, Gruden discussed Washington’s defense.
“They can’t stop the run, don’t get a pass rush, can’t cover, and are in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Gruden said, summing up Washington’s defensive problems. “They just don’t look like they’re in sync, they don’t look like they’re fast or tough…they look confused, and they don’t look like an NFL defense right now. It’s just weird watching them on tape.”
Gruden, a former college quarterback and NFL offensive coordinator, has praised quarterback Sam Howell this season. Gruden sees some of Howell’s shortcomings, but has overall been impressed with the young quarterback.
He isn’t impressed with the pass protection, something almost anyone who watches Washington play can understand.
“I see a fire drill on every snap when Sam Howell goes back to pass. It’s not good,” Gruden said when asked if Howell had regressed recently.
“The protection is poor, and this poor guy just needs some help because he’s playing his tail off. I have a lot of respect for Sam and the way he plays and competes, but from a system standpoint, he’s just not getting a lot of help. It’s just, ‘Sam, you go out there and scramble, try to find somebody open.’ I mean, if he couldn’t run, I don’t know if they would have got a completion. It’s just a weird dynamic of what’s going on this late in the season. There seems to be a lot of protection issues and a lot of miscommunication as far as receivers and backs.”
While Howell has started 13 games this season, it’s almost impossible to fairly evaluate him. The pass protection has been terrible; he has lacked a consistent running game, and the ups and downs of his first year as a starter wouldn’t be so glaring if Washington’s defense had played up to expectations.