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  6. article_body => "<p>The Redskins lost their fourth straight game on Sunday, this time in embarrassing fashion. Washington head coach Jay Gruden can feel the pressure mounting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\"My job is in jeopardy every week,\" Gruden said after the 40-16 defeat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Forgive the head coach a bit of hyperbole, but not much.&nbsp;NFL coaches age in dog years. Every game is a referendum on their ability, and that takes a toll.<\/p>\n<p>For Gruden, it hasn't been an easy season. What started well has since fallen apart, and things swung dramatically when Alex Smith broke his leg last month. His team took an even bigger hit when<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/another-season-ending-injury-another-redskins-qb-colt-mccoy-breaks-leg-vs-eagles\"> Colt McCoy also broke his leg last week<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Not everything swung on the health of the quarterbacks though.<\/p>\n<p>The Redskins defense started the season strong but has been bad for the last six weeks. Penalties are also a tremendous problem for the Burgundy and Gold.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\"For the most part, I don\u2019t have an explanation right now as far as what the breakdowns were, who they were and why they were,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn't seem fair to blame everything on Gruden, but that's also the nature of the NFL.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In some ways, it seems Gruden's modest success in Washington might also be his downfall. Jay Gruden's teams won at least seven games the last three years. No Redskins coach in the last 20&nbsp;years can say the same thing. Gruden was the first, and only, coach to get a contract extension under owner Daniel Snyder. That shows some level of continued competency.&nbsp;Gruden has maneuvered with a stable roster capable of sustained mediocrity, largely without drama.<\/p>\n<p>But there also hasn't been any real success.<\/p>\n<p>The team won the NFC East in 2015, but got quickly dispatched in the playoffs. Gruden's squad lost a win-and-in Week 17 game to the Giants in 2016 to miss the playoffs. In 2017, injuries buried the Redskins' chance at playoff success. In 2018, a new rash of injuries did the same thing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The ugly losses don't help. There have been embarrassing defeats&nbsp;that lead some in the 'Skins fanbase to scream for coaching changes. The first half of the Giants game might be a new low point for a franchise that all too often is forced to wonder about new low points.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Gruden knows the current situation. He understands it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He was clearly upset after the Giants game, frustrated by the injuries and his defense's play. Next week in Jacksonville, the team will start their fourth quarterback of the season. That's almost unprecedented in the NFL.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\"What did work? There was nothing that worked so nothing worked. Everything did not work,\" the coach said.<\/p>\n<p>The nature of the NFL beast means the spotlight lands on the head coach, for better or worse. Gruden, now in his fifth season, knows that, and knows what that means after an awful loss.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\"It\u2019s tough to deal with. It really is. It\u2019s unfortunate. Our guys continue to compete. That product we put on the field today was not a reflection of the guys work during the week and at practice. However, it did look bad. It\u2019s a reflection of all of us.\"<\/p>\n<p>While the reflection might be of the whole team, Gruden&nbsp;is in the center.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>MORE REDSKINS NEWS:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Five observations:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/5-observations-redskins-most-embarrassing-loss-years\" target=\"_self\">Analysis on the dreadful loss<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Lost locker room?<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/whats-state-redskins-locker-room-deangelo-hall-not-sure-if-its-lost\" target=\"_self\">DeAngelo Hall weighs in<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Learning curve:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/josh-johnson-played-madden-learn-new-redskins-teammates-names\" target=\"_self\">Johnson used Madden to learn teammates' names<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>NFL Week 4:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/nfl-week-14-best-photos-ny-giants-40-redskins-16#slide-4\">Best moments from Skins and Giants<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div class=\"video-filter art19-player-iframe\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/f1339a3e-06a7-41d6-bc8b-77df06fb8eae\/episodes\/e8db6a1c-423b-40f9-803f-c46933fc131f\/embed?theme=light-blue\" width=\"100%\" height=\"250px\" class=\"video-filter video-art19 vf-f1339a3e06a741d6bc8b77df06fb8eae vf-e8db6a1c423b40f9803fc46933fc131fembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Art19 Player\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\"><\/iframe><\/div>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"
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Redskins

Redskins

The Redskins lost their fourth straight game on Sunday, this time in embarrassing fashion. Washington head coach Jay Gruden can feel the pressure mounting. 

"My job is in jeopardy every week," Gruden said after the 40-16 defeat. 

Forgive the head coach a bit of hyperbole, but not much. NFL coaches age in dog years. Every game is a referendum on their ability, and that takes a toll.

For Gruden, it hasn't been an easy season. What started well has since fallen apart, and things swung dramatically when Alex Smith broke his leg last month. His team took an even bigger hit when Colt McCoy also broke his leg last week. 

Not everything swung on the health of the quarterbacks though.

The Redskins defense started the season strong but has been bad for the last six weeks. Penalties are also a tremendous problem for the Burgundy and Gold. 

"For the most part, I don’t have an explanation right now as far as what the breakdowns were, who they were and why they were," he said.

It doesn't seem fair to blame everything on Gruden, but that's also the nature of the NFL. 

In some ways, it seems Gruden's modest success in Washington might also be his downfall. Jay Gruden's teams won at least seven games the last three years. No Redskins coach in the last 20 years can say the same thing. Gruden was the first, and only, coach to get a contract extension under owner Daniel Snyder. That shows some level of continued competency. Gruden has maneuvered with a stable roster capable of sustained mediocrity, largely without drama.

 

But there also hasn't been any real success.

The team won the NFC East in 2015, but got quickly dispatched in the playoffs. Gruden's squad lost a win-and-in Week 17 game to the Giants in 2016 to miss the playoffs. In 2017, injuries buried the Redskins' chance at playoff success. In 2018, a new rash of injuries did the same thing. 

The ugly losses don't help. There have been embarrassing defeats that lead some in the 'Skins fanbase to scream for coaching changes. The first half of the Giants game might be a new low point for a franchise that all too often is forced to wonder about new low points. 

Gruden knows the current situation. He understands it. 

He was clearly upset after the Giants game, frustrated by the injuries and his defense's play. Next week in Jacksonville, the team will start their fourth quarterback of the season. That's almost unprecedented in the NFL. 

"What did work? There was nothing that worked so nothing worked. Everything did not work," the coach said.

The nature of the NFL beast means the spotlight lands on the head coach, for better or worse. Gruden, now in his fifth season, knows that, and knows what that means after an awful loss. 

"It’s tough to deal with. It really is. It’s unfortunate. Our guys continue to compete. That product we put on the field today was not a reflection of the guys work during the week and at practice. However, it did look bad. It’s a reflection of all of us."

While the reflection might be of the whole team, Gruden is in the center. 

MORE REDSKINS NEWS: