As the final seconds ticked away in the Redskins' predictable-yet-still-dismal 33-7 throttling at the hands of the Patriots, the question looming over Washington is whether time has likewise run out on coach Jay Gruden's tenure in the nation's capital.
Right now -- fleeting as that time frame might be -- Gruden's still the head coach and he says he'll keep showing up as long as he can get into team facilities.
"If the key works Monday, I'll keep working," Gruden said in his postgame press conference.
Very much the picture of a fired man walking, Gruden also told reporters that "ample opportunities" had been bestowed upon him to succeed.
Just like last season, the Redskins have been riddled with injuries, but there are only so many excuses to be made for a team that's dropped to 0-5 to begin a season that seemingly is already ready for its end. Washington has lost seven in a row dating back to last season and 11 of its last 12. For four straight weeks, the Redskins have lost by double-digits and the only hope on the horizon might well be Week 6's trip to Miami in a showdown that could decide the top two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In five games, Gruden's inept offense has started two quarterbacks -- Case Keenum and Colt McCoy -- and played three -- which includes first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. Nothing has worked and excitement has been absent, save for the dramatics of Gruden's status as an employee.
With an offensive crisis emblazoned by a confusing carousel of ineffective quarterbacks and a talented defense that's failed to stymie opposing offenses for five dreadful weeks running, positives are a treasure the Redskins are continually failing to find.
Gruden's afternoons in D.C. seem numbered, but for now, he'll keep going to work, just as long as he can get in the door.
Editor's note: The Washington Redskins fired Jay Gruden early Monday.
