Bottom remains a moving target for the Washington Redskins.
Boos preceded the swift departure of fans midway through the fourth quarter on a clear, crisp, dismal Sunday at FedEx Field. Five consecutive losses, the latest a 24-0 no-show against the St. Louis Rams, are strong inspiration to search out the couch before the final whistle, even if tickets were as low as $5.
The Redskins’ ineffectiveness Sunday was vast. Their fake-punt attempt did not work. They allowed two touchdowns to St. Louis tight end Jared Cook. Special teams gave up a 78-yard punt return for touchdown. The offense did not score. Quarterback Colt McCoy’s passer rating was 54.0, well below any rating the deposed Robert Griffin III put forth this season.
Misery was not contained to the field. Former Redskin London Fletcher spouted a blistering rebuke of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett earlier in the day during a television appearance. That led to a back-and-forth on Twitter between Fletcher and Haslett’s son, Chase, who is enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Postgame, players were asked about reports on gossip site TMZ from Friday.
Coach Jay Gruden talked about his job status, the team’s status, the massive voids he can’t seem to fill. The affable Gruden stuck a hand in his pocket and crossed his legs waiting for a reporter to finish yet another question about Griffin. More than once, Gruden concluded answers by saying, “that’s all we can do.”
Finally, his voice rose a bit when explaining what can take place with three games remaining in a broken season that has plummeted the Redskins to a 3-10 record.
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“Any time you have a chance to play against the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles you should be motivated as a pro football player,” Gruden said. “It’s exciting. It’s a privilege to play this game. So, if I have to motivate a pro football player to play football, then we need to get new pro football player.
“So, this is a great chance for us, the last three games to get this thing turned around, to get this terrible taste out of our mouth and move forward. That’s the only spin I can put on this and not dwell on all the negative things that’s going around the Twitters and all that stuff.”
The Rams began the game with a subtle zing toward the Redskins. Crowding around the Redskins logo at midfield for the coin toss were six St. Louis Rams game captains. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive tackle Michael Brockers, running back Zac Stacy, receiver Stedman Bailey, offensive lineman Greg Robinson and linebacker Alec Ogletree. St. Louis accumulated the six players as a result of the 2012 trade the Redskins made with the Rams to obtain Griffin. Earlier in the week, St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said he would make the deal again. Gruden, who was not employed by the Redskins at the time, is left to manage it.
Not long after the reminder, the Redskins’ began to unravel. McCoy threw an interception at the St. Louis 35-yard line. Cook scored his first touchdown in the second quarter. He scored again in the third quarter. The lack of coverage on the latter touchdown was egregious. Cook ran free into the end zone, almost colliding with another uncovered teammate, before Shaun Hill lofted the 1-yard pass to him. A still frame of the play showed no Redskins player within five yards of Cook despite the play beginning at the 1-yard line. Rubbing the Redskins’ face in the dirt was a Rams 2-point conversion pulled off via a pass from the punter.
Also in the third quarter, Rams speedster Tavon Austin returned a punt for a 78-yard touchdown. To that point, St. Louis special teams had been atrocious. Kicker Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein had missed an extra point, a 28-yard field goal and a 38-yard field goal. The Redskins did nothing with the gifts.
Access to see such head-scratching events came cheap. Late in the week, standing-room-only tickets were $4.25 on Stubhub.com. A seat cost as low as $7. Field-level seats were as low as $36. The latter ticket would provide a clear view of Gruden pacing the sideline in his khaki pants, at times looking at the ground and glancing skyward at others. The rolled-up white paper jutting from his back pocket proved to be answer-free. As did the end of last season.
Eight consecutive losses wrapped 2013. Mike Shanahan was jettisoned and Gruden was summoned. However, repetition, not change, has followed.
“Last year was very similar when you’re watching tape,” Gruden said. “As the season went on, things got worse and worse. You go into the offseason and I feel like we’re … obviously, we are going down instead of [raising] our level of play and that’s … not good. We’ve got to figure out a way to stop the downfall.”
Like Gruden, his players were left without remedies. Safety Ryan Clark said the Redskins’ defense can rush one week, but not cover. The next week, that switches. Running back Alfred Morris had found space in recent weeks. He had eight carries for six yards Sunday. McCoy regressed. Without DeSean Jackson (leg), the Redskins presented no downfield threats.
“I’m not going to lie: I have no answers for you, man,” fullback Darrel Young said. “I don’t know what to say. I’m not going to lie. I don’t know why we can’t. I have no excuse. I’m out of them. I’ve said everything I felt like we needed to do, and it just hasn’t been good. I don’t know. I’m out of excuses. I have nothing else to say about it.”
The Redskins take the league’s second-longest losing streak into New York on Sunday to face their partners in haplessness, the 4-9 Giants. The next game is all that’s guaranteed. Quiet until then and success are not. The Redskins have at least learned that.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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