NFL Power Rankings 2019, Week 6: The Redskins haven’t hit rock bottom yet...on to Miami

The Redskins got blown out again last week in front of the Patriots home crowd in Landover, MD. Jay Gruden got fired and Bill Callahan got trotted out to give us...hope? Bruce Allen told us the culture in Washington was damn good, and it was the fans fault the stadium is consistently overrun with opposing team’s fans. The good news? Nobody thinks we’re as bad as the Dolphins...yet.

Highest Ranking: 29

Lowest Ranking: 31

Average Ranking: 30.4

29. Scout

They are projected to win 4 games and come in under their pre-season futures line of 6. In simulations they finish last in the NFC based on projected wins. Their playoff chances are under 1%. Based on money line odds their expected record at this point of the season is 1.3-3.7. Obviously with a 0-5 record coming up well short of expectations. Last Week: 31

29. Pro Football Focus

In a shocking turn of events, Colt McCoy did not perform well against the top passing defense in the NFL in terms of success rate allowed and EPA allowed per play. As a result, the inevitable came, and Jay Gruden was fired following their 33-7 loss to the Patriots. Their best chance of the season at a win comes this week against the Dolphins. Last Week: 29

29. The Score

Third-round pick Terry McLaurin leads the Redskins in receiving yards (308) and touchdowns (three) despite playing in just four games. He trails Marquise Brown for the league lead among rookie pass-catchers by just 18 yards. Last Week: 29

29. Odds Shark

Last Week: 29

30. CBS Sports (Prisco)

Jay Gruden is gone as coach, replaced by Bill Callahan. Does it matter? This isn’t a good team, but they play Miami this week in a game they can win. Last Week: 30

30. Sporting News

The Redskins went with another quarterback in Colt McCoy and got similar results, meeting their standard of basic ineptitude under the now-fired Jay Gruden. Last Week: 30

30. Walter Football

Why did the Redskins start an injured Case Keenum in Week 4? Why did they start Colt McCoy over Dwayne Haskins in Week 5? These were questions I wondered until I learned of the Jay Gruden smoking weed videos, and it all became clear. The only question I have now is if Jay happened to be hanging out with Silent Bob when he was getting high. Last Week: 30

30. Athlon Sports

Jay Gruden might be the happiest man in Washington after being let go from this train wreck of a franchise. While he is bound to land on his feet in the future, the same can’t be said for his ex-team as a whole. Last Week: 31

30. Chicago Tribune

Team President Bruce Allen’s news conference Monday, after he and owner Dan Snyder fired coach Jay Gruden in a 5 a.m. meeting, was riveting. Allen has overseen a decade of mostly horrendous football as the fan base has turned its back on the organization. FedEx Field was filled with Patriots fans Sunday in the latest loss. Bill Callahan was named interim coach, and Allen said he believes the keys to success are in place. The organization’s culture “is actually damn good,” Allen declared. Damn good. Let that sink in for a bit. Some entrepreneurs have already created T-shirts with Allen’s words. Last Week: 30

30. Lineups

A blowout loss against New England was about what you’d expect, they are one of the worst teams in the league. Last Week: 30

30. Bleeding Green Nation

Firing Jay Gruden won’t do much to fix Washington’s issues since Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen are still running the show. Serious contender for the No. 1 overall pick here. Last Week: 30

30. NumberFire

Last Week: 30

31. Bleacher Report

At this point, the universe is just trolling Jay Gruden.

Washington’s embattled head coach had already dealt with reports this week that he was in imminent danger of being fired and that he’s quit on the team. A video was also released that appears to show Gruden smoking marijuana.

Sunday, Gruden’s winless Washington team had to face the unbeaten defending Super Bowl champions. When Steve Sims Jr. took his first (and only) carry of the game 65 yards for a touchdown to give Washington a 7-0 lead, Gruden may have felt a momentary bit of relief. Maybe even happiness.

Then the Pats peeled off 33 unanswered points and pounded Washington into an 0-5 pile of goo.

As John Keim reported for ESPN, Gruden tried to play off questions about his job security after the loss.

”Nobody’s told me anything,” Gruden said. “I don’t have a concern; I’ll just wait and see -- if my key works on Monday, keep working, go attack the Miami Dolphins and plan on getting our first win next week.”

His key worked...just long enough for the team to fire him...at five in the morning.

Dude needs a hug. Last Week: 29

31. Washington Post

The first major issue has been settled with the coaching move, firing Jay Gruden and putting Bill Callahan in charge on an interim basis. The rest of the season must be about developing rookie QB Dwayne Haskins and beginning to find out if he’s the answer. Regardless of his readiness, there’s little point in continuing to lose with Colt McCoy or Case Keenum in a season headed nowhere. Last Week: 31

31. The Athletic

We want to believe that this is the bottom — a blowout loss at home to the Patriots, in a stadium full of New England fans, followed by Jay Gruden’s firing about 12 hours later (at 5 a.m.!) But here’s the thing, Washington: it can get worse, and maybe it will this week at (also) winless Miami. Last Week: 31

31. The MMQB

Well, Jay Gruden doesn’t need to pick a starter for next week anymore. That unenviable task falls to Bill Callahan, who will helm the diaper barge from here out. Silver lining? Washington is the only team to hold a lead on the Patriots this season. Last Week: 31

31. ESPN

Surprise fantasy player: Terry McLaurin, WR

McLaurin has been the one bright spot on offense, as he now has 19 catches for 308 yards and three touchdowns. While he will continue to be a focal point, will the Redskins find him consistently? Even though coach Jay Gruden was fired Monday, there’s no guarantee that rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins will take over. If Haskins does, however, he and McLaurin obviously connected at Ohio State, but this will be a far more difficult task, so it could take a while to rebuild their chemistry. It also would help McLaurin for another skill player to emerge to take pressure off him, but he is legit and remains the Redskins’ best weapon. -- John Keim Last Week: 31

31. NFL.com(Hanzus)

Jay Gruden, you’re free now. The Redskins head coach was fired on Monday after the Redskins fell to 0-5 with a 33-7 loss to the Patriots. Speaking about his dismissal on Monday, Gruden said he wasn’t bitter, but added that he wished he had more say in how Washington’s roster had been constructed during his run. This is a very fair comment, and you wonder if the Redskins’ power structure will scare off quality coaching candidates come January. For now, making the Redskins respectable falls on interim head coach Bill Callahan. He said first-round pick Dwayne Haskins is not a candidate to start right now, meaning Redskins fans will get more Colt McCoy and Case Keenum in the weeks -- and perhaps months -- to come. These are not the good times. Last Week: 31

31. Yahoo(Schwab)

Here are some of the coaches that have failed to finish their time with Daniel Snyder’s Redskins with a winning record: Marty Schottenheimer (seventh in NFL history with 200 career wins), Mike Shanahan (two Super Bowl titles), Joe Gibbs (Hall of Fame), Steve Spurrier (one of the best college coaches ever), Norv Turner (one of the NFL’s better offensive coordinators for more than two decades). I get why Jay Gruden had to go, but we all know he’s not the problem. If those coaches couldn’t win with the Redskins, who can? Last Week: 31

31. Detroit Free Press

Buzz: If it doesn’t win at Miami this week, Washington has a good chance of going 0-16. Last Week: 31

31. The Big Lead

Their head coach was fired. Their interim head coach doesn’t know who will start at quarterback, either. Dwayne Haskins will not save them anytime soon. Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. Jonathan Allen and Terry McLaurin are bright spots! But that’s it. Last Week: 31

31. USA Today

Advice to Jay Gruden? Grab a beer — maybe invite Trent Williams — and celebrate yeoman’s work after keeping this organization relevant for most of your tenure, making Kirk Cousins a star and lasting as long as you did in a volatile environment. Last Week: 31

31. Business Insider

One thing to know: Think you had a tough start to the week? The Washington Redskins called former head coach Jay Gruden in at 5 a.m. on Monday to be fired. He finished his tenure with a record of 35-49-1 in Washington. Last Week: 31

31. NJ.com

Analysis: Five games in, and Jay Gruden is out. Last Week: 31

31. New York Post

Last Week: 31

31. Associated Press

Last Week: 30

31. New York Post

Last Week: 31

31. For the Win

Last Week: 30