Why was there no QB competition in Washington?

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden had been adamant that Robert Griffin III would be the starter under center this season from the time of the NFL Combine in February.

So when he announced, suddenly, on Monday that Kirk Cousins would take the quarterbacking duties for the coming season, he was asked why there was no open competition for the job from the start.

Apparently, he just didn't want the trouble.

"I didn't want to come to every press conference and get asked who's starting," he said. "We put it to bed. We named Robert the starter, gave him the first team reps with the guys. . . We just wanted to put all the distractions aside, play football, let these guys go out and compete and they did that."

Maybe so and maybe not so. Questions can get pretty annoying, but that's hardly a reason to not act in the best interest of your football team. 

One would have to admit, though, there was long stretch there during training camp when there was a supreme lack of questions about the quarterback position. Not a single inquiry into who would or would not take snaps for the Redskins in September. And Jay Gruden was in a very good mood during that time.

Had Gruden opened the job to the three-ring circus of Griffin, Cousins, and McCoy, the questions would have come fast and furious. And, we know now, Mr. Gruden doesn't care for a lot of questions.

The real reason for Griffin's early coronation? Likely the white hot fire-breathing dragon that is Daniel Snyder and the eternal torch he still carries for the little, oft-injured signal caller. Which is a good enough reason in some respects. Catering to the wishes of your employer is the number one cause of keeping a job.

But there comes a time when a dutiful employee has to give his boss the sour truth. That truth? That Griffin looked improved upon during camp because no one was coming after him, and that he didn't look so improved when opposing defenses were coming after him.

Gruden and Co. probably did have every intention to give the job to Griffin and let him keep it until that display two Thursdays ago when the Lions pass rushers did to him what lions in the natural world do to antelope. 

Give Snyder credit. He saw the look in his coaches' eyes the following morning, swallowed his pride, and, apparently, gave the OK to move on from the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Whether or not that results in a hike in the interceptions column or the wins column only the quarterback stylings of Kirk Cousins will dictate.

Should it be the former, expect Mr. Gruden to receive more questions.