The team name isn't the only thing causing controversy in Washington these days.
Robert Griffin III and coach Jay Gruden seem to be at a tense point in their relationship after Gruden admitted to going too far when criticizing Griffin's post-game comments last week.
"The stuff playing out in the public eye suggests that plenty of fireworks are flying behind the scenes," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote.
Gruden was expected to help RGIII develop in much the same way he aided Andy Dalton as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, things haven't exactly worked out that smoothly. Griffin dislocated his ankle in Week 2, the second major leg injury of his professional career, and has looked overmatched in his two games back. Washington is just 3-7 and in the familiar position of last place in the NFC East.
Could the mountain of failed expectations in D.C. prod owner Dan Snyder to make a coaching change after just one season? The move would be surprising, but not unprecedented.
"It would be the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six seasons that an NFL coach loses his job after one year."
Snyder himself fired Marty Schottenheimer after just one season in 2001, Pro Football Talk added.
For all the fumbled plans in Washington this season, a coaching change would not help anything. The most successful franchises are built on stability. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had just three head coaches total preside over five Super Bowl wins. Bill Belichick has stewarded the New England Patriots since 2000 and has three Lombardi trophies as a result. The New York Giants handed the keys to Tom Coughlin back in 2004 and now have two heavier ring fingers.
The Redskins have had eight head coaches since Snyder bought the team in 1999. The team's record in that span? 107-143. They've had seven seasons of double digit losses.
Maybe what this team needs right now is a little consistency. Give Gruden a little more time to implement his system and gather players that can run it. Let him figure out the quarterback situation for himself. Things may look bleak right now in D.C., but the endless carousel of coaches over the last 15 years hasn't delivered the results Redskins fans want. So why continue down that same path?
