Excuse me, but when did Robert Griffin III become the main reason for the Washington Redskins’ struggles?
If this season has demonstrated anything, it’s how good things really were just a week year ago. Not even a full season removed from Rookie of the Year honors, Griffin is questioned weekly, whether it’s his leadership, play or his perceived petulance. Had he been drafted by anyone else, I could understand some of the backlash directed his way, but Griffin plays for the Washington Redskins – you know, the team that refuses to admit their name is a racial slur?
Before drafting Griffin, Washington hadn’t won a division title since 1999; Mike Shanahan was 11-21 as coach, and the team finished 25th (in 2010) and 26th (in 2011) in the NFL in scoring. Enter a Heisman Trophy-winning QB with Olympic speed, and the optimism started to spread. Maybe last season spoiled everyone enough to forget how bad the Redskins were (and would be) without Griffin.
He isn’t leading the NFL in yards per attempt this year (8.14 last year, 7.12 this year), and his QB rating has plummeted from 102.4 to 81.9 (which still isn’t that bad for a sophomore coming off an ACL tear). This season, he’s passing for more yards, running less effectively, and his confidence appears more sporadic. As a result of the expectations his rookie season created, all eyes are on Griffin’s sophomore struggles – as if he weren’t the main reason for Washington’s success last year in the first place.
No one anticipated an NFC East championship last season, just as Washington won’t sniff one this year. For all of Griffin’s 2012 heroics, they came more in spite of his circumstances than because of them. He didn’t develop Olympic speed the moment Washington drafted him – he was incredibly talented at Baylor, and that’s why he won a Heisman Trophy there.
Another thing Griffin had at Baylor was a supporting cast. Washington was already devoid of talent before Griffin stepped on the field, and all this season has done is make that even more painfully clear.
For their defense, the magic number has been 383. They’ve allowed, on average, 383 yards per game during Griffin’s starts – that’s just awful. In the last ten seasons, no defense allowing 383 yards per game has ranked better than 29th in the NFL, and that includes six teams with last-place finishes. Furthermore, Washington’s defense has allowed at least 383 yards 14 times in Griffin’s 26 starts. When your defense is this bad, how can you properly develop a quarterback?
Griffin’s rookie season hinted at his ability to lead a high-powered offense, and this season his defense has offered zero room for error. Still, last year’s heroics are the bare minimum expectation, and his ACL recovery has exposed both his imperfections and the Redskins’ team-wide ineptitude.
Beyond Pierre Garcon and Alfred Morris, the Redskins are devoid of premier offensive talent. Garcon is second in the NFL with 75 catches, and the team’s next-leading receiver has 45. The entire receiving corps is tied for eighth in the NFL with 21 drops. Many attribute the Redskins’ passing game woes to Griffin’s lack of development as a passer – as if, you know, he didn’t finish among league leaders in every relevant passing category as a rookie. Instead, the focus should shift to him not having more receiving talent to aid his development. In fact, anything beyond an elite rushing attack would help Washington’s fortunes. The ugly truth - they suck if Griffin isn’t rushing for 54.3 yards per game or stepping into throws that led to the fourth-best scoring offense in the NFL, like last season. Furthermore, Griffin doesn’t have the fortune of playing with a Hall of Fame receiver (Andrew Luck with Reggie Wayne), a top-five defense (Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick) or some combination of both (Cam Newton).
So, given his team-wide deficiencies, why didn’t Griffin simply rehab and return when fully healthy? That’s easy: we’re spoiled. Griffin tore his ACL not long after Adrian Peterson won MVP honors during his own comeback campaign – he had to have grown a new ACL, it’s the only explanation. His 2,097 rushing yards awed us, just as his resiliency inspired us. Then Derrick Rose sat out the NBA season, recovering from his own ACL tear, and endured criticism for not playing. Had Griffin taken the safer option, would that make him seem more or less petulant?
With Griffin, the Redskins are 3-8, painful to watch and reliant on his athleticism to create for an otherwise predictable, mundane offense. Imagine the backlash had he sat through these first 11 games as his team showed how much they actually need him.
Instead, everyone swears Washington would be a better team without their multi-faceted quarterback. Before Griffin, what magic was Mike Shanahan working? Does anyone remember that Kyle Shanahan had never orchestrated a top-five offense until Griffin took a snap in Washington? These two questions are more relevant than any of the criticism that’s been leveled at Griffin so far.
By no means is Griffin perfect – best evidenced by his struggles with sliding, taking hits and holding onto the ball too long – but we’re talking about a second-year quarterback trying to regain his form after an ACL tear. Coaches, ownership and teammates play pivotal roles in developing franchise quarterbacks, and Washington has contributed more to their own problems than Griffin has.
Griffin will be fine, whether this year or the next. At 23, he has many opportunities to duplicate his rookie success. But Washington’s ownership and coaching have been problematic for years, and that’s more damning than anything RG3 has done on the field.
Indeed, Griffin can stand to perform better, and he eventually will. But his excellence won’t matter if he’s the only player on his team expected to produce results.
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