Washington Redskins' Problems Run Much Deeper Than Quarterback

Changing quarterbacks can't fix the much deeper problems that plague the Washington Redskins. That should be obvious after the team has tried three players under center this season.

Whether it's been Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins or even Colt McCoy, the Redskins are still afflicted by the same fatal woes. All of those problems were on display during the team's Week 11 27-7 home defeat to the previously 1-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If you still need a rundown of the old hits, here they are: poor offensive line play, inconsistent defense, penalties and turnovers. That unholy quartet keeps Washington rooted to the foot of the NFC East. That's before even mentioning the quarterbacks.

The Redskins have a major problem under center, there's no hiding that fact. The franchise invested its future in Griffin and he looks as far away from justifying that faith as he's ever done.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

My own reservations about Griffin go back to before he was drafted. But even for an admitted skeptic, Griffin's litany of weaknesses are still alarming.

His inability to make reads and be decisive from the pocket, along with poor footwork and lazy technique, should now prompt serious questions about whether he'll ever make the grade.

The problem for Washington is that making the tough, and probably necessary, call to turn away from Griffin won't be the end of trouble. It wasn't when Cousins came in for the injured starter in Week 2.

As a more natural pocket-based passer, Cousins should have been the perfect fit for new head coach Jay Gruden's version of the West Coast offense. Instead, a bright start was soon erased from memory as Cousins generously shared his passes among defensive backs every week.

Even though McCoy is the only Washington quarterback to win two games this season, it's still hard to believe the former Cleveland Browns flop could be the long-term answer.

The real issue is there are too many other things wrong with this team. It starts up front along an O-line allowed to fall into disrepair under previous coach Mike Shanahan, before being tragically overlooked by Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen.

The pair tried to help the group this offseason. But a recruitment policy that only yields ex-Browns starter Shawn Lauvao and two third-round picks who fail to beat out some mediocre incumbents has to be questioned.

Unfortunately, the only ones providing answers are opposing pass-rushers. Every sack adds another layer of terrible to this question: just how bad can this offensive line get?

Fox Sports and NFL.com Game Pass.

Well, the apocalypse isn't so much coming as it has already arrived for any quarterback brave enough to stand behind this group. That was made painfully clear when the previously sack-shy Bucs (14 coming into Week 11) notched six takedowns on Griffin.

Of course, many of the sacks Griffin takes are down to his habit of holding on to the ball as if it's the crystal egg from Risky Business. This damning statistic courtesy of ESPN 980 reporter Chris Russell helps prove that:

But those numbers are just as much an indictment of blocking as decision-making in the pocket. It's why you have to seriously question which quarterback could thrive for the Redskins.

Most quarterbacks, whether it's Peyton Manning or McCoy, are only as good as their protection. By the same token, every quarterback, no matter how gifted, needs the support of a credible running game to truly dominate.

This team used to have one. But Alfred Morris rampaging through bewildered defenses has become a distant memory.

He hasn't rushed for 100 yards in a game since Week 10 of last season. What started as a mild slump has become a full-blown crisis.

USA TODAY Sports

Like any true vicious circle, Morris' woes can be more than partly attributed to the lineman tasked with knocking open holes for him. Teams have found the answers for Washington's familiar zone-style stretch blocking and are regularly overpowering feeble linemen.

For those keeping score, that's a line weak in every area and a running game consistently below par. Still think a fourth quarterback change this season will significantly help this team?

With or without a change under center, how can Griffin, McCoy, or even Cousins keep pace with opponents when Washington's inconsistent defense surrenders so many big plays?

Tampa Bay's rookie wide receiver Mike Evans was the latest to benefit from the generosity of Jim Haslett's sham unit. He turned seven catches into 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Both scores highlighted the deep, systemic poison polluting this franchise. Evans' second touchdown catch, a 56-yard grab, came when the Redskins inexplicably had inside linebacker Perry Riley Jr. covering the first-year burner.

That was a failure of scheme rightly condemned by everyone who saw it, including 106.7 The Fan host Grant Paulsen:

The call and execution were bad, but is any of that really surprising with Haslett still patrolling the sideline? After all, this is a coordinator retained by Gruden and Allen despite not producing a solid D in four—that's right, four—years of trying.

You'd be hard-pressed to find many other professions where such a lack of progress earns you a stay of execution. Haslett's 2014 defense is what every unit he's fielded since 2010 has been. Namely, one boasting some talent, but also one that doesn't make enough big plays yet still yields plenty.

However, while Haslett's D features some capable players it would be remiss not to acknowledge the lack of talent in key areas. The most notable deficiencies are in the secondary, specifically at the safety position.

Evans proved that when he beat a Cover 2 look for a 36-yard score because veteran free safety Ryan Clark didn't rotate over the top in time. Clark, the ex-Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl winner, is half a step short of the end of his career.

Yet that didn't stop Gruden and Allen from signing him this offseason. Given how much he's struggled this campaign, that now looks like a very costly decision.

The narrative around Clark gets more disturbing in the context of this tweet from Russell:

It's not unreasonable to be concerned about the durability of a 35-year-old. But then why sign him in the first place? More to the point, why sign Clark without players to spell him?

It's ridiculous Gruden and Allen could really have believed a player they felt can't hold up should fill such an important position, one that's been a long-standing problem.

All signing Clark reveals is a quick-fix culture endemic throughout this franchise. Gruden brought in veterans like Clark at the expense of playmakers approaching their primes with something to prove.

But if Clark and 32-year-old defensive tackle Jason Hatcher are the wrong veterans then Gruden will need a lot longer to properly overhaul this roster.

Of course, it won't matter which players are recruited if Gruden can't get his team to shed bad habits. Turnovers are mounting at an alarming rate, with three more coming against the Bucs.

Those giveaways are the most significant part of a staggering lack of discipline and efficiency. Penalties usually go hand in hand with turnovers, as the Redskins proved by drawing nine more flags in Week 11.

These are the foibles of losing teams. But they aren't problems that exist in a vacuum. That's something Russell detailed:

The fact there's been no improvement is something Gruden has to take the blame for. The brash young coach has been good at dropping tough-sounding verbal salvos this season. The problem is, Jay, nobody appears to be listening.

The first task of any coach taking over a franchise coming off a 3-13 record, one used to losing, is teaching his team not to beat itself. Gruden hasn't done that and his mistake-prone, undisciplined group is finding new ways to lose.

A perfect time capsule of the Gruden era came after the Redskins recovered a muffed punt down 10-0 in the first half. The Washington offense spectacularly contrived to waste a great chance to get back in the game.

Mike Jones of The Washington Post broke down the calamitous series of plays:

The missed field goal was one of two errant kicks by Kai Forbath. That's right, the special teams is still as bad as ever.

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. Washington's players and decision-makers aren't living in a bubble. These are the same problems that have plagued this franchise for all but five seasons since 1991.

When regimes change but the problems stay the same, it's evidence of a much deeper malaise running through the fabric of a franchise. That's why just switching quarterbacks won't be enough to solve things, even though a tough decision regarding Griffin is surely due soon.

All statistics via NFL.com.

Screen shot courtesy of Fox Sports and NFL.com Game Pass.