Washington head coach Jay Gruden doesn’t want to talk playoffs right now, and it’s not exactly tough to blame him.
Jay Gruden is not ready to talk about the NFL playoffs
Washington’s coach called out his players after losing to Arizona and falling out of the No. 6 seed
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
His team keeps teetering between contender and outsider status this season, with the latter currently winning that battle after a losing outing at Arizona (5-6-1).
Gruden could be heard ripping his team behind closed doors following the 31-23 loss — Washington’s second consecutive — and had even more to say when he got in front of reporters.
Just not about falling in the postseason race.
“There’s no talk about playoffs over here. We’re trying to win the next game,” Gruden said. “We’re not even close to thinking about the playoffs right now. A lot is going to happen in these last four games. If we get an opportunity to play in them, great. If not, we’re going to do the best we can against Philadelphia. That’s all I know.”
As theatrical as Gruden sounds, he isn’t wrong here. On the same day their NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys clinched the No. 1 seed, Washington (6-5-1) was replaced in the sixth slot by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There won’t be a more crucial time for Gruden to call out his players and he definitely took advantage of that fact.
“I don’t like the way we came out,” Gruden said. “I don’t like the way they had a 16-play drive down our throat to start the game. I don’t like the way our offense answered with two penalties on the first drive and having to punt. That’s not the way we want to come out for a football game, getting ready against a good team on the road. I don’t like the fact that we had two turnovers and didn’t cause any. I don’t like the fact that we lost the game.
Washington finishes the season with games against the Eagles, Panthers, Bears, and Giants. Whether it makes the playoffs or not, this will be a moment worth remembering.
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