Jay Gruden's RG3 Gamble Already Backfiring After Shutout Loss to St. Louis Rams

If he finds himself on the unemployment line this winter, Jay Gruden will wish he could have one particular roll of the dice back. When he made the decision to pull the cord on Robert Griffin III with five games still left in the season, Gruden gambled his tenure as Washington Redskins head coach.

The first-year sideline general bet big that with a quarterback he doesn't seem to trust, or particularly like, out of the way, his method of doing things would start to show results.

Well, in the two games since, the post-Griffin, Colt McCoy-led Redskins look like this: 0-2 and shut out at home by the largest deficit in over a decade. That's the reality Gruden faces after Washington slumped to an abject 24-0 home defeat to the resurgent St. Louis Rams.

The last time the Redskins were this bad at home Steve Spurrier was still in town and Tim Hasselbeck was under center. Grant Paulsen, host of 106.7 The Fan, provided details of that past ineptitude:

Hasselbeck's 1-4 run as a starter toward the end of the '03 campaign served as a symbol of the failures of the Spurrier regime. Taking a look back at the game also serves as a reminder of the chaos this franchise has endured at football's most important position.

Since Brad Johnson led the team to an NFC East title in 1999, Washington's quarterback rotation has resembled a calamitous carousel of misfiring passers. Young prospects such as Patrick Ramsey and Jason Campbell couldn't make the grade, while veterans such as Mark Brunell and Todd Collins could only briefly steady the ship.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The trade that netted Griffin in 2012 was supposed to change all that. It was supposed to finally give the Redskins a franchise quarterback and some genuine stability and continuity.

Of course, injuries, basic flaws that were shockingly overlooked, or just outright missed, during the predraft process, wrecked that plan. Griffin also couldn't jell with Mike and Kyle Shanahan.

Enter Gruden the younger, who was hired with the express remit of developing Griffin into a quarterback worthy of giving away a pair of first-round picks and a second-rounder.

But Gruden hasn't delivered. Now he's put the pressure firmly on himself.

The pressure rests with him for a couple of unavoidable reasons: Gruden couldn't win with Griffin, and he's not winning without him.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The coach is the common denominator in all this losing, not the revolving door at quarterback.

It wasn't Griffin at the helm of an offense that drew a blank against the Rams. McCoy was the one directing things on the field, the one with the supposed better understanding of Gruden's scheme.

The latest result of that partnership doesn't say anything good about Gruden's scheme. That's bad news for a coach who convinced management that the team would be better with its prized asset sat on the bench.

Without the wins to back that up, management may start asking a few questions. They'll be questions Gruden will struggle to answer, particularly if they're coming from owner Dan Snyder.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

One of Griffin's most ardent supporters, Snyder was reportedly mystified by the young quarterback's epic slump, per ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen (h/t Pro Football Talk writer Michael David Smith):

"

Dan Snyder would like to know what’s gone wrong with his franchise quarterback.

Snyder has been quiet publicly in the wake of Washington’s benching of Robert Griffin III, perhaps because Snyder doesn’t know quite what to say. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, team sources have described Snyder as “befuddled” and “confused” as to why Griffin has fallen so far.

"

If the Redskins continue to struggle as much as they have for most of Gruden's first year, Snyder might think the rookie coach deserves most of the blame. If he does, he'll likely use general manager Bruce Allen as an emissary of impending doom.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Jason Reid of The Washington Post already believes a "showdown" between Gruden and the top brass is now inevitable:

"

Less than a year after a showdown over Robert Griffin III, another appears to be brewing. Jay Gruden’s desire to part ways with the ineffective quarterback may put him at odds with owner Daniel Snyder and President and General Manager Bruce Allen, potentially leaving the Washington Redskins searching for a coach yet again.

Late last week, battle lines were drawn between the coaching staff and senior management at Redskins Park after multiple team employees revealed Gruden is done with Griffin, as much because of the 24-year-old’s spotlight-craving antics as his shortcomings in the pocket.

Prompted by the news of Gruden’s position, an unnamed Redskins official told ESPN that Griffin could start again during the team’s final four games, lending credibility to the notion that Gruden’s bosses still are committed to the league’s 2012 offensive rookie of the year.

"

No matter what the motivation was behind reports Griffin could start again, the rumor could soon become a reality. McCoy suffered a strained neck amidst the heavy and all-too predictable beating he took from the Rams, per ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim:

That meant Griffin made a brief return to the field. It also means the key position on the team is again in a state of flux, at least according to Gruden's comments, per ESPN 980 reporter Chris Russell:

That could give Gruden the chance to slow things down a little. It could present the opportunity to arm himself with more evidence for why he's right to ultimately move this team away from Griffin.

That's a thought echoed by MMQB writer Peter King:

"

I still think Washington needs to play Griffin before the end of the year. They either need to see more of him before deciding whether to keep him—or, if they’ve already decided to jettison him, showcase him in a positive light so he can fetch a better return in trade.

"

That would represent the more measured approach Gruden may have been wiser to take in the first place. Forcing out a quarterback a franchise paid a king's ransom for and one the franchise owner adores, was always going to be a delicate balancing act.

It's one that probably requires more sensitive handling than Gruden's trademark blunt-force manner and sledgehammer-style vocabulary.

He's not necessarily wrong that Washington should be done with Griffin, a quarterback undermined by core weaknesses. But by pulling the trigger so early, Gruden has put himself on the wrong end of a power play with the two senior decision-makers in the franchise.

Without a few wins post-Griffin, Gruden loses his leverage. Once that goes, his gamble is likely to cost him his job.