John Woz, Jr. | October 7th, 2019
Week five of the NFL brought about the first head coach firing of the year. The Washington Redskins slipped to 0-5, after suffering another heavy defeat on Sunday. Owner Dan Snyder had seen enough and fired Jay Gruden.
It was necessary. Our 0-5 start is not just disappointing. We had much different expectations for the beginning of the season – Bruce Allen, team president (via Pro Football Talk).
Gruden’s firing is no surprise, his record with The Redskins was 35-49-1. The Redskins reached the playoffs once during Gruden’s tenure (2015). Stephen Smith spoke on ESPN last week, claiming Gruden had quit on his football team, and that a coaching change was imminent.
Snyder and team president Bruce Allen have it all to do in the Washington front office. The loyal Washington fans have had to endure a long period of mediocrity. They have not experienced a playoff win since 2005. Here’s what the football community is saying about The Redskins, in the aftermath of Gruden’s firing.
A source who knows Snyder well and is aware of his top picks for Gruden’s replacement told ESPN’s Ed Werder that any list of candidates would include Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (via ESPN ).
A change of scenery could benefit Mike Tomlin, however, would he want to walk away from one problem and into a building with even more problems?
Patrick Walker ranks his top five candidates to replace Gruden. Tomlin is at the top of Walker’s list. Other candidates include Bill Callahan. The former Raiders head coach will take over as the Redskins’ interim coach. Next on the list is Kansas City’s offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Jason Garrett and Mike Zimmer complete the list of potential replacements.
Could Cowboys owner Jerry Jones see the Redskins vacancy as an opportunity to move on from Garrett? Jones has been loyal to Garrett and vice versa, but the Cowboys owner craves Super Bowl Championships, will he see one under Garrett’s leadership?
Elsewhere, Skip Bayless had his say on the situation, adding “I can’t believe Jay Gruden lasted that long”. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport tweeted that offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell will get consideration for the job as well.
From @gmfb: The #Redskins have watched as several talented offensive minds left their coaching staff to excel elsewhere. Expect OC Kevin O'Connell to get consideration for the head coach job to prevent history repeating. pic.twitter.com/1fRLlzRW3Y
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2019
Gruden’s successor will be the eighth head coach under Snyder. The Redskins face Miami on Sunday. The Dolphins are 0-4, and Callahan has a tough task on his hands to motivate his team. Turning the Redskins around will be demanding. Jordan Reed and Josh Norman are among several players on the Redskins injury roster. The big question this week will be who Callahan starts at quarterback.
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