Tag: Jay Gruden

Commanders Dan Quinn joined some elite company with Week 15 win

Dan Quinn did something only one other coach in Washington franchise history has done.

Dan Quinn is already in rare company.

With the 20-19 Commanders’ win over the Saints in Week 14, Dan Quinn reached his ninth win of the season.

The franchise has been led so poorly from the top that this 2024 season is the first nine-win season since Jay Gruden was the head coach, Kirk Cousins was the starting quarterback, and Sean McVay was the offensive coordinator in 2015. The only current player from that 2015 season was punter Tress Way.

Also, with that ninth win of the season, Quinn becomes only the second Washington head coach to have won nine games in his first NFL season with the franchise.

George Allen came to Washington in 1971, taking over a team that had finished 6-8 in 1970. Allen made numerous trades in the offseason but lost his starting quarterback, Sonny Jurgensen, to a broken shoulder in the preseason and Charley Taylor in the fifth game to a broken ankle. Yet the Redskins finished 9-4-1 and were the fourth and final team to make the NFC playoffs before losing in the first round to the NFC West champ 49ers in San Francisco 24-20.

The great Joe Gibbs came to Washington in 1981, taking over a team that was 6-10 in 1980. Gibbs lost his first five games and has often told of how then-owner Jack Kent Cooke asked to meet with Gibbs. Gibbs has commented that he thought he might get fired before winning even a single game.

Gibbs wasn’t fired, but he did manage to get the team to play his brand of football. They won eight of their final 11 games, finishing the season at 8-8.

Marty Schottenheimer came to Washington to succeed Norv Turner, whom owner Daniel Snyder had fired during the 2000 season in which the Redskins finished 8-8.

Schottenheimer inherited Jeff George as his starting quarterback, whom Snyder had brought to the team. Marty’s 2001 team started miserably, so miserably George was not only benched, he was released. The Redskins started 0-5, finished strongly at 8-8. But Snyder fired Schottenheimer.

How many games did Boston / Washington first-year head coaches win in their inaugural seasons?

  • 2020 Ron Rivera 7-9
  • 2014 Jay Gruden 4-12
  • 2010 Mike Shanahan 6-10
  • 2008 Jim Zorn 8-8
  • 2004 Joe Gibbs (2.0) 6-10
  • 2002 Steve Spurrier 7-9
  • 2001 Marty Schottenheimer 8-8
  • 1994 Norv Turner 3-13
  • 1993 Richie Petitbon 4-12
  • 1981 Joe Gibbs (1.0) 8-8
  • 1978 Jack Pardee 8-8
  • 1971 George Allen 9-4-1
  • 1970 Bill Austin 6-8
  • 1969 Vince Lombardi 7-5-2
  • 1966 Otto Graham 7-7
  • 1961 Bill McPeak 1-12-1
  • 1959 Mike Nixon 3-9
  • 1954 Joe Kuharich 3-9
  • 1952 Curly Lambeau 4-8
  • 1950 Herman Ball 3-9
  • 1946 Turk Edwards 5-5-1
  • 1944 Dudley DeGroot 6-3-1
  • 1943 Dutch Bergman  6-3-1
  • 1936 Ray Flaherty 7-5
  • 1935 Eddie Casey 2-8-1
  • 1933 Lone Star Dietz 5-5-2
  • 1932 Lud Wray 4-4-2

Former NFL head coach says Saints got away with foul on game-winning FG block

Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden says the Saints got away with a foul on their game-winning field goal block. Check the tape for yourself:


There’s no love lost between Jay Gruden and the New York Giants — he coached against them with Washington from 2014 to 2019, going 4-7. The second-to-last game he coached was a 24-3 loss to Big Blue. But the former NFL head coach put the Giants’ close loss to the New Orleans Saints under a microscope when studying this week’s games, and he says the Saints may have gotten away with a penalty on their game-winning blocked field goal.

Gruden highlighted two Saints defensive linemen on the field goal try, Payton Turner and Nathan Shepherd, who pulled and pushed down the left guard and center, creating a gap for Bryan Bresee to leap through, arms extended for the block. That could count as a block in the back or defensive holding, but obviously no penalty was called this time.

“This referee is saying ‘Oh yeah that’s a flag, I got it,'” Gruden said, noticing the umpire’s hand dive into his pocket to grab a penalty marker. But the official decided to keep the flag where it was, and the play stood as a game-winner for New Orleans.

It’s not like referee Clete Blakeman and his crew hadn’t thrown many flags that day. They had fouled the Saints six times for a loss of 40 yards. But they did hit the Giants a dozen times for a staggering 112 penalty yards. They lived up to their reputation as one of the NFL’s most flag-happy officiating crews. So maybe the Saints did get away with one here. Either way, they got a win, and that’s what will be remembered.

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Two unbelievable Commanders’ streaks ended Sunday

These are depressing numbers that the Commanders ended on Sunday.

The Washington Commanders improved to 8-5 on the season after Sunday’s 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans. Washington’s eight wins through 13 weeks is the most since the 1996 season.

However, Sunday’s win also ended two other streaks for the Commanders.

According to the Commanders’ PR team, Sunday’s win over Tennessee was Washington’s first December victory since defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in December 2021. If that stat isn’t depressing enough, Sunday’s victory was the team’s first December win at home since 2017.

Jonathan Allen and Tress Way are the only players on Washington’s current roster who were with the franchise in 2017. Allen was a rookie in 2017.

The current team has been busy ending streaks this season. Under new head coach Dan Quinn and GM Adam Peters, the Commanders have changed almost everything. The early returns are good, as Washington sits in a prime position to earn one of the NFC’s three Wild Card berths.

Jay Gruden was in his fourth season as head coach in 2017, while Ron Rivera was in his second season in 2021. There have been a lot of football games played at Northwest Stadium since the home team last won a December game there.

Good teams usually play their best football in November and December. It’s not surprising that Commanders haven’t been good for years. They’re never competitive in December, and there for a few years, always seemingly welcoming a new regime destined to repeat the same futility.

Times have changed.

Jay Gruden examines what’s happened to the Commanders’ offense

The former Washington coach with some excellent analysis on the Commanders’ recent offensive woes.

Jay Gruden said the Commanders didn’t take advantage of their opportunities and, as a result, lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.

The former Redskins head coach went back and watched the game a second time in preparation for his Monday appearance on the Grant & Danny Show (106.7 the Fan). Gruden said he is convinced that in the first three quarters, the Commanders had their chances to take control of the game and simply didn’t do it.

“The last few minutes was pretty chaotic on both sides of the ball, but the first three quarters, I think was just a matter of taking advantage of great opportunities, and Washington didn’t do it,” Gruden said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy. 

“They had great field position, opportunities to really jump out on them early and put your foot down and show who’s a better team, and they didn’t do it. They just let Dallas hang around and hang around.”

Gruden was the head coach in Washington for the 2014-2019 regular seasons, and the offensive coordinator for the Benglas (2011-2013) and Jaguars (2020).

“Third downs are bad; they’re 12-for-38 in their last three games, 10 sacks, and time of possession. They’re averaging 24 minutes per game in the last- three games,” Gruden said. “A lot of that has to do with the ability to keep the ball, and they’re not staying on the field on third down. There’s a lot of reasons for it – sometimes it’s pressure related, sometimes Jayden misses a throw or there’s no throw to be had – so there’s a lot of things they can clean up, but the most important thing is they got to do a better job on third down.”

Having been a Division 1 starting quarterback at Louisville and working with NFL quarterbacks for a decade, Gruden is not simplistic. He knows there are various reasons why the Commanders’ offense is struggling.

“A lot of times it’s hard to get off your No. 1 target when feel pressure inside, and you gotta get rid of the ball,” Gruden said. “It’s just hard to point your finger at one thing. Sometimes it’s pressure, sometimes he feels like the guy is open and the defensive back makes a good play, but it’s easy to hold the film on pause, and then when the ball’s gone, let it play again and see somebody come wide open, and say you should have held the ball and thrown it to this guy. That’s not always the case when you have the ball in your hand,d and you’re playing quarterback.”

Jay, unlike his brother Jon, is not overly critical. He exhibits much more empathy and is much more understanding of the pressures of a rookie quarterback.

“There are times I agree he could have maybe held the ball a little bit longer, but that’s easier said than done for a young quarterback.”

Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams? Former Washington coach makes his pick

“I don’t see any flaws in his game.”

Say what you want about Jay Gruden, but the former Washington head coach knows football—specifically offensive football. Gruden, a former college quarterback and Arena League MVP, was known for his work developing quarterbacks after getting into coaching.

These days, Gruden is an NFL analyst for Underdog Sports and co-hosts the “Clean Pocket” podcast with former NFL players Colt McCoy, AQ Shipley, and Justin Pugh.

Gruden also joins local Washington D.C. radio stations weekly to discuss the NFL and, specifically, his former team. He’s a huge fan of Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Every week, Gruden praises his former team, especially the rookie quarterback.

In the latest episode of his podcast, they discuss this week’s matchup between the Chicago Bears and Washington. The game, of course, features the top two players selected in the 2024 NFL draft: Caleb Williams and Daniels.

This led McCoy to ask his co-hosts: Daniels or Williams?

Gruden chose Daniels.

“Jayden has been tremendous to me,” Gruden said. “In all phases, in the pocket, outside the pocket, the zone reads, the QB-designed runs, he’s been awesome. Caleb has more arm talent; he can sling it a little further. Jayden, on the other hand, I just feel like I like his poise, his leadership just a little bit better. There’s a lot of things going on that they’re asking Jayden to do right now that he has performed at a very high level. You don’t see any mistakes.”

Gruden made it clear you can’t go wrong with either player, but his pick of Daniels aligns with everything he says each week when discussing the Commanders’ young signal-caller.

More from Gruden on Daniels:

“I don’t see any flaws in his game, I really don’t,” Gruden said. “He sees well. He’s accurate, he anticipates throws, he can run, and he avoids pressure; their offense is damn near unstoppable.”

Now, the biggest question is whether we will see Daniels play this week. He injured his ribs in Sunday’s win over Carolina and did not return. As of now, the Commanders are listing him “week to week,” and he missed Wednesday’s practice.

Former Washington coach thinks Commanders can win ’11, 12, 13 games’

Former Washington coach believes the Commanders are one of the NFL’s best teams and will remain one.

Former Washington coach Jay Gruden is high on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Gruden, who coached Washington from 2014-19, is not only high on Daniels, but he believes the Commanders are playing at a high level and that it will continue.

During his weekly appearance on “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., Gruden said Daniels is playing at a top-three level right now.

“These guys are as good as anyone you see,” Gruden said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy.

“Some of the elite teams are struggling and have issues, and I don’t know why you can’t see these guys aren’t as good as anybody right now except maybe Minnesota, who is playing the best football on both sides of the ball. With the play of Jayden Daniels, who is a Top 3 QB right now, the way they can run the football, and the defense that is starting to come together hustle and play hard, I don’t see why they can’t win 10, 11, 12, 13 games.

Gruden seems confident that Washington can win the NFC East.

“What these guys have put on tape for the first five weeks, it’s not like they played an easy schedule, and I’m not too sold on the NFC East right now,” he continued. “I don’t see why it’s a stretch to say they can’t go 8-4 the rest of the way and win the NFC East.”

If all goes according to Gruden’s thinking, the NFC East will not have a repeat division winner again. The last time the division had a repeat winner was the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2004.

The Commanders currently sit alone atop the division at 4-1, with the Cowboys (3-2), Eagles (2-2) and Giants (2-3) all trailing.

 

 

What Jay Gruden said after Kirk Cousins passed for over 500 yards

Kirk Cousins had a memorable performance on Thursday Night and Jay Gruden had jokes.

Things are going well for former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. After suffering an Achilles injury that prematurely ended his final season in Minnesota, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in March.

On Thursday night, Cousins passed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns in a thrilling walk-off overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. The Falcons improved to 3-2 with the win.

The coach who fought for Cousins to be Washington’s starting quarterback back in 2015, Jay Gruden, was watching and took to X after the game to joke about Cousins’ performance.

Gruden joked about the compensation Washington received when Cousins walked as a free agent after the 2017 season.

If you know Gruden, he’s having some fun. He never wanted to lose Cousins but understood that Cousins wouldn’t re-sign with Washington and should’ve been traded before his final season with the then-Redskins.

Washington struggled to replace Cousins until April’s NFL draft when the now-Commanders selected Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Daniels is the talk of the NFL and has the Commanders sitting at 3-1. Gruden also happens to be a big-time Daniels supporter.

 

Gruden brothers love Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

The two former NFL head coaches love watching Jayden Daniels.

Jay Gruden spent almost six seasons as head coach of the then-Washington Redskins before he was fired in 2019, making him the most successful coach of the Daniel Snyder era. The legendary Joe Gibbs coached for only four years in his second stint before walking away, but he led Washington to two playoff berths.

These days, Gruden is an analyst covering Washington and the rest of the NFL. Gruden roots for the Commanders now that Snyder is no longer the team’s owner.

Like everyone else, Gruden is a huge fan of Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. After the Commanders blew out Arizona on Sunday, Gruden tweeted the following.

 

Jay Gruden isn’t the only one in his family who is a fan of Daniels. His older brother, Jon, the former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Buccaneers and Raiders, revealed uniquely how much he enjoys Daniels.

 

On Monday, Jay Gruden joined “Grant and Danny” of 106.7 The Fan for his weekly spot and discussed Daniels.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of the Gruden’s, they know offense. And they are huge fans of Washington’s new signal-caller.

 

Former Washington coach Jay Gruden impressed with Jayden Daniels

The former Washington coach continues to be impressed with Jayden Daniels.

Former Washington head coach Jay Gruden is a big of Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, Gruden made it clear that if he were still with his old franchise, Daniels would be his choice as the second overall pick.

These days, Gruden is a weekly guest on the Washington, D.C. radio show, “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan, where he breaks down the Commanders and the rest of the NFL. Regardless of what one thinks of Gruden’s time as Washington’s coach, the former college quarterback provides excellent insight.

So, what did he think of Daniels in his second NFL start against the New York Giants?

“Solid. Second game and he did not turn the ball over, which is critical,” Gruden said this week, via Lou DiPietro of Audacy.

“You have to win these close games when your defense is playing pretty good and the other team’s been struggling, and that’s what happened, and turnovers will kill you,” Gruden said. “As long as he’s protecting the ball, I know everybody wants to see touchdowns in the red zone, they’ll come, but just make sure we at least get points to keep the game close and try to win at the end like they did.”

Daniels completed 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards and rushed for 44 yards. Gruden wasn’t concerned that the Commanders didn’t score touchdowns as he believes the touchdowns will come with time. Most importantly, Daniels took care of the ball and improved from Week 1 to Week 2.

“You could see one of the times it was a true handoff and Jayden just took two steps after he handed off, and there’s two guys trying to make sure he didn’t have the ball — and then there goes the inside zone popping out of there,” Gruden continued. “That is a hell of a weapon to have. Jayden Daniels and the threat of his zone read or carrying the ball getting outside the numbers is scary on defenses, and you have to have people account for him, and that’ll open up things for (Austin) Ekeler and (Brian) Robinson like it did.”

Gruden said the Commanders will need to make some big plays in the passing game as opposing teams are going to force Washington to beat them through the air.

Daniels and the Commanders have a tough assignment in Week 3: A trip to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on Monday Night Football.

Former Washington quarterback Colt McCoy officially retires from NFL

Colt McCoy officially retires from the NFL after 14 years. What’s next?

Colt McCoy spent six seasons with the Washington Redskins from 2014-19 during Jay Gruden’s time as head coach. On Monday, McCoy officially retired from the NFL, courtesy of the following video on the Underdog Fantasy YouTube page.

McCoy, who turns 38 in September, was the Cleveland Browns’ third-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He spent three seasons in Cleveland and one in San Francisco before his time in Washington.

With Washington, McCoy appeared in 12 games with seven starts. He’s best remembered for leading the Redskins to an upset win over his home-state Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in 2014. During most of his time in Washington, McCoy served as the primary backup and when he did have the chance to play, he played well, but injuries ruined any long-term chances of starting.

He spent the 2020 season with the New York Giants and played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 and 2022.

Overall, McCoy played 14 NFL seasons after a legendary career at the University of Texas. McCoy started four seasons for the Longhorns, finishing with a 45-8 record and passing for over 13,000 yards and 112 touchdowns. McCoy broke almost every passing record at Texas, most of which still stand today.

The Cardinals released McCoy ahead of the 2023 season and he quickly became analyst at Underdog Fantasy, in which he did an outstanding job of breaking down film and draft prospects.

Next up for McCoy is joining NBC Sports for its coverage of Big Ten football. His debut will be in Lincoln, Nebraska on Sept. 7 for the Nebraska-Colorado game.

Congratulations to Colt McCoy on a long and successful playing career.