Jay Gruden: Is New OC the Answer for the Struggling Cincinnati Bengals?

Jay Gruden is the new offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, replacing longtime OC Bob Bratkowski, who was fired by the team on Monday after a disappointing 4-12 season and Carson Palmer's recent trade demands.

The 43-year-old Gruden is a former AFL quarterback and the younger brother of former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst John Gruden.

Though Gruden's last name might make him sound like a good fit in Cincinnati, is he actually the right choice?

Let's debate. 

5. Yes: He Knows How To Run an Offense

If there's one thing Jay Gruden knows about, it's offense.

The AFL style of play focuses on high octane offenses who score a ton of points and go for it on fourth down with 27 yards to go.

OK, maybe not.

But the Bengals ranked 22nd in the NFL scoring at just 20.1 points per game in 2010, so they need a new philosophy on that side of the ball.

Enter Gruden, who might not have much experience running an NFL offense, but has a ton of experience running an offense in general. 

5. No: Questionable Character?

Everyone deserves a second chance, but this is something that has to be brought up given the team Jay Gruden's going to.

He was arrested in 2005 for DUI and registered a .106 and .110 on two blood alcohol tests.

Yeah, I get it—it's not like Gruden went to jail for a vicious crime or anything like that.

But this is the Cincinnati Bengals we're talking about here, a team with Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson.

So Gruden in Cincinnati isn't exactly a match made in heaven.

4. Yes: He's a Winner

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ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 22: Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden of the Florida Tuskers talks with Brooks Bollinger #8 during the game against the California Redwoods at the Florida Citrus Bowl on October 22, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/

Even though much of his success has come in the minor leagues, so to speak, Jay Gruden has proven to be a winner.

As a senior quarterback at Louisville, he led the Cardinals to an 8-3 mark, the school's first winning season in 10 years.

As an AFL head coach, Gruden went 93–61, including an 11–7 mark in the playoffs.

He was also a stellar AFL quarterback, winning four Arena Bowl titles between 1991-96, and he won a Super Bowl title as an assistant coach with Tampa Bay in 2002.

Like T-Pain says, all he does is win, win, win.

4. No: Too Much Time in the AFL and UFL

Since Jay Gruden began his professional football career in 1991, the only time he's spent in the NFL was as a part-time offensive assistant from 2002-08.

Other than that, his entire career—both as a player and coach—has been relegated to the UFL and the AFL.

Not only is the competition in those leagues not at the same level as the NFL, but the style of play is drastically different.

Try spending most of your life playing basketball with five players on the court for each team, then switching to games of three on three.

OK, what Gruden is doing might not be that much different, but it's still a big change.

3. Yes: He's Something Fresh

From 2001-11, Bob Batkowski was the offensive coordinator for the Bengals.

That's a reallllyyyy long time.

And sometimes all it takes to turn around a team's fortunes is a fresh offensive mind.

Look what Sean Payton's done for the New Orleans Saints, Mike Mularkey's done for the Atlanta Falcons and Joe Philbin's done for the Green Bay Packers.

Why couldn't Jay Gruden do the same?

3. No: Better Options Out There

Think of all the current NFL coaches that the Bengals could have pursued for their offensive coordinator opening.

There's too many to name, but there's a plethora of assistant coaches or current OCs who Cincinnati could have gone after.

Why hire an inexperienced NFL guy like Jay Gruden when there's hundreds of experienced guys already coaching in the NFL?

Ya got me.

2. Yes: Bloodlines

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 28: Coach Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers directs play against the Oakland Raiders at Raymond James Stadium on December 28, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

In every family with two brothers in the same profession, one brother is and always will be better at his job.

But there are plenty of examples of both siblings having a certain measure of success.

Rex Ryan's gotten to two straight NFC Championship games, and his brother Rob is now the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jim Harbaugh turned Stanford around and will now try to do the same in San Francisco, while John Harbaugh has won 32 games in three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl and four NFL MVPs, and Eli Manning won a Super Bowl himself.

So who knows, maybe Jay Gruden will be the overlooked brother of the Gruden family?

But that might not be such a bad situation. 

2. No: His Inexperience as an Offensive Coordinator

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TAMPA, FL - 2007: Jay Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers poses for his 2007 NFL headshot at photo day in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images)

Jay Gruden has exactly two stints as offensive coordinator during his coaching career.

The first lasted one year (1997) and was with the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League, while the second also lasted just one season (2009) and was with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.

Handing Gruden an NFL offensive coordinator job is like giving a guy who passed ninth grade with straight Cs a high school diploma. 

1. Yes: He Has NFL Experience

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TAMPA, FL - 2008: Jay Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers poses for his 2008 NFL headshot at photo day in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images)

From 2002-2008, Jay Gruden was an offensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During that span, the Bucs went 57-55 and won three NFC South titles and a Super Bowl.

OK, the guy wasn't the main reason why Tampa Bay was so successful during that period, but let's give him a little credit.

Seven years of NFL coaching experience is enough to make him worthy of a job in the league.

1. No: He Never Played in the NFL

If you're reading this, there's about a 99.999 percent chance that you've never played in the NFL.

Don't worry, though, because neither has Jay Gruden.

That's right, the guy never played a single down in the NFL.

I like to compare Gruden coaching in the NFL to a pilot flying an airplane.

If you've only learned how to pilot a plane by using a flight simulator on your home computer, then how can you teach others how to do it?

The Verdict: Is Jay Gruden the Answer for the Struggling Cincinnati Bengals?

Jay Gruden has won wherever he's been, whether it's the NCAA, the AFL or the NFL (as a part-time assistant, I might add).

However, the Cincinnati Bengals hired him to be an offensive coordinator and he's had just two years of experience at that position, none of which have come at the NFL level.

Gruden's spent most of his career playing and coaching in what can best be described as football's minor leagues.

Until he's achieved success at the NFL level, there's not much of a track record that would suggest his winning ways will translate to his new job with the Bengals.

After all, I was a pretty good peewee football player, but you don't see me playing on Sundays.

The Verdict: No!