NBC on Yahoo SportsJay Gruden on relationship with RG3: 'Happiness comes with wins'
No Hollywood couple has a relationship that has been more heavily scrutinized this year than the one between Jay Gruden and Robert Griffin III. In 2013 it became apparent that the relationship between head coach Mike Shanahan and Griffin had deteriorated to the point where it was untenable. The team went from 10-6 division champs in 2012 to 3-13 last year.
But did everyone have the cause and effect mixed up? Did the team collapse because coach and quarterback didn’t see eye to eye? Or did the losing just take too much of a toll?
“Happiness comes with wins,” the Redskins’ new head coach said about his relationship with Griffin the day before training camp got underway here at the Bon Secours training center. “Nobody is going to be happy if we’re 2-14.”
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The quarterback’s comfort level in the offense is also important.
“Our whole goal is to make sure that we make him as comfortable as possible with this system,” said Gruden. “On Sundays, he’s comfortable and he feels good about the direction we’re going offensively. And if we can make him feel comfortable, put him in a comfort zone, a place where he can succeed, I feel like we’ll have a much better chance for this franchise to be successful.”
In the end, Gruden wants his relationship with Griffin to be the same as it is with all of the other players. “Our relationship with all of the players is hopefully a strong one and a good one,” he said. “I’m the coach and they’re the player but moving forward I’ve got their back and we’re going to do everything we can to help them.”