Jay Gruden on Commanders Offense: 'Every Play-Caller's Dream'

After firing offensive coordinator Scott Turner, is it the dispatched play-caller or the Washington Commanders who have their sights set in the wrong direction?

It was no surprise the Washington Commanders fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner. 

In the days leading to the end of the Commanders' season, there was coach Ron Rivera's televised dismay at a fourth-down play, conversations about finding yet another starting quarterback, and reports of disgruntled players in the locker room. 

Something had to change. 

But more than the firing of Turner, it's the comments by general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Rivera that have many scratching their heads. 

Including former Washington coach Jay Gruden.

"As you saw this last game, we were two to one run/pass," Mayhew said. "For every time that we threw the ball, we ran the ball twice. That's how we want to play."

"It's a philosophical belief," Rivera added later. "I think a big part of it is that you've got to be able to help your defense as well...control the tempo of the game, and I think that's what we need to do to win football games."

Speaking with Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan's Grant & Danny show, Gruden called the Commanders' leaders of football operations for their comments. 

"Maybe Martin Mayhew and Ron Rivera should call plays," Gruden said. "I mean seriously, it's embarrassing. You can't just hand the ball off two-to-one...The score dictates it, your line play dictates it, your offense, your tight ends..."

Running the football is always advantageous, Gruden later acknowledged. 

But as he points out, doing so can't be done out of sheer want-to. 

Washington never trailed in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys. 

This enabled the ratioed run to pass approach Mayhew referenced. 

The problem comes in when the Commanders trailed in 2022, or when they were involved in close games that required a turn toward passing over running. 

"Obviously, every play-caller's dream is to power-run the football," Gruden added. "It's easy for everybody. The linemen love it, the quarterback loves it, the backs love it, your defense loves it. But you can't do it all the time consistently unless you have a Derrick Henry. Even they struggle...They get stuck in second-and-12...and they can't throw the ball to save their life."

It's clear the identity of Washington's offense was not clearly agreed upon by Mayhew, Rivera, and Turner. 

Or at worst, the roster wasn't constructed to allow for a more pass-heavy approach when needed. 

And because of it, the Commanders failed in three years with Turner calling the offense to develop a catch-up speed. 

Yet also failed to produce on the ground and defense enough to keep the ground attack leading Washington to victory on a consistent basis.

And now Turner is unemployed while the Commanders begin their search to find the offensive coordinator that can make all their dreams come true.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82 and on the Locked On Commanders podcast.

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