Does an NFL coaching staff make their players look good, or do great players shed a brighter light on a coaching staff?
If your players are relatively unproven, and the coaching staff is below-average, does it matter? That’s the case for the Washington Redskins, at least at the current moment.
Bleacher Report rated the best-coached teams going into the 2019 season, and the Redskins came in at No. 20, right below the mid-line. Head Coach Jay Gruden’s 35-44-1 record during his tenure in Washington is mediocre at best, but it has kept him employed for the last five years. It’s easy to say that Gruden is overrated at No. 20, as he has never won more than 10 games in a season with the Redskins, but he has also never lost more than 10 games either, outside of his first season with the team.
As for his coordinator coaches, both DC Greg Manusky and OC Kevin O’Connell are solid, and Bill Callahan has done a superb job keeping the offensive line productive despite the numerous injuries that have plagued the team for years.
Poor roster management, as well as unfortunate luck, have riddled the Redskins past few seasons, but Gruden has managed to keep his job in a cutthroat league. He may not live up to his ranking, but he is probably better than his record shows. At the very least, he is as good as the average coach in the NFL.
