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3-Wide: Should the Redskins stick with Gruden or Griffin?

Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY Sports

3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.

Who should the Redskins stick with: Jay Gruden or Robert Griffin III?

Arun Srinivasan: The Washington Redskins should abandon the Robert Griffin III experiment as soon as possible. Although Gruden did Griffin no favors by scrutinizing him to the point of no return, the former Heisman Trophy winner looks lost on the field. Griffin has made a number of poor decisions in the pocket and lost some of the explosiveness as a runner that made him such a tantalizing prospect. Some team will take a chance on Griffin hoping he'll return to his rookie form. However, his poor on-field performance combined with a surly demeanor has made Washington a toxic environment for Griffin.

David P. Woods: It's much, much harder to find a franchise quarterback than a good coach, so this one's easy to answer. Griffin has looked like an absolute disaster at times, but the raw potential is still there. They'll have to swallow a lot of guaranteed money on Gruden's contract, but the Redskins should give him the boot and try again to find a coach capable of rebuilding RG3 the right way. Griffin's upside remains as high as any quarterback the Redskins can conceivably acquire in the draft. He deserves one more chance.

Michael Amato: The best answer might be neither. RG3 has regressed even further this season under Gruden, who was supposed to be brought in to polish up his game. The Redskins as a whole have made no progress under Gruden and seem more inept now than ever. Gruden's only had one year at the helm and Griffin is still young, but banking on either of them for a future turnaround appears to be a big gamble.

Which team needs home-field advantage the most?

Amato: They're going to need a lot of help, but it's the Indianapolis Colts. An indoor team without a running game trying to go into New England or Denver in January and come away victorious is going to be a big challenge. A team like the Colts, who pass the ball so frequently, would be aided by playing at home. Having receivers run their routes on turf instead of an unpredictable outdoor surface in the winter and being able to control the crowd noise would be a big advantage.

Srinivasan: Down to their third-string quarterback, the Arizona Cardinals need home-field advantage and all the help they can get. Arizona is undefeated at home and are a significantly better team at University of Phoenix Stadium than anywhere else. Although the Cardinals became the first team to clinch a playoff berth, their offense has completely stagnated and the Cardinals haven't scored over 20 points in their last five games. The Cardinals will be motivated by the prospect of playing a Super Bowl at home, but desperately need a bye to make that dream possible.

Woods: The Denver Broncos really, really don't want to have to travel to New England, where Peyton Manning has struggled historically, for the AFC Championship game. The Broncos handed their business against the Patriots at home in last year's conference title game but surely fear retribution if they can't find a way to sneak past the Patriots and grab the AFC's top seed.

Which team that struggled this season is poised for a turnaround in 2015?

Woods: The New York Giants aren't nearly as far from contention as their 5-9 record indicates - and it mostly comes down to one player: Odell Beckham Jr. The rookie is already among the NFL's five most dynamic offensive weapons and should only get better. It may be time for Tom Coughlin to step away, but the Giants' head coaching job is very attractive and John Mara and Steve Tisch won't lack high-end candidates. Find a coach to revamp the defense and get Beckham and Victor Cruz healthy at the same time. That's a recipe for a big turnaround.

Amato: The St. Louis Rams are very close to being a good football team. Their defense finally starting clicking as the season wore on and Tre Mason, as well as Stedman Bailey, emerged as nice offensive pieces in the second half of the year. If they could find themselves a quarterback or keep Sam Bradford healthy, this team could be a force in the NFC as early as 2015.

Srinivasan: After missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, the San Francisco 49ers are poised to make a return to Super Bowl contention next year. The 49ers clearly missed NaVorro Bowman all year and had to play with the near-certainty of their head coach leaving after the end of the season. Four divisional losses will usually sink the best of teams, and this year was likely an anomaly for the 49ers.

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