Press Release: #REDSKINS QUOTES - Gruden

[TK]

September 30, 2019

Head Coach Jay Gruden

 

 

 

On the evaluation of the quarterbacks after the game:

"After evaluating an entire game, I think there's a lot of things that we can correct for sure. I think the quarterback position, we missed some golden opportunities to change the course of events in that football game and failed to do so. It's not directly on the quarterbacks. I think everybody had their hand in it, including the coaches, for sure. We all could have done something a little bit different to change that game considerably. Unfortunately, we didn't get it done really at any position. Back to the drawing board, we gotta get back to work, get ready for New England."

 

On what the plan at quarterback is for the New England game:

"Right now, I'm going to continue to evaluate [QB] Case's [Keenum] progress with his foot. Obviously, [QB] Dwayne [Haskins Jr.] and [QB] Colt [McCoy] with his leg. When we come back Wednesday morning, we'll have a practice and we'll see where they are at."

 

On QB Dwayne Haskins Jr.’s first game:

"Well, I think Dwayne came in there at a time of the game where we still had a lot of hope and I was hoping for a spark. I think his initial drive was good. He had a nice scramble for a big first down. Unfortunately, we couldn't punch it in there on that drive. Then, the second half I think there was a lot of things that we had problems with. Dwayne had some issues obviously at the line – could have been the wide receivers, could have been the backs, we just weren't on the same page. We weren't in sync for whatever reason. That's unfortunate. We do have a lot of new guys playing in this game. We had a new center, new right guard, we had three or four new receivers – tight end we just dressed, he didn't play a whole lot. Still, we should have been a lot better than we were."

 

On whether playing the Patriots defense effects whether Haskins will start:

"It has nothing to do with it. I will absolutely play the person who I think will give us the best chance to win."

 

On adjusting the third-down defense:

“I think, again, it doesn’t fall on one individual. Sometimes it does on that particular down, sometimes it’s a group, sometimes it’s coverage, sometimes it’s somebody just getting beat in man-to-man, but the fact of the matter is we need people to stand up on third-down. It’s the most important down in pro football. If we can’t get off the field on third-down, it has a direct impact on the outcome of a football game and it allows them more downs – obviously, they can hold the ball longer and we don’t get the ball back on offense. It’s something we’ve talked about, we’ve worked on with our blitz patterns, our stunts, our coverages. We just couldn’t get off the field. Hats off to [QB] Daniel Jones, he made some great scrambles, made some good plays outside the pocket, made some good throws inside the pocket. But we’ve got to get it done, that’s just the bottom line. We’ve got to stand up and get it done.”

 

On whether he’s still confident in Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky’s play-calling:

“Well Greg’s not covering and Greg’s not rushing. We have to hold each other accountable and he’s got to make better calls, too. It’s a team game really and I’m not going to put it all on Greg Manusky, I’m not going to blame it all on the players. It’s everybody in this building and we have to get better, we have to fight through it together. Making a change at coordinator, still somebody has to go out there and cover. If you play man-to-man, you’ve got to cover your guy. If you play zone, you’ve got to read the eyes and get home with your pass rush. Whatever you call, somebody’s got to stand up and make a play. Greg’s got to do better, I’ve got to do better, and the players have got to do better. We all have got to do better.”

 

On what day a quarterback decision would be made and how to split up reps:

“I think I’ll figure that out, especially when I find out the true status of our quarterbacks that are banged up a little bit. Obviously Colt coming back from his leg injury, if he’s 100 percent ready to go. Case, how he’s doing with his foot – he was in a boot after the game, precautionary reason. We’ll see where they are. And then talking to Dwayne, seeing his progress. I’ll make that determination. I think it will depend on the decision I make and then how that person performs on Thursday and Friday.”

 

On whether there’s a day by which a quarterback decision would be made: 

“I can make a decision now, I might have already made a decision, but I’m going to let it play out because I need to see these guys perform. I don’t need to make an announcement and then change my mind on Friday. I want to come out here and let these guys practice and then hopefully somebody will take the job and run.”

 

On the toughest part of getting through these tough losses:

“I’d say the toughest part is I know we’re better and nobody else believes that and I believe it, I think our players believe it, our coaches believe it. But there’s no reason for anybody to really believe it because we’re 0-4 and we haven’t really proven anything on the field yet. Unfortunately, we have some major arsenal of players that aren’t playing that are really supposed to help us and they’re not playing. It’s a golden opportunity for other guys to step up and make the plays, we just haven’t made them. They’re out there to be had, we just haven’t made them. Until we do, we’re going to be in quicksand, so to speak. Somebody’s gotta have a breakout performance. We gotta make the plays that present themselves and just keep fighting and fighting along. I know we got the character of players that will do that. I know we have the talent, we just gotta make some plays.”

 

On what the case would be for QB Colt McCoy to start on Sunday if he is 100 percent healthy:

“Well, he’s been here six years. He’s been here, he knows the system, he’s experienced and has a live arm and he’s a great competitor. From an experience standpoint in this offense, I know he hasn’t played a whole lot, but it does help that when I call a play we’ve been running for five or six years that you know where to look and what side of the field to read as opposed to seeing it for the first time, like Case and Dwayne. We’ve done this since training camp, still you get out there on game day and it’s a different look. The reactionary time is a little bit quicker or slow. So, just experience in the system, really.”

 

On the performance of the defense in Week 4:

“There were some strides made and still I think we can play better. Whenever you create four turnovers, that’s good enough to win a football game, no matter what you say. The 98-yard drive, I wasn’t happy with. Some of the third-down conversions, especially the penalties I wasn’t happy with. The first drive of the game where I decided to make it third-and-17 as opposed to making them kick a 48-yard field goal, I wasn’t happy with them throwing a check down for 15 yards then going for it on fourth-and-two and completing a quick-out for a first down. Obviously the penalties and as I mentioned before, our pass rush can get better, will get better. But I did see guys playing with great effort, continue to fight and getting four turnovers is good. There’s a lot to like about this defense. There’s a lot we can correct. [LB] Cole Holcomb is playing a lot of reps for a rookie. He lost leverage a couple times, but still he’s battling his tail off. [LB Jon] Bostic is in there for the first time, he messed up maybe one zone coverage, which is a big first down. [CB] Fabian [Moreau] maybe out there for the first time on the inside for a while, he maybe lost leverage one time or what have you. Sometimes it’s somebody different on every time and it is hurting us. We’ve gotta all play together as one and I think we’re starting to do that. I think people are starting to have confidence in what we’re calling and how to execute it. I feel good about the thought of our defense being great. We’re just not there yet, but we’re getting better. We’ve played four games already, we’ve gotta turn it up quick. We’re playing the best quarterback in NFL history this week.”

 

On the difference in performance between the 1st half and 2nd half against the Giants:

“That’s a great question. We preach consistency all the time. The problem is the Giants have players that get paid as well and they have good players – [WR Sterling] Shepard, their tight end is really good and obviously Daniel Jones made some plays with his feet. We’ve gotta understand the other offenses will make some plays from time to time. We’ve gotta limit the damage though. We can’t give up a 25-yard check down. We can’t give up a screen pass on third-and-15 coming out for 16 yards. They ran another option route for a gain of 35 yards. So they had three or four big plays in that game that really should have been six-yard gains as opposed to 35-yard gains. If we can eliminate those and make a team go 75, 80 yards on us and make them work for every inch of grass that they get, we have a chance to be really good. Eliminate the big plays No. 1 and then No. 2, third down, we just gotta tighten down.”

 

On calling a timeout coming out of a Giants timeout in the third quarter of Sunday’s game:

“That play, that wasn’t on [QB] Dwayne [Haskins], that was on me. The referee never told me when the dang ball… they’re going to tell me if it’s a TV timeout or when the ball is being winded up, he forgot to tell me. So I’m just talking to Dwayne over there. ‘Hey we’re going to run this, this.’ Next thing you know, it’s down to 10. Nobody told me. That’s my fault. I’ve gotta be more in tune, but every other time we have a timeout, someone tells me, ‘Hey we’re winding it now.’ And I get them out there, but nobody told on that one. The guy actually apologized to me on that one.”

 

 On how Haskins handled the operational part of his game: 

“Operational part? I think for the first time, there were some rough patches – there was a few of them. He’s just gotta know where the shot clock is. There’s a couple times where trying to change the protection too late in the shot clock. We’ve gotta get the play called quicker and a lot of it has to do with our tempo coming out of the huddle. We’re too slow coming out of the huddle. We’ve gotta give the quarterback time to get to the line and make any necessary adjustments with the protection and we didn’t do that a lot. But overall, I think that can be improved on a little bit, which it will be. That’s easily fixed, but overall there’s some good things that he did.”

[Rufus T Firefly]

[The Rook]

There are so many things to talk about, but I will just say that I had a fast deja vu of Coach Norm saying "We draw up the plays, but it's up to the players to make plays."🤔🤮 

 

I think it is up to the coaching staff to prepare the team, not just draw up the plays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rook

 

[CousinsCowgirl84]

So I guess than means he isnt getting fired this week.

[bowhunter]

Sounded like he's treating Haskins as an afterthought. Healthy Colt, then healthy Case, both over a healthy Haskins. No mention of giving Dwayne some 1st team reps and seeing how things go. Writing is on the wall.  In Grudens mind, Colt vs Brady is a epic battle for the ages.  

[KDawg]

Pretty sure he answered the QB question when he said he made a decision and explained the advantages of McCoy. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

So, stay the course, don’t change anything, no accountability for doing a bad job, and we just have to keep working on for 5 and a quarter years.  Eventually we’ll get it fixed.

 

I just can’t fathom anybody with this lack of success not throwing their hands up in the air and TRYING something completely different.  Anything. It’s always the same stuff with Jay.  No creativity.  No ingenuity.

 

This team needs a boost somehow.  Something to change the pattern. 

 

Something.  Anything.  Something minor: let KO call plays for a few drives a game just to get change rhe rhythm. 

 

Something more major: change the DC to show that if the unit is not performing it’s not acceptable.

 

Bench Norman.  Could whatshisname from JMU really be that much worse?  

 

Just do SOMETHING.  ANYTHING.  

 

 

Its maddening it’s always “just gotta keep working on it.”  “We preach that all the time.”  Blah blah blah.  

 

Try something new.  Anything. I dare you.  I double dare you.  I double dare you with a cherry on top.  

5 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Pretty sure he answered the QB question when he said he made a decision and explained the advantages of McCoy. 

If McCoy is healthy he’s playing 100%.  He would have started the season if he was healthy.

[mistertim]

[Napredskins1]

Could it be that most of the league knows how to defend Jay’s offensive system and it’s just a book everyone passes around showing you how to stop it. 

[London Kev]

That's the most relaxed I've seen jay at a presser for weeks. It probably doesn't mean anything and maybe he just got a good night's sleep or something, but he's been quite snippy lately and has acted like the pressure was really getting to him.

 

I wonder if he's had a meeting with Snyder and his position has been clarified one way or the other? I'm probably reading too much into it though.