- Thread starter
- #1
redskinsfan
Well-Known Member
- 2,955
- 192
- 63
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
- Location
- Southern California
- Hoopla Cash
- $ 1,000.00
- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
It's been really amusing watching Chip Kelly decimate the core of his roster to prove that it's his system -- as opposed to players -- that can bring the Eagles their first and only Lombardi Trophy. This philosophy is bottomed on his view that if you can't do it his way, you can go your own way. As maddeningly funny as that may sound, we should look to two of our own that think the same thing.
Who might be those be? Jay Gruden and, ummm, RGIII. Let's start first with Jay. When he came here, he wasn’t too interested in catering to the strengths of his QB. Despite the fact that it was clear RGIII wasn’t a dropback passer, he forced a system on him that everyone knew RGIII couldn’t succeed in. When RGIII quickly failed in that system, Gruden, lacking even the faintest grain of gravitas demanded of any head coach, publicly dressed him down.
As for RGIII, sticking with a system that fetched him ROY honors and a division title wasn’t enough. Instead of trying to gradually wean himself from the 50-series that he excelled in during his rookie season, RGIII wanted to prove he wasn’t a running back that could also throw the ball. Nooooooo. He wanted to start cold turkey in his quest to emulate Aaron Rodgers. That, of course, didn’t work out too well in Shanahan’s last year as coach. But too many of us dismissed 2013 as a lost year when RGIII came back to early from his ACL tear.
Usher in Jay Gruden in 2014. He’s the coach that implements your typical pro-style, drop back passer gameplan. Well, that just suited RGIII just fine, right? He’s the guy that wanted to bring that challenge on himself. What he didn’t factor in, however, as we all know, was that he couldn’t do it – he held the ball too long, couldn’t read defenses too well, fouled up his drop backs and footwork, and altogether screwed the pooch as Aaron Rodgers v. 2.0.
What both of these guys seem to miss is that this horrendously failed experiment at QB last year was actually a perfect mutual admiration society. You had a coach hell bent on sticking a pro-style offense on a QB who wanted to flourish in it but couldn’t execute it. If either had half a brain, one would figure out that he needs to change his gameplan to optimize the skillset of a QB that has legitimate talents; the other would need to acknowledge that a transition to a certain type of passer will take longer than a few games. Neither was smart enough to draw those conclusions last year and, if they can’t this year, they’ll both be gone.
I’ll say this, however: if one has to go, McCloughan gave us some insight as to whom that might be. Remember when he said it was too early to give up on a young QB right now? And that RGIII has skills that are worth saving? On the other hand, notice how he didn’t give Jay any props on this issue? Indeed, Jay looked like a real rookie at times when dealing with the press. However peeved you may feel about your QB or any other player for that matter, you handle those matters in house. And when you’re devising a gameplan or system, it’s fine to go with something you’re familiar with. But good coaches will always find a way to optimize the strengths of their players and minimize their weaknesses. Jay clearly failed to do either with RGIII and other players.
So, if we’re here next year and everything still remains the same, I’d bet dollars to donuts that if someone gets shown the door first, it’ll be Jay. RGIII might not be too far behind, but it’s Jay’s heinie on the line first.
And what irony would it be if the guy in Philadelphia’s system actually ends up working.
Who might be those be? Jay Gruden and, ummm, RGIII. Let's start first with Jay. When he came here, he wasn’t too interested in catering to the strengths of his QB. Despite the fact that it was clear RGIII wasn’t a dropback passer, he forced a system on him that everyone knew RGIII couldn’t succeed in. When RGIII quickly failed in that system, Gruden, lacking even the faintest grain of gravitas demanded of any head coach, publicly dressed him down.
As for RGIII, sticking with a system that fetched him ROY honors and a division title wasn’t enough. Instead of trying to gradually wean himself from the 50-series that he excelled in during his rookie season, RGIII wanted to prove he wasn’t a running back that could also throw the ball. Nooooooo. He wanted to start cold turkey in his quest to emulate Aaron Rodgers. That, of course, didn’t work out too well in Shanahan’s last year as coach. But too many of us dismissed 2013 as a lost year when RGIII came back to early from his ACL tear.
Usher in Jay Gruden in 2014. He’s the coach that implements your typical pro-style, drop back passer gameplan. Well, that just suited RGIII just fine, right? He’s the guy that wanted to bring that challenge on himself. What he didn’t factor in, however, as we all know, was that he couldn’t do it – he held the ball too long, couldn’t read defenses too well, fouled up his drop backs and footwork, and altogether screwed the pooch as Aaron Rodgers v. 2.0.
What both of these guys seem to miss is that this horrendously failed experiment at QB last year was actually a perfect mutual admiration society. You had a coach hell bent on sticking a pro-style offense on a QB who wanted to flourish in it but couldn’t execute it. If either had half a brain, one would figure out that he needs to change his gameplan to optimize the skillset of a QB that has legitimate talents; the other would need to acknowledge that a transition to a certain type of passer will take longer than a few games. Neither was smart enough to draw those conclusions last year and, if they can’t this year, they’ll both be gone.
I’ll say this, however: if one has to go, McCloughan gave us some insight as to whom that might be. Remember when he said it was too early to give up on a young QB right now? And that RGIII has skills that are worth saving? On the other hand, notice how he didn’t give Jay any props on this issue? Indeed, Jay looked like a real rookie at times when dealing with the press. However peeved you may feel about your QB or any other player for that matter, you handle those matters in house. And when you’re devising a gameplan or system, it’s fine to go with something you’re familiar with. But good coaches will always find a way to optimize the strengths of their players and minimize their weaknesses. Jay clearly failed to do either with RGIII and other players.
So, if we’re here next year and everything still remains the same, I’d bet dollars to donuts that if someone gets shown the door first, it’ll be Jay. RGIII might not be too far behind, but it’s Jay’s heinie on the line first.
And what irony would it be if the guy in Philadelphia’s system actually ends up working.
