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| Jay Gruden, a mix of intense and laid back, pushing all the right buttons for Redskins | Jay Gruden, a mix of intense and laid back, pushing all the right buttons for Redskins |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Just less than five minutes remained in the Washington Redskins’ Week 12 game against the New York Giants when Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. connected for a 21-yard touchdown pass that trimmed the visitors’ deficit to six points, though the Redskins had six minutes earlier led 20-0. | Just less than five minutes remained in the Washington Redskins’ Week 12 game against the New York Giants when Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. connected for a 21-yard touchdown pass that trimmed the visitors’ deficit to six points, though the Redskins had six minutes earlier led 20-0. |
| Jay Gruden nonchalantly turned to Kirk Cousins and said, “Be ready. There’s going to be a couple of plays here where you’re going to have a chance to win the game.” | Jay Gruden nonchalantly turned to Kirk Cousins and said, “Be ready. There’s going to be a couple of plays here where you’re going to have a chance to win the game.” |
| Cousins recalled, “There was no ‘Woe is us,’ or no fear that we had let them creep back into the game. It was resolve and a steel in his spine that said, ‘We’re going to keep going.’ ” | Cousins recalled, “There was no ‘Woe is us,’ or no fear that we had let them creep back into the game. It was resolve and a steel in his spine that said, ‘We’re going to keep going.’ ” |
| The Redskins indeed kept going. The offense put together a time-consuming drive that milked all but 19 seconds off of the clock, and then the defense held the Giants in check. Washington won the game, and put themselves in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. | The Redskins indeed kept going. The offense put together a time-consuming drive that milked all but 19 seconds off of the clock, and then the defense held the Giants in check. Washington won the game, and put themselves in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. |
| [Jenkins: NFC East is a punchline, but its champ has a puncher’s chance] | |
| It marked the fourth time this season that the Redskins found themselves in a do-or-die situation and then responded with a victory. Two such instances have followed since at Chicago in Week 14 and against Buffalo in Week 15. And as was the case against the Giants, Gruden & Co. delivered. | |
| The 7-7 Redskins don’t own one of the best records in the NFL. But, when faced with crucial situations, Gruden has set the proper tone while coaxing charges toward victory — four of them in the past six games. | |
| “Jay’s a good motivator,” Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams said. “He knows how to talk to people, he knows what buttons to push.” | “Jay’s a good motivator,” Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams said. “He knows how to talk to people, he knows what buttons to push.” |
| If players reflect their head coach, as people often say of sports teams, then the Redskins are part laid back, part intense. Part sensitive, part don’t give a flip, and part still finding their way. | If players reflect their head coach, as people often say of sports teams, then the Redskins are part laid back, part intense. Part sensitive, part don’t give a flip, and part still finding their way. |
| They refuse to get too high after victories, or too low after losses. They just keep grinding toward improvement, following Gruden’s lead. | They refuse to get too high after victories, or too low after losses. They just keep grinding toward improvement, following Gruden’s lead. |
| “That’s just him,” safety DeAngelo Hall said of his head coach. “It’s hard to point a finger at one particular thing that I can say, ‘Well, he came in here and did that.’ It’s his whole delivery, it’s the message, the way it’s perceived. It’s the other guys that feed off of that and then chime in and have something else to say about it. It’s just a collective group effort that gets everybody motivated and fired up to go play games.” | |
| Gruden says he has no motivational bag of tricks, or sure-fire feel of which buttons to push. But he does feel a need to stay medium, win or lose. | Gruden says he has no motivational bag of tricks, or sure-fire feel of which buttons to push. But he does feel a need to stay medium, win or lose. |
| “We just try to stay consistent with our approach and just make sure we get them as physically and as mentally prepared as we can for Sunday and just make sure they try to weather any storm that comes our way,” the coach explained. “ . . . We’ve weathered some tough quarters or tough calls or what have you. Guys have maintained their composure and continued to stay persistent and just keep grinding.” | “We just try to stay consistent with our approach and just make sure we get them as physically and as mentally prepared as we can for Sunday and just make sure they try to weather any storm that comes our way,” the coach explained. “ . . . We’ve weathered some tough quarters or tough calls or what have you. Guys have maintained their composure and continued to stay persistent and just keep grinding.” |
| Rah-rah speeches don’t work for Gruden. He’ll certainly address his players, reminding them about the stakes facing them, and highlight areas that require the greatest attention. But he refuses to manufacture a fear-instilling rage, or goosebumps-inducing aura. | Rah-rah speeches don’t work for Gruden. He’ll certainly address his players, reminding them about the stakes facing them, and highlight areas that require the greatest attention. But he refuses to manufacture a fear-instilling rage, or goosebumps-inducing aura. |
| “These players are pretty smart, man,” Gruden said. “They can see when a coach is tight, you know what I mean. You don’t want to be tight, but you don’t want them freelancing all over the joint. But there is a fine line between disciplined and what we’re doing, and also letting them be loose and have some fun out there. I think that’s part of my job, to make sure I know the difference.” | “These players are pretty smart, man,” Gruden said. “They can see when a coach is tight, you know what I mean. You don’t want to be tight, but you don’t want them freelancing all over the joint. But there is a fine line between disciplined and what we’re doing, and also letting them be loose and have some fun out there. I think that’s part of my job, to make sure I know the difference.” |
| Gruden’s players say their coach has a good pulse on the health of the team — both mental and physical. | Gruden’s players say their coach has a good pulse on the health of the team — both mental and physical. |
| “He’s watching us in practice, going with less reps and more thinking inside, at meetings, and guys will respond,” backup quarterback Colt McCoy said. “He’s just very real. He’s very positive. He hasn’t changed his approach from the time he got here.” | “He’s watching us in practice, going with less reps and more thinking inside, at meetings, and guys will respond,” backup quarterback Colt McCoy said. “He’s just very real. He’s very positive. He hasn’t changed his approach from the time he got here.” |
| But Gruden also maintains a pulse on the outside world in case he stumbles across something that he believes he can use to cultivate a greater sense of unity and heightened sense of motivation. | But Gruden also maintains a pulse on the outside world in case he stumbles across something that he believes he can use to cultivate a greater sense of unity and heightened sense of motivation. |
| On Wednesday, as the team geared up for its most extensive practice of the week, Gruden brought to players’ attentions that most every national outlet had predicted at the start of the season that the Redskins would finish among the worst in the league. He noted that some had changed their opinions, but that despite that, the Redskins have in no way arrived. | On Wednesday, as the team geared up for its most extensive practice of the week, Gruden brought to players’ attentions that most every national outlet had predicted at the start of the season that the Redskins would finish among the worst in the league. He noted that some had changed their opinions, but that despite that, the Redskins have in no way arrived. |
| [Jersey Tales: How did each Redskin get his number?] | |
| “You’re always looking for ways to motivate your team,” Gruden admitted. “Football is hard enough as it is. It’s a grind, obviously. But if you can find unique ways . . . There’s a lot of doubters, and a lot of haters that really had a lot of negative things to say about this franchise before the season about this team. [The players] should take it personally. This is their jobs. This is what they’re paid to do. We have a lot of pride in this locker room, and for people to give us no respect whatsoever is insulting and it is a motivational tool. I’d be stupid not to use that, in my opinion — to an extent, obviously.” | “You’re always looking for ways to motivate your team,” Gruden admitted. “Football is hard enough as it is. It’s a grind, obviously. But if you can find unique ways . . . There’s a lot of doubters, and a lot of haters that really had a lot of negative things to say about this franchise before the season about this team. [The players] should take it personally. This is their jobs. This is what they’re paid to do. We have a lot of pride in this locker room, and for people to give us no respect whatsoever is insulting and it is a motivational tool. I’d be stupid not to use that, in my opinion — to an extent, obviously.” |
| Most Redskins players said media rankings and opinion don’t faze them, and but that they appreciated Gruden’s intentions just the same. | Most Redskins players said media rankings and opinion don’t faze them, and but that they appreciated Gruden’s intentions just the same. |
| “It’s us understanding the situation at hand and stepping up to the challenge,” fullback Darrel Young said. “You obviously want to read what people say, and you’ll listen to what people say, but we’ve got to worry about us.” | “It’s us understanding the situation at hand and stepping up to the challenge,” fullback Darrel Young said. “You obviously want to read what people say, and you’ll listen to what people say, but we’ve got to worry about us.” |
| And so, as the Redskins gear up for Saturday night’s game at Philadelphia — where a win clinches a playoff berth, but a loss puts the Eagles in the driver’s seat — Gruden says he doesn’t plan on dialing up a special motivational speech. His players say they don’t need any magic tricks or unconventional methods from their coach, either. | And so, as the Redskins gear up for Saturday night’s game at Philadelphia — where a win clinches a playoff berth, but a loss puts the Eagles in the driver’s seat — Gruden says he doesn’t plan on dialing up a special motivational speech. His players say they don’t need any magic tricks or unconventional methods from their coach, either. |
| The key, all of the men agree, is maintaining consistency on all fronts. | The key, all of the men agree, is maintaining consistency on all fronts. |