D.C. dysfunction looks to be continuing
Posted by Mike Florio on November 25, 2014, 4:33 PM EST
Jay Gruden has said he has “every intention” to start Robert Griffin III at quarterback this weekend, for what would have been one of the best games of the year. In the year 2012.
It’s Washington and Indy. Griffin and Luck. The top two picks in the 2012 draft. Now, Griffin could be having a hard time keeping one of the top two spots on his team’s depth chart.
Diana Russini of NBC 4 in Washington reported earlier today that the quarterbacks will meet at the team’s facility on Tuesday “to find out who is starting.” And that hardly represents a clear indication Griffin remains entrenched as the starter.
In an organization seemingly bereft of strong leadership, the man who served for years as one of the true leaders in the locker room has addressed the situation in blunt, candid terms.
“It’s not an environment that’s really conducive to winning for a sustained period of time, from top to bottom,” former linebacker London Fletcher said Monday on 106.7 The Fan in D.C. “You have to have a plan in place and say, ‘You know what? This is what we’re gonna do, this is a winning formula,’ and then stick to the formula. From my seven years, prior to [when] I got there, even now — and I count myself as being a part of it because I didn’t help get it as good as I wanted it to be once I left — you have to have a plan, that, ‘You know what? This is going to be a winning plan, let’s stick to this plan, let’s stick to the script,’ so to speak, and do it the right way. And that hasn’t been done before I got there, while I was there, since I’ve left, and I don’t know if they know what they’re doing, in terms of saying, ‘Hey, this is what we’re gonna do to be a winning franchise for the next decade.’ I like Jay Gruden as a head coach. I think from a play-calling standpoint, I like some of the things he’s done. Maybe he can be that guy, but there needs to be some more changes that take place.”
It’s a strong indictment of the entire organization, from a guy who was in the middle of it for seven years. And Fletcher has the perspective that comes from being with winning teams; he won a Super Bowl with the Rams.
Whatever Washington is doing, it’s clear that, currently, the plan is there is no plan. The next five weeks could be more about figuring out who’ll be there to put a plan (or to not put a plan) in place in 2015 and less about laying the foundation for sustained success.