LANDOVER, Md. — Operating on the notion that no news is good news, beleaguered Washington Coach Jay Gruden will keep on working until someone takes away his office space.
Gruden’s winless team sputtered through a 33-7 defeat Sunday, managing just 220 yards in offense against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. It was the latest in a series of poor performances that apparently has put Gruden’s job in jeopardy.
In the wake of a mismatch that dropped Washington to 0-5, Gruden was asked if he heard anything about where he stood in the organization. In other words, did he have a little chat with owner Daniel Snyder?
“No one’s told me anything,” Gruden replied. “I don’t have a concern. If the key works Monday, keep working, go attack the Miami Dolphins and plan on getting our first win next week.”
Maybe a matchup against the rebuilding, tanking, winless Dolphins can lift Washington out of its horrid downward spiral. If not, then Gruden’s grasp on the key to the building might get ever shakier.
After Case Keenum and rookie Dwayne Haskins Jr. failed to get it done, Gruden turned to Colt McCoy at quarterback against New England. Six sacks and a lamentable interception later, Washington absorbed another loss, dropping their record under Gruden to 35-49-1.
If Snyder won’t make a change, neither will Gruden, who had no intention of altering his staff.
RAVENS: Safety Tony Jefferson will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, coach John Harbaugh said after the Ravens’ 26-23 overtime victory Sunday over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jefferson, who has been handling the Ravens’ defensive communication duties for the past two games, was in coverage in the fourth quarter when he fell to the ground, grabbing his knee. He walked off the field, with assistance from team doctors, before being carted to the locker room. Harbaugh said the injury is at least an ACL tear for the 27-year-old veteran.
STEELERS: A woozy Mason Rudolph was helped off the field by Pittsburgh staffers after he was knocked out on a frightening hit and then violently struck his head on the ground during Pittsburgh’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Rudolph was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital for further evaluation with what the team said was a concussion.
As he ran from the pocket midway through the third quarter, the 24-year-old quarterback left his feet to throw, completing a 26-yard pass. But his helmet and face mask were struck by Baltimore safety Earl Thomas’s helmet. As Rudolph fell limply to the ground, the back of his helmet smacked the turf at Heinz Field. He lay motionless on the field, with Pittsburgh lineman Alejandro Villanueva and others signaling that the quarterback needed urgent medical attention.
TITANS: Cairo Santos pulled his first field goal attempt wide left from 50 yards, tried to fix the issue and overcorrected, yanking his next attempt from 36 yards wide right.
It only got worse for Tennessee’s replacement kicker and the Titans.
After officials wiped a touchdown off the board for Marcus Mariota being over the line of scrimmage when he threw a pass to A.J. Brown, Santos lined up from 33 yards for the go-ahead field goal, only to have Darryl Johnson of the Bills block his kick.
Coach Mike Vrabel sent Santos out for one last field goal. Santos missed again, this time wide left from 53 yards as the Titans lost 14-7 to Buffalo on Sunday.
“Never had a day like this,” Santos said. “Have been bouncing around with teams for years and just haven’t had a performance like this. In practice and workouts and in training camps, I haven’t missed a kick under 40 yards in probably two years or something … That is something that hasn’t showed up till today.”
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