There are two basic characteristics a team must possess to survive in the NFL: moxie in the fourth quarter and the mental toughness to recover after falling behind early. Washington stinks at both. It’s the simplest way to explain how the team has lost 27 of its past 35 games in a league legislated for parity.
Before even getting to the quarterback situation, you can measure progress — and Gruden’s job security — by the team’s development in those areas. In the fourth quarter, there has been a breakthrough: After failing in the clutch during a Week 1 loss to Miami, Washington played its best football late the next week to put away St. Louis. Now, after falling behind 12-0 early and falling apart against the New York Giants in Week 3, can the Redskins show similar improvement when it has to play from behind?