35 starts (14-21)
Completion % = 63.9% (679/1063)
8097 yrds – 40 TD - 23 INT – 90.6 – 101 sacks
5 Game Winning Drives
Part 12 was about who should start the 2015 season for the Redskins. If you want to have a laugh here it is. Since Griffin was still on the roster at that point he did not get his own page. He does now.
In Robert Griffin III, Dan Snyder had finally found his Darth Vader to his Emperor Palpatine persona. Just as Vader was Palpatine's third, and most powerful, apprentice, Griffin would be the third first round quarterback selected in the Dan Snyder era. And just like Vader, Griffin came from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful individuals in his sport, only to have it all come crashing down.
Robert Griffin III was born in Okinawa, Japan. His parents were both sergeants in the U.S. Army, and for the first few years of his life he would live all over the western United States. His family would eventually settle in Copperas Cove, Texas where Griffin would have an illustrious high school athletic career. Griffin was a ranked #1 in the nation in the 400 and 110 meter hurdles as a Junior, and he amassed over 3,000 yards passing, over 2,000 yards rushing, and 73 total TD's as his high school's starting quarterback his Junior and Senior season. All of these accomplishments led him to be ranked the fourth best dual threat quarterback coming out of high school. Griffin was sought after by many schools, but he committed to Art Briles at......Houston? That's right. Briles had been the coach at Houston since 2003, but in 2007 he left to take the coaching job at Baylor and Griffin followed him. It seemed to be the beginnings of stardom as Griffin was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2008, but Griffin tore his ACL three games into his sophomore campaign in 2009 and was out for the season. He was given a medical redshirt, so his sophomore season began anew in 2010 where he led Baylor to a 7-6 record. Griffin looked like your average spread option style quarterback for his first three years. And then it happened. Baylor's high octane spread offense, coupled with the Big 12's propensity to not play defense, led Griffin to gain almost 5,000 yards of total offense and account for 47 touchdowns. Griffin would lead Baylor to a 10-3 seasons, and Griffin would win the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Griffin electrified college football that season along with Andrew Luck, and the two of them were projected to be the top 2 picks that season in the NFL Draft. The only problem was that the Rams would end up in the second pick, and they seemed to be tied to Sam Bradford. It seemed as if someone would need to pay a king's ransom to move up to get that pick, and who better to give up draft picks than the Washington Redskins.
Two days before the new league year started in 2012, the Redskins shocked the world by trading up to the second pick in the draft in order to get Griffin. They gave the Rams three first round picks (2012, 2013, 2014), and their second round pick in 2012. Whatever the cost, Dan Snyder had finally found his Chosen One, but the Redskins fan base was skeptical that Snyder had once again mortgaged the future for something that would never pan out. One game into the 2012 season and all that was put to rest. Griffin's victory in New Orleans showed that he may be worth the price, and that the read option was a viable option in the NFL with Griffin at the helm. The Griffin euphoria would culminate in Week 6 as Griffin ripped off a 76 yard touchdown run to put the game away. Redskins nation was in a frenzied state the likes of which it had never seem before, but that excitement was put to rest when the Redskins lost their next three games. The last of those games came against a 1-6 Panthers team that led Mike Shanahan to make his infamous speech about the rest of the season being about evaluating talent. And then it happened. The Redskins crushed the Eagles in their next game, and shocked the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving that saw the Redskins score 28 points in the first half. All was humming until Haloti Ngata brought all of Redskins fandom's fears to life. Griffin was hit in the knee as he was rolling over a tackle in the open field and he did not return. Kirk Cousins came on in relief to win the game in overtime, and he would win the next week in Cleveland, but all eyes were on Griffin's knee. Griffin returned with questions surrounding his hasty comeback, but all of that was put aside when he led the Redskins to two more victories and their first NFC East Championship since 1999. It was still out of mind when he put the Redskins up 14-0 against the Seahawks in their opening playoff game; and then it happened. Griffin collapsed on the field and had to be carted off to the tightly held breath of all fans at Fed Ex Field. Cousins would come on in relief, but to no avail. The Redskins would lose the game, and it was uncertain as to how long they would lose their franchise quarterback.
Despite the injury, Griffin was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, and everyone was on pins and needles about his sophomore season. Griffin's motto was "All In For Week 1 [of 2013]", but again there were questions about whether or not he was coming back too fast. Griffin did not play in any preseason games that year, but he was the starter in Week 1, and the big question was whether or not he would be able to recreate the magic of 2012. The Redskins opened up the 2013 season 1-3, and it was apparent that Griffin was not the same dynamic player he was before the injury. The read option was not functioning due to defensive players not being as afraid of Griffin getting around the edge, and it was clear that Griffin had trouble avoiding the pass rush. Griffin would lead the Redskins to another 3-5 crossroads, but the Redskins took the other path in 2013 as they lost their next five games leading to Griffin being benched. Mike Shanahan called it a precaution to not have him get injured, but controversy began to surface as Griffin threw 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and he did not rush for a single touchdown in 2013. Shanahan would be shown the door after the 2013 season and Jay Gruden took over.
Gruden had to inherit Griffin who was seemingly in decline since his illustrious rookie season. Gruden had relative success in Cincinnati taking a spread quarterback in Andy Dalton and turning him into a serviceable NFL passer, and Redskins fans inferred that he was here to do the same for Griffin. Problems arose, however, when Griffin dislocated his ankle in Week 2 against Jacksonville. Kirk Cousins would win that game, but he would go 1-4 over the next five games and be benched at halftime of the fifth game against Tennessee in favor of Colt McCoy. McCoy led a game winning drive to beat the Titans, and he would win his infamous Monday night game against the Cowboys the next week, leading a significant portion of the fan base to back McCoy over Griffin. Griffin came back, however, but he would hear chants of "We Want Colt" at Fed Ex Field and he would be benched in favor of McCoy in Week 13. McCoy suffered a neck injury that kept him out for the rest of the season, however, and Griffin would finish out the 2014 season with the Redskins going 4-12. Skepticism was abound about who would get the start in 2015, but everyone assumed Griffin would get one last chance to prove himself. It was shocking when Jay Gruden named Kirk Cousins the starter for Week 1, and we all know what happened from there. Griffin could only watch as the guy drafted as the insurance policy won over the fan base through the 2015 season, and in March 2016 he was released by the Redskins.
Griffin would be signed by the Browns two weeks later, and he would start their 2016 season opener, only to be placed on IR after a shoulder injury in Week 1. Griffin returned to start the last four games of the season, and led the Browns to their only win that season, but even Cleveland had seen enough of Griffin at that point. He was released in March of 2017 and he has yet to come back to the NFL.
It is unbelievable that Griffin went from being the savior of a franchise to being out of the league all within four years. Redskins fans in 2012 stated that he was worth the price the franchise paid, and they backed that sentiment up with jersey sales. Griffin's #10 jersey was the highest selling jersey that season, and it set the record for most jerseys sold in one calendar year. It is hard to forget something like that, and the ghost of RG3 still haunts the fan base to this day. Everyone wanted to believe the hype because the hype was real. For the first time in forever the Redskins had a young player that struck fear into hearts of the opponent, and they were on the cutting edge of offensive schemes. All that came crashing down in that playoff game against Seattle, and with it went Robert Griffin's career. Maybe if Griffin had shown a little more humility, if he were a little more durable, or if he could handle adversity a little bit better he may have been able to overcome and succeed with the Redskins. But that 2012 season covered up all those deficiencies, and for one season it looked like Griffin and the Redskins were going to be the next big thing.
Fun Facts: The Rams parlayed the 4 picks the Redskins gave them for Griffin into 8 picks between 2012 and 2014. Only one of those eight players (Michael Brockers) is currently on the Rams roster, and three are out of the NFL.
Out of the eight players the Rams drafted from the Griffin trade picks, only one (Janoris Jenkins) made the Pro Bowl. In comparison, the Redskins drafted four players between 2012-2014 that eventually made the Pro Bowl. They were Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Alfred Morris, and Jordan Reed.
The Rams traded the 6th pick in 2012 to the Cowboys for the 14th and 45th pick. They subsequently traded the 45th pick to Chicago who used that pick to draft Alshon Jeffery.
The Rams traded the Redskins 22nd pick in 2013 to the Falcons who selected Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Griffin's comments after the Tampa Bay game in 2014 caused him to lose face with the fan base. Kirk Cousins endeared himself to the fan base after the "You Like That" quote came after the greatest comeback in Redskins history, against Tampa Bay.
Griffin is only one of two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks to start for the Redskins. The other is Danny Wuerffel.
5 Game Winning Drives
Part 12 was about who should start the 2015 season for the Redskins. If you want to have a laugh here it is. Since Griffin was still on the roster at that point he did not get his own page. He does now.
In Robert Griffin III, Dan Snyder had finally found his Darth Vader to his Emperor Palpatine persona. Just as Vader was Palpatine's third, and most powerful, apprentice, Griffin would be the third first round quarterback selected in the Dan Snyder era. And just like Vader, Griffin came from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful individuals in his sport, only to have it all come crashing down.
Robert Griffin III was born in Okinawa, Japan. His parents were both sergeants in the U.S. Army, and for the first few years of his life he would live all over the western United States. His family would eventually settle in Copperas Cove, Texas where Griffin would have an illustrious high school athletic career. Griffin was a ranked #1 in the nation in the 400 and 110 meter hurdles as a Junior, and he amassed over 3,000 yards passing, over 2,000 yards rushing, and 73 total TD's as his high school's starting quarterback his Junior and Senior season. All of these accomplishments led him to be ranked the fourth best dual threat quarterback coming out of high school. Griffin was sought after by many schools, but he committed to Art Briles at......Houston? That's right. Briles had been the coach at Houston since 2003, but in 2007 he left to take the coaching job at Baylor and Griffin followed him. It seemed to be the beginnings of stardom as Griffin was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2008, but Griffin tore his ACL three games into his sophomore campaign in 2009 and was out for the season. He was given a medical redshirt, so his sophomore season began anew in 2010 where he led Baylor to a 7-6 record. Griffin looked like your average spread option style quarterback for his first three years. And then it happened. Baylor's high octane spread offense, coupled with the Big 12's propensity to not play defense, led Griffin to gain almost 5,000 yards of total offense and account for 47 touchdowns. Griffin would lead Baylor to a 10-3 seasons, and Griffin would win the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Griffin electrified college football that season along with Andrew Luck, and the two of them were projected to be the top 2 picks that season in the NFL Draft. The only problem was that the Rams would end up in the second pick, and they seemed to be tied to Sam Bradford. It seemed as if someone would need to pay a king's ransom to move up to get that pick, and who better to give up draft picks than the Washington Redskins.
Two days before the new league year started in 2012, the Redskins shocked the world by trading up to the second pick in the draft in order to get Griffin. They gave the Rams three first round picks (2012, 2013, 2014), and their second round pick in 2012. Whatever the cost, Dan Snyder had finally found his Chosen One, but the Redskins fan base was skeptical that Snyder had once again mortgaged the future for something that would never pan out. One game into the 2012 season and all that was put to rest. Griffin's victory in New Orleans showed that he may be worth the price, and that the read option was a viable option in the NFL with Griffin at the helm. The Griffin euphoria would culminate in Week 6 as Griffin ripped off a 76 yard touchdown run to put the game away. Redskins nation was in a frenzied state the likes of which it had never seem before, but that excitement was put to rest when the Redskins lost their next three games. The last of those games came against a 1-6 Panthers team that led Mike Shanahan to make his infamous speech about the rest of the season being about evaluating talent. And then it happened. The Redskins crushed the Eagles in their next game, and shocked the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving that saw the Redskins score 28 points in the first half. All was humming until Haloti Ngata brought all of Redskins fandom's fears to life. Griffin was hit in the knee as he was rolling over a tackle in the open field and he did not return. Kirk Cousins came on in relief to win the game in overtime, and he would win the next week in Cleveland, but all eyes were on Griffin's knee. Griffin returned with questions surrounding his hasty comeback, but all of that was put aside when he led the Redskins to two more victories and their first NFC East Championship since 1999. It was still out of mind when he put the Redskins up 14-0 against the Seahawks in their opening playoff game; and then it happened. Griffin collapsed on the field and had to be carted off to the tightly held breath of all fans at Fed Ex Field. Cousins would come on in relief, but to no avail. The Redskins would lose the game, and it was uncertain as to how long they would lose their franchise quarterback.
Despite the injury, Griffin was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, and everyone was on pins and needles about his sophomore season. Griffin's motto was "All In For Week 1 [of 2013]", but again there were questions about whether or not he was coming back too fast. Griffin did not play in any preseason games that year, but he was the starter in Week 1, and the big question was whether or not he would be able to recreate the magic of 2012. The Redskins opened up the 2013 season 1-3, and it was apparent that Griffin was not the same dynamic player he was before the injury. The read option was not functioning due to defensive players not being as afraid of Griffin getting around the edge, and it was clear that Griffin had trouble avoiding the pass rush. Griffin would lead the Redskins to another 3-5 crossroads, but the Redskins took the other path in 2013 as they lost their next five games leading to Griffin being benched. Mike Shanahan called it a precaution to not have him get injured, but controversy began to surface as Griffin threw 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and he did not rush for a single touchdown in 2013. Shanahan would be shown the door after the 2013 season and Jay Gruden took over.
Gruden had to inherit Griffin who was seemingly in decline since his illustrious rookie season. Gruden had relative success in Cincinnati taking a spread quarterback in Andy Dalton and turning him into a serviceable NFL passer, and Redskins fans inferred that he was here to do the same for Griffin. Problems arose, however, when Griffin dislocated his ankle in Week 2 against Jacksonville. Kirk Cousins would win that game, but he would go 1-4 over the next five games and be benched at halftime of the fifth game against Tennessee in favor of Colt McCoy. McCoy led a game winning drive to beat the Titans, and he would win his infamous Monday night game against the Cowboys the next week, leading a significant portion of the fan base to back McCoy over Griffin. Griffin came back, however, but he would hear chants of "We Want Colt" at Fed Ex Field and he would be benched in favor of McCoy in Week 13. McCoy suffered a neck injury that kept him out for the rest of the season, however, and Griffin would finish out the 2014 season with the Redskins going 4-12. Skepticism was abound about who would get the start in 2015, but everyone assumed Griffin would get one last chance to prove himself. It was shocking when Jay Gruden named Kirk Cousins the starter for Week 1, and we all know what happened from there. Griffin could only watch as the guy drafted as the insurance policy won over the fan base through the 2015 season, and in March 2016 he was released by the Redskins.
Griffin would be signed by the Browns two weeks later, and he would start their 2016 season opener, only to be placed on IR after a shoulder injury in Week 1. Griffin returned to start the last four games of the season, and led the Browns to their only win that season, but even Cleveland had seen enough of Griffin at that point. He was released in March of 2017 and he has yet to come back to the NFL.
It is unbelievable that Griffin went from being the savior of a franchise to being out of the league all within four years. Redskins fans in 2012 stated that he was worth the price the franchise paid, and they backed that sentiment up with jersey sales. Griffin's #10 jersey was the highest selling jersey that season, and it set the record for most jerseys sold in one calendar year. It is hard to forget something like that, and the ghost of RG3 still haunts the fan base to this day. Everyone wanted to believe the hype because the hype was real. For the first time in forever the Redskins had a young player that struck fear into hearts of the opponent, and they were on the cutting edge of offensive schemes. All that came crashing down in that playoff game against Seattle, and with it went Robert Griffin's career. Maybe if Griffin had shown a little more humility, if he were a little more durable, or if he could handle adversity a little bit better he may have been able to overcome and succeed with the Redskins. But that 2012 season covered up all those deficiencies, and for one season it looked like Griffin and the Redskins were going to be the next big thing.
Fun Facts: The Rams parlayed the 4 picks the Redskins gave them for Griffin into 8 picks between 2012 and 2014. Only one of those eight players (Michael Brockers) is currently on the Rams roster, and three are out of the NFL.
Out of the eight players the Rams drafted from the Griffin trade picks, only one (Janoris Jenkins) made the Pro Bowl. In comparison, the Redskins drafted four players between 2012-2014 that eventually made the Pro Bowl. They were Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Alfred Morris, and Jordan Reed.
The Rams traded the 6th pick in 2012 to the Cowboys for the 14th and 45th pick. They subsequently traded the 45th pick to Chicago who used that pick to draft Alshon Jeffery.
The Rams traded the Redskins 22nd pick in 2013 to the Falcons who selected Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Griffin's comments after the Tampa Bay game in 2014 caused him to lose face with the fan base. Kirk Cousins endeared himself to the fan base after the "You Like That" quote came after the greatest comeback in Redskins history, against Tampa Bay.
Griffin is only one of two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks to start for the Redskins. The other is Danny Wuerffel.
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