The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 13: Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III (2012-2014) "Darth Vader"           
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.

Carson Wentz Has Usurped the Throne Left by RG3

Five years ago the Redskins had it all.  They had mortgaged their future for the player they thought would lead them for the next decade both on and off the field.  And for that one magical 2012-2013 season, their gamble had seemingly paid off.  Robert Griffin III was as electrifying as they come in his rookie season, and the Redskins fan base was thrown into an intense state of euphoria that made Robert Griffin's jersey the highest selling jersey that season.  Not only was Griffin the highest selling jersey of the 2012-2013 season, his No. 10 jersey sold more units in that fiscal year than any other player had in any one year span in NFL history.  The ripple effects of those jersey sales within the Redskins fan base are still felt to this day, as the four fans at UVA College Basketball Gameday proved as they wore RG3 jerseys on national television only one week ago (I cannot find a picture of this, but trust me, there were four guys all wearing RG3 jerseys at UVA Gameday last week).  But, alas, those jersey sales could not translate into sustained success and Griffin left unceremoniously for Cleveland two year later.  Since that 2012 season, the Redskins fan base has devolved into an apathetic mess that reached its nadir during this past season.  The best quarterback the franchise has ever seen is being allowed to leave this off season, with no real marketable players left that can galvanize the fan base.  That void has been filled by another who has won the hearts of the DMV fan base's wallets.

Guess who had the highest selling jersey on NFL.com in DC, Maryland, and Virginia over this past season?  Not Kirk Cousins.  Not Ryan Kerrigan.  Not Josh Norman.  Not Joe Flacco or Mike Wallace.  Nope.  If you attended the University of Maryland you would know that the Eagles fan base has blighted the landscape of the DMV to the point where Carson Wentz can have the highest selling jersey for all of the Mid-Atlantic states in 2017.  And why not?  He did all the leg work to lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory while capitalizing on the zeitgeist surrounding his particular city the way RG3 did five year ago.  In 2012 Griffin came to "Chocolate City" as the young black savior of a franchise in desperate need of a player that would make the Redskins relevant on a national stage.  For those DC fans who were indifferent to his race and stature, they were enamored with his ability to win, which propelled Griffin to the highest levels of marketability for that 2012 season.  Now look at Carson Wentz.  Wentz had that white working class vibe about him from Day 1 that just connected with a majority of the Eagles fan base, and for those who were unimpressed by his whiteness and North Dakota upbringing, they were enamored with his ability to be young and win football games.  It is the consistent winning that awoke the dormant Eagles fans across the Eastern Seaboard for the past two seasons, and with the Eagles' Super Bowl Victory it has put Wentz into a position to dominate the Washington DC area for the foreseeable future.

Go ahead and say it Redskins Fans, "The Eagles won the Super Bowl, and the Redskins were so mediocre under Kirk Cousins, that it was inevitable that Wentz would have the highest selling jersey in the DMV".  Good theory.  But then how do you explain the fact that Mitchell Trubisky had the highest selling jersey in Illinois during the same time period? The Bears went 5-11 this year, which means that winning may not have a high correlation to jersey sales within a state.  To give a comparable example to the Redskins (who went 7-9 this past season), Larry Fitzgerald had the highest selling jersey in Arizona on an 8-8 Cardinals team that missed the playoffs, and Matt Stafford had the highest selling jersey in Michigan with the 9-7 Lions who also missed the playoffs.  It gets even worse.  According to the NFLPA Sales List for 2017, which takes into account sales for all officially licensed merchandise, there are no Redskins players in the Top 50 on that list and Carson Wentz ranks number four behind Dak, Zeke, and Brady.  And again it has nothing to do with winning if you take into account the fact that the Oakland Raiders went 6-10 this year and have five players on this list, including two in the Top 10 (Derek Carr at #9 and Marshawn Lynch at #10).  So what the hell is wrong with Redskins fans that they allow Eagles fans to outstrip them in merchandise sales in their own back yard?  It has to do with marketability and the hangover from RG3.

The Redskins have no marketable players that move the needle as much as Robert Griffin did five years ago, and the memory of that time still lingers in the minds of all Redskins fans.  The high and low of the Robert Griffin situation jaded an already depressed fan base into believing that any monetary faith in their beloved franchise will not be rewarded with any kind of sustained success, and the Redskins front office has not helped themselves in trying to ameliorate these feelings.  Their subsequent handling of Kirk Cousins has turned off an ever larger portion of the fan base to the point where Redskins Fans feel they have nothing, and no one, to cheer for.  They could have marketed Cousins as the next face of the franchise, but instead they marginalized him to the point where the Redskins find themselves without anyone who can galvanize the fan base.  In lieu of a marquis player who can be a beacon for this franchise, the Redskins have the ghost of RG3 haunting the minds of the fan base while Carson Wentz torments the Redskins both on and off the field.  Wentz's success is a reminder about what Robert Griffin could have been to this franchise.  Wentz's success also insures that Redskins fans will have to see an ocean of green jerseys at Fed Ex Field next Fall; Green jerseys that were bought by Eagles fans right here in the DMV because lord knows no one is going to buy an Alex Smith jersey any time soon.  That is, unless, he can win a Super Bowl and dethrone the new overlord of the DMV.  Carson Wentz.

Redskins vs. Browns: The Revenant Part II

rev·e·nant

ˈrevəˌnäN,-nənt

noun

1. a person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead.

If Alejandro Inarritu was ever thinking about making a sequel to The Revenant, he may want to consider bringing a film crew to FedEx Field on Sunday because when the Browns take the field the Redskins will be staring at two players who they thought had been left for dead.  The first needs no introduction.  Robert Griffin was supposed to have his shot at vengeance this weekend as the NFL scheduling gods bestowed their benevolence on Griffin by giving him a shot to vanquish Kirk Cousins in the very city that had forsaken him.  But Griffin did what he does best and got injured, which deprived him of a chance to stick it to the Redskins and deprived the DC Sports Media of a week long conjecture fest by asking such questions as "Did the Redskins Keep the Right QB?", "Is the Redskins Season Over if Griffin Wins", "If Griffin Wins, What Body Part Should Scot McCloughan Lose First?", "If Griffin Wins Is Jay Gruden a Retroactive Racist for Choosing Cousins Over Griffin?".  Alas, it was not meant to be, but the other revenant of the the Browns will most certainly have his name called on Sunday because of his play on the field.

Terrelle Pryor has been left for dead so many times it is hard to believe he is at the top of the Fantasy Football hype machine almost 6 years after it looked like he would go the way of Maurice Clarett.  After leaving Ohio State in 2011 because of the sports memorabilia selling scandal, Pryor's future in football was uncertain until the Raiders selected him in the Supplemental Draft in 2011.  In 2013 he would have a resurgence of his talents through the first three games, but he would miss a chance to play against RG3 and the Redskins in Week 4 of the 2013 season due to a concussion.  He would fall into obscurity again in 2014, but Pryor now finds himself in a new position playing on the same team as RG3 and coming off an historical display of offense that had Fantasy Football owners scrambling on the waiver wire this past week.  His chance to prove that last week was not an anomaly begins this week as he rides into FedEx Field as a specter from the past that must prove that the blood that runs through his veins is still warm.  It will be the Redskins' job to prove otherwise, but it may prove to be both hard and easy at the same time.  Here are the game notes:

Air Raid!!!!: The yards per completion stats on both sides of the ball, for both teams, indicate that we could see some explosive plays through the air.  The Redskins and Browns are averaging 12.8 and 13.0 yards per completion on offense (3rd and 2nd best in the league so far this season), and giving up 12.7 and 12.5 yards per completion on defense.  These stats are exacerbated by the fact that both secondaries are banged up and the Redskins have a propensity for giving up big plays.  Look for the Redskins to use a lot of spread formations and deep go routes with DeSean Jackson to try and exploit the Browns secondary.  If Pryor can get going, though, and Isaiah Crowell can continue to gain 4.7 yards every time he touches the ball it could be a long day for the defense.  The Browns will try to cause confusion in the Redskins defense by moving Pryor all over the field, and they will exploit the Redskins horrendous run defense by feeding Crowell the ball in order to open up big plays in play action and misdirection.  Don't be surprised if Ryan Kerrigan and the rest of the linebackers put on their best matador impression as they over pursue on misdirection and read option running plays that set up Cody Kessler to try and hit the deep ball.  But have no fear, the only way to stop a potent offense is through another potent offense.

The Red Zone Percentage Myth:  Maybe not a myth, but the rage about the Redskins has been their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone while overlooking the fact that they are scoring at a very high clip.  The Redskins are scoring on 51.6% of their drives (3rd best in the league), but they have only converted 21.4% of their red zone trips into touchdowns (2nd worst in the league).  That got me to thinking about which is more important to winning; red zone TD percentage or overall scoring percentage.  I tallied the wins and losses for the top 10 and bottom 10 teams in each category since the Redskins are in the top 10 in scoring percentage and the bottom 10 in red zone TD percentage.  Here is what I found:

Red Zone TD% Combined Records

Top 10 Teams: 13-17

Bottom 10 Teams: 17-14

Scoring% Combined Records

Top 10 Teams: 15-15

Bottom 10 Teams: 11-20

All of this means that we may want to tone down the vitriol we throw at Jay Gruden and Sean McVay about their inefficiencies in the red zone as far as it's significance to winning and losing.  The Redskins are next to last in scoring touchdowns in the red zone, yet the nine other teams that join them in the bottom ten of that list have a better combined record than the 10 teams with the best red zone percentage.  The Redskins find themselves in better company in the scoring percentage category where the Top 10 scoring percentage teams out pace the bottom 10 by a larger margin than their red zone percentage counterparts, and the top 10 scoring percentage teams even have a better overall record than the best red zone percentage teams. This shows that while the Redskins red zone play calling makes you think that Sean McVay rubs paint thinner on his clipboard before every game so he can huff the fumes while calling plays, it may be more important that the Redskins put themselves in position to score points on every other drive.  This scoring percentage will play a factor as the big plays may accrue, and drive efficiency becomes a factor.

If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It: The one thing the Redskins have been able to do well all season is sustain drives on offense, and it will be of utmost importance to do this on Sunday.  If you add the Redskins average starting field position (32.5 yardline) to their average yardage gained per drive (39.6), it means that on average every Redskins drive should get within a 46 yard field goal range before it gets stopped.  Obviously that will not always happen, but the Browns are not very efficient having only scored on 24.3% of their drives and running 8 less plays on 6 more drives than the Redskins.  The Redskins should look to open up with long sustained drives that create any type of points to put pressure on the Browns to do the same.  If the Redskins find that they have a lead, they should look to start hitting home runs down the field to continue to pressure the Browns offense to make big plays.

The last time the Browns faced an offense as good as the Redskins the allowed the Eagles to score 29 points.  Look for the same thing to happen this week with the Redskins being able to hit their underneath routes early due to the Browns being wary of the deep ball.  Crowder, Garcon, and Reed will have big games in the beginning, and look for DeSean to open up after the first quarter.  The Browns will keep it close early, but a big pass play opens the game up for the Redskins that the Browns never recover from.  A close game, but Redskins fans should get a break from a last minute nail biter.

Redskins win 31-21

Redskins vs. Bills: A Game of Unexpected Significance

When the 2015 NFL Schedule was released on April 23, anyone who was not a patient at St. Elizabeth's Hospital probably reacted to the announcement that the Redskins would play the Bills on December 20 the same way The Dude reacted to the Sheriff of Malibu.  I guess John Hinckley gets the last laugh now as the Bills come to town on Sunday with a nothing to lose attitude spiced up by that sliver of playoff hope the experts dub "not mathematically eliminated", while the Redskins come into this game with more to play for than anyone in HTTR nation could have expected seven months ago.  The most notable of these unexpected gems is a chance at the playoffs, but there are fringe story lines that will play a big part in the narrative on Sunday.  First, the Redskins have the opportunity to finish with their best home record since 2005.  There has not been much to cheer for at FedEx Field over the past decade, but the last two years in particular have exponentially exacerbated the jaded feeling Redskins fans get when they know that four hours of their Sunday will be spent in traffic on I-495 just to see their favorite team lose.  This season has been a godsend for Redskins fans who want to see their team win at home and win when there are playoff implications on the line.  Finally, the Sports Junkies reminded me on Friday morning that this could possibly be the last home game for Robert Griffin as a Redskin.  Barring any crazy finish to the season, one can assume that Dan Snyder will want to save his $16 Million and let Robert Griffin walk at the end of this season.  That means that Griffin's last home game in DC will be spent in street clothes.  A far cry from three years ago where he was being heralded as the savior of this franchise, and now he must watch helplessly as the Cain to his Abel leads the Redskins to a possible playoff berth. The Bills will not be an easy out, though, so here is what the Redskins should be focusing on to continue their playoff run:

Beware the Read Option: The Redskins will face an all too familiar foe this Sunday in LeSean McCoy, but they have never faced him with a quarterbacking counterpart as versatile as Tyrod Taylor.  Buffalo boasts the third best rushing yards per game (141.8) and per rushing attempt (4.7) in the league so far, while the Redskins' defense is giving up the fourth worst yards per attempt in the league (4.6).  To make matters worse, the Redskins have traditionally done a poor job of defending the read option.  That was on display last week where 55 of Chicago's 87 rushing yards came in the second half when the Bears started to run a more read option style running attack, and no one is really worried that Jay Cutler is going to burn you for big yardage on the ground.  But McCoy and Taylor can, so guys like Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy need to be disciplined enough to not over pursue and keep the running attack contained, and guys like Will Compton and Perry Riley need to be good about wrapping up and not getting out of position. Otherwise we may see a big day for McCoy and Taylor on the ground.  Taylor will also play a big role in the passing game.

Precision Vs. Efficiency in the Passing Game: This game will highlight two quarterbacks who have very quietly carved out a niche for themselves in the discussion of good quarterbacking play this season.  Neither of these quarterbacks would be dubbed "elite", and neither will overwhelm you with the big stats like total yards and touchdowns.  What they have done is quietly moved themselves into the top 10 in statistical categories that pits precision against efficiency this weekend at FedEx Field. 
Kirk Cousins is precise.  He has been the most accurate quarterback this season putting up a league leading completion percentage of 69.2%, and he is in the top 10 in passes completed and passes completed per game.  Detractors will point to the fact that he is throwing shorter routes, but he is making good decisions and getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers more often than naught.  Cousins has been able to win because of his precision, but Taylor has been able to win because he is efficient.  Taylor has the fifth highest quarterback rating this season at 100.9, which is better than both Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.  He is also fifth in yards per attempt and sixth in yards per completion, and doing this without being in the top 10 in total attempts or yards.  This means that Taylor is throwing the ball long, completing the ball long, and not making many mental errors in his throwing game.  This will be a test of who can make the least amount of mistakes, while at the same time being the best in their respective statistical categories.  Kirk Cousins will need to be true to his completion percentage in order to keep drives alive, and Taylor will need to be completing long passes to force the Redskins out of their methodical offensive pace. 

Win And You're In: Here we are again.  The Redskins find themselves in a must win game to keep pace with a suddenly resurgent Eagles and Giants on their heels.  The Redskins faced a similar opportunity two weeks ago on Monday Night against the Cowboys, when they had a chance to pull away from the rest of the NFC East.  Instead we got a classic Redskins boner performance in prime time. Now they face a very dangerous Bills team that could turn this game into a track meet if the Redskins decide not to show up. The Redskins will give up big yards on the ground, but they will not allow the Bills to get into the end zone and force more field goals than touchdowns.  The Redskins will win by doing the opposite, and scoring touchdowns for every Buffalo field goal.  The Redskins will win, which will set up a huge match against the Eagles next week.

Redskins win: 28-23

Redskins vs. Rams: Whose Afraid of the St. Louis Rams?

This is a fair question to ask.  What makes the St. Louis Rams so special that the Redskins need to put on brown pants to hide their fear from the viewing public?  Could it be because the Rams are 6-2 against the Redskins since 2005?  Could it be their mauling defense that has five first round picks in their front seven?  Is it because the Redskins feel some sense of buyers remorse for the RG3 trade? Whatever the reason may be, if you absorb the main stream sports media you would think that the '85 Bears were coming to FedEx Field on Sunday.  While the Rams have a good defense they are not without their flaws, but so are the Redskins, so it will take some semblance of game plan and coaching that the Jay Gruden led Redskins have yet to show over the past 17 games.  While the media seems caught up with sack numbers (the Rams' defensive lineman combined for 22.5 sacks last season and combined for another 5 against the Seahawks in Week 1) and cute monikers (The
Rams are the most physical/nasty/competitive 6-10 team you will ever meet) the Redskins should be looking at their personnel and saying, "F these guys.  We are just as tough as they are and here's how we are going to ball control our way to winning this game."

Big Receivers = Big Game: Pierre Garcon and/or Jordan Reed (if healthy) need to be the focal points of a ball control offensive plan that relies on possession receiving first.  The Rams lost five of seven games last season when they allowed a receiver who was over 6'0" tall and weighed more than 200 pounds to go over 80 yards receiving.  Garcon and Reed both fit this bill, and their possession skills need to be in full effect if the Redskins expect to win.  If Garcon or Reed can go for eighty plus yards with a 7-9 yard per catch average it means the Redskins are taking longer drives that are looking to keep the St. Louis offense off the field.  It is not out of the question either.  The Rams' intimidating sack numbers from last year look less intimidating when you consider that Miami had a lower Net Yards Per Pass Attempt (6.2) than the Rams (6.7) last season.  A breakdown of those averages shows that the Rams had only one more sack than the Ndamunkong Suh-less Dolphins and still gave up over 300 yards more in passing on only three more passing attempts than Miami last season.  Within that difference in attempts the Rams also allowed 30 more completions that the Dolphins, so the Rams showed they can be susceptible to a possession style passing game but it will only be effective if two things occur.

Positive Running/Long Passing: Alfred Morris silenced all the Matt Jones trumpets last week by proving he is one of the best running backs in the NFL at getting positive yardage in tight spaces.  He is not the type of back who will hit the hole and take it 60 yards to the house, but he has the agility and vision to go for four or more on every single carry.  The Redskins need to take advantage of that by putting themselves in 2nd or 3rd and less than 7 situations more often than not so they can exploit those plays for long pass gambles.  No Desean Jackson means that it is time for Jamison Crowder, Rashad Ross, or Ryan Grant to prove they are good for at least one big pass play per game from the slot.  My money is on Ross who looks to have the best speed of the three, and deserves a legitimate shot at being the short term replacement for Jackson as the resident burner for the Redskins' receiving corps.  Either way, the Redskins will win this game if they can complete a pass play of 40 yards or more at least once and if they can manage the down and distance on each drive by running Morris 20 times or more.  Whatever the case may be, it will be for naught if the Redskins' defense cannot wake up from the...........

Nightmare of Tight End Seem Routes, Running Back Screens, and Special Team Returns:  The two leading receivers for the Rams last week were tight end Jared Cook and running back Benjamin Cunningham.  Those two positions have given the Redskins defense fits in the past, and if they want to win on Sunday they need to limit the production of at least one of them. Quick.  Name the leading wide receiver in receiving yardage from last week.  I know you fantasy degenerates picked up Tavon Austin this week, but it was actually Stedman Bailey who led the Rams' wide receivers in receiving yards.  We need to limit Cook and Cunningham in the passing game and force the Rams receivers to beat us.  And since Tavon Austin already returned a punt for a touchdown last week, you can believe he is licking his chops against the Redskins.  No TD's allowed by the special teams will mean a win for them, even if a return is stopped at the one yard line it means the Special Teams did not give up a touchdown.  What would be even better is for the special teams to actually learn from their mistakes and not give up big returns.  If the Redskins defense cannot contain the non wide receivers in the passing game, or Austin has a big day on punt returns, it may be hard to vanquish the Rams.

So who is afraid of the St. Louis Rams?  The Redskins shouldn't be.  The Rams should not be taken lightly, but statistically their defense is not any better than Miami.  If Washington can get a possession game going with a combination of Garcon, Reed, and Morris while getting one or two big plays and containing the Rams' running back and tight ends, we may be sitting at 1-1 going into New York next week.

Redskins vs. Ravens: Cousins Makes The Redskins A Team

No more daily injury status updates.  No more endless analysis of self-aggrandizing tweets.  No more attention seeking press conferences and sound bytes.  No more personalized catch phrases with a clothing line attached to them.  No more Robert Griffin in Washington .  Jay Gruden's comments on Sunday may turn out to be the final blow to Griffin's fall from grace in DC despite Gruden giving Griffin the dreaded vote of confidence.  All logical sense points to the Redskins parting ways with Griffin at some point this season, and more than likely before they take the field against the Dolphins in Week 1.  Whatever the Redskins decide to do with Robert Griffin, it is clear that the ascension of Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback has shifted the narrative from the Redskins fate hinging on the health of one person, to their fate being in the hands of 53 people working together.

The biggest difference between Griffin and Cousins that has been noted this offseason is the fact that the offense seems to operate at a higher level when Cousins is under center.  The Baltimore game clearly showed that Cousins has a better command of the offense, but his new found role as the Redskins starter has done more than just bring the team together on the field.  By naming Cousins the starter, Gruden has released the rest of the team from the media fetters that RG3 has placed on them over the past three years.  Ever since Griffin was drafted all you heard about what RG3, and the players could not get away from having to answer questions about Robert's health or performance.  That was fine in his first year when he was tearing up the field; "Winning is the deodorant that covers all the stink" as Charles Barkley would say.  But once the winning went away it became more of a burden for the team to constantly have to hear about what Robert just said, or tweeted, or what they think of his injury status.  It became more about RG3 the persona than about his performance on the field, and it has come to a head this preseason because this team feels that they have amassed quite a collection of talent that should be fielding questions about their own performance rather than RG3's lack thereof.  With RG3 riding the bench, people should start to notice what the Ravens game highlighted; The Redskins maybe deeper an more talented that you think.

Ryan Grant showed that he has the prowess to keep pace with starting level talent, and he showed that the Redskins can trot out four legit WR's, plus have guys like Jamison Crowder and Rashad Ross to back them up.  The OLB's continued to impress with Preston Smith flashing his closing speed and evolving pass rush and Jackson Jeffcoat showing his ball hawking and plain old fashioned hustle skills.  Matt Jones continued his reign of terror over the Ravens' front seven as they tried to bring him down once he got downhill, and Chris Thompson and Tre Williams proved that they can be a sneaky change of pace to Jones and Morris when called upon.  Even Jordan Reed's athleticism showed up and made some people bring back the notion that he could be the next big TE in the NFL.  And don't look now, but Stephen Paea may prove to be the most valuable offseason signing.  He has shown he can get behind the line, which has freed up Jason Hatcher to some degree and made him more productive.  Finally, David Amerson has shown that offenses are rolling the dice if they throw a comeback pattern on him.  He has good closing speed when defending those routes.  Now if we can only get him to take better tackling angles. 

Sure, there were things that left something to be desired in the Ravens game, such as the fact that the offensive line had trouble opening holes for Alfred Morris, whatever Dashon Goldson calls physical safety play may need some self reflecting on his part, the Redskins failed to convert two fourth and one plays, and the Special Teams.  Oh the Special Teams.  Justin Rogers may have secured a spot on the team with his tremendous tackle to save a kick return touchdown.  The problem was that it came 103 yards after the Ravens returner caught the kickoff, and the Redskins MVP last year (Tress Way) continues to be average at best.  I can see us losing at least one game this year because of special teams play if it doesn't improve.

What the Ravens game really showed us, though,
 is that the Redskins have a lot of talent on this team that should not go to waste trying to figure out whether RG3 can compete at a high level again.  Gruden heeded that call by naming Cousins the starter, and in doing so he may have inadvertently shown a commitment to the rest of the team.  A team that has one of the best receiver tandems in the league with Garcon and Jackson.  A team that has four running backs that could wreak havoc on opposing defenses in various ways.  A team whose front seven is looking more physical and talented than it ever has before, doing it all with a limited contribution from Ryan Kerrigan so far this preseason.  A team with a group of corner backs that, at the very least, proved they will be physical and in your face, and a group of about 40-50 other players who have bought in to that mantra of physicality and intensity.  This may be the best collection of talent at the offensive skill positions that the Redskins have had in a long time, and the defense will at least be better than it has been.  The one position that needs to bring it all together is the one that everyone else no longer has to answer for because of Jay Gruden's decision to not let that be a distraction. Cousins brings a higher level of performance to the offense, and more importantly, he makes the Redskins more of a team both on and off the field.

Redskins vs. Lions: The Redskins Need to Let Go of RG3

RG3 is dead.  Last night cemented that fact.  The persona that Robert Griffin adopted at the onset of his professional career went down for the final count last night in numerous bone and soul crushing blows.  The concussion RG3 suffered against the Lions showed that The Redskins, and Robert Griffin, would do well to let go of RG3.  The RG3 that continues to make comments that suggest that he is either having delusions of grandeur, or that he loves playing coy with the media.  The RG3 that has not evolved as a quarterback in over three years and is holding The Redskins, and Robert Griffin, hostage.  RG3 is keeping Robert Griffin in this perpetual state of media sound bytes and manufactured hype that has stunted his growth as a player by believing that RG3 can comeback.  The Redskins have allowed RG3 to spiral out of control both on the field and in the media to a point that has become detrimental to the growth of the team as a whole.  Robert Griffin needs to lose the sophomoric moniker/personality that has relegated him to the Sméagol role in this schizophrenic relationship.  The Redskins need to let go of RG3 in both a literal and figurative sense in order to not squander the collection of talent they have amassed during this offseason because the Lions game showed that The Redskins' level, and depth, of talent are growing by the week.  Kudos from the Lions game go out to:

Matt Jones.  I think Winston Wolf put it best.  Redskins fans need to not get too excited and realize that Alfred Morris is still the starting running back, and most of Jones's yards came against the Lions' second defense.  But Jones's skill set looked damn good, and the Marshawn Lynch comparisons are looking not as crazy now as when Redskins Nation let out a collective "Who?" when Jones was drafted in the third round.  And how about the Redskins' Secondary?  After last week having a so-so game they had a less crappy game this week with the physicality they showed in run support and pass coverage.  David Amerson looked especially good in his closing speed in defending comeback routes and almost had an interception on the first plays of the game.  He just needs to learn to wrap up in tackling.  Kevin Hatcher had a two rushes on Matt Stafford that showed he may not have lost all the mojo from two seasons ago, Andre Roberts' punt return gave a much needed spark to the special teams, and let's hope Ricky Jean Francois gets a chance to do more of this throughout the season.

The negatives need to start with the starting offensive line.  We saw Brandon Scherff get stood up and pushed back about three yards off the line again in this game (The first clip is Scherff, the second is the delayed blitz play).  Last time Alfred Morris was able to compensate and gain 19 yards, but this time it was in pass protection and it resulted in Scherff's man getting a sack.  Willie Smith forced Dan Snyder to buy a plastic bubble for Trent Williams to walk around in all season to ensure he does not get injured, and the assault the Robert Griffin faced all night had to do in part to the poor play of the guys up front.  And if any team wants to stop the Redskins on any pass play over 2 yards, call a delayed blitz.  The Browns killed the first team last week with blitzes coming once the Redskins players committed to blocking assignments, and the Lions were able to have delayed rushers come in untouched to crush Griffin and McCoy on two occasions using this tactic.  Let's see if we can fix that for the upcoming season.  Finally, the secondary gets a thumbs down in the "defending the pick route" category.  The Browns scored on us last week using that play at the goal line, and the Lions did it again this week with the same results.  It is a tricky play to defend, but it can only come through better communication an play recognition that comes from coaching.  C'mon Raheem Morris.  But let us finish where we began with the most glaring negative from that game.  Robert Griffin.

It is clear that Robert Griffin has not acquired any skills that would intimate that he is striving to become a better pocket passer.  He may think that, but the Lions game showed the same mistakes.  His performance is tough to assess because of the poor play from the offensive line, but he still stares down receivers, he holds the ball for too long as seen on his last play (watch it at the end of the clip about Scherff.  Griffin has people open on the check down to his left but he decides to try and extend the play on a 3rd and 16....in the preseason), he does not identify pressure pre-snap in order to adjust his read progression, and he has poor pocket awareness.  These may be the most important detriments in Robert's game.  Griffin's sacks may be due to the fact that he is not making the right read based on what the defense is showing, and he is not calling out a change in protection to give him more time.  The drive before the one where Griffin was injured ended because he was sacked on a 3rd and 2.  How long does a 3rd and 2 play need to develop?  The Lions were showing blitz, but Griffin did little before the snap to adjust his reads or protection in order to give him more time or a quick read in order to avoid contact behind the line.  I saw Kirk Cousins call out pre-snap adjustments in the waning parts of this game against 3rd and 4th stringers, and both McCoy and Cousins seem to have a better idea of where to look for the open receive in Jay Gruden's system.  The play that before Robert was injured (also on the clip) shows him running right into the pressure and not knowing how to avoid it.  I saw Colt McCoy identify a breakdown in the offensive line and scramble for 11 yards.  These deficiencies leads to the final conclusion of this piece.

Robert Griffin should not be the starter this season.  It is clear that the coaching staff does not have faith in Griffin's ability to run the offense based on their play calling against the Lions.  All of Griffin's plays had him stand like a statue while he was under assault, while McCoy got two designed roll out calls AND A READ OPTION PLAY, and Cousins had one designed roll out in order to quell the blitz a bit.  Why not move the pocket for Robert when it was obvious that the Lions were teeing off on him?  Either the Redskins Coaches don't trust his legs, his decision making, his grasp of the offense, or a combination of all three.  Whatever the reason, it is clear that the offense is more dynamic with either Cousins or McCoy and we will get to see what one of them can do against first teamers against the Ravens.  I say start Kirk Cousins against the Ravens and for the beginning of the season.  We need to know if we want to resign him before he becomes a free agent this offseason, and I think that Cousins gives The Redskins best opportunity to have a decent season this year based on what we have seen over the first two preseason games.  It is clear that Robert Griffin is not ready to give up on RG3.  If Griffin is named the starter, then we know that the Redskins organization is also not ready to give up on RG3.  But RG3 only exists as a feeble marketing ploy that does not hold a fraction of the weight it once did in this area.  Robert Griffin needs to be the player that takes the field this season in order for him to have the best opportunity to
show that he is the best quarterback in the NFL. 

Redskins vs. Browns: Open TE Tryouts Start on Monday

With the loss of Niles Paul for the season the Redskins find themselves having to dig deeper on the depth charts than they had expected at the TE position.  Chase Dixon now finds himself as the next man up with Jordan Reed's hamstring soreness, Logan Paulsen's toe status, and the injury sustained by Niles Paul last night.  Paul's injury hits even harder considering that he had worked his way to being the starting TE, and was heralded as one of the emotional leaders of the team.  One only needs to watch the last episode of Hard Knocks to see Niles Paul's energy.  He is seen getting in the face of Texans players and coming to the aid of others when things started getting out of hand.  Paul had also become a solid locker room presence as stated by John Keim, whose report states that players were openly emotional about the injury to Niles Paul.  A big loss for the Redskins, and if you're skeptical that Jordan Reed can finish an entire season without getting injured and you live in the grater Washington DC area, please send your resume to Sean McVay at:

21300 Redskin Park Drive
Ashburn, VA 20147

Please inquire about the Tight End position.  Other than that it was a fairly positive night for the Redskins, starting with the three most important people on the roster right now.

Robert Griffin:  The stats are unassuming, but Griffin looked good for the first preseason game.  He made good throws to Ryan Grant, especially on his fist throw on 3rd and 5 when he wne through his progressions and hit Grant on the crossing route.  His only negatives were a poor 3rd down pass on a comeback route on the sidelines, an a bad 2nd down fade pass to Garcon at the end of the first quarter.  The next play he took a hit and overthrew Garcon again, but that was because Shawn Lauvao missed the delayed blitz coming from his side.  All in all a decent showing from Griffin, but we'll have to see if he can improve upon this showing next week against the Lions.

Kirk Cousins:  What can you say?  The guy knows how to run this offense against inferior competition.  Granted he played most of the game against backups, but he looked damn good doing it.  The one thing that stood out with Cousins was his checking of the defense before the snap.  Numerous times he called out blitzes from the shotgun to the offensive line, which is something that Griffin did not do as often.  He was accurate with his throws, and he even seemed comfortable in the designed roll outs that were called.  We'll see if McCoy ca do the same next week, but all in all a great performance from Kirk Cousins.

Colt McCoy:  It is tough to glean much from McCoy's start against third stringers, but what I was most impressed with was his feet.  He had a nice 10+ yard scramble at the end of the third quarter, and he was able to extend a play with his feet and dump down to Tre Williams.  He may not look as shifty against starters, but he looked good yesterday in his ability to run and move in the pocket.

Other top performers were Chris Thompson's blitz pickup and burst of speed, which was on display all night; The defensive front seven's ability to get in the backfield, even if they failed to get a lot of negative plays they disrupted the run game enough to make it a non factor for the Browns; Trent Murphy looking like he took a step forward in his pass rushing technique, he was inches away from getting a sack at least twice and on the Browns first touchdown he beat the tackle by slapping the OT's hands down and going to the inside to cause McCown to leave the pocket; Preston Smith's quickness and speed when closing in on the runner/quarterback and his ability to create havoc at the line of scrimmage; and the offensive line's pass protection (especially Morgan Moses), which will get tested more heavily as the season goes on but they looked effective last night.

The negatives were minor, but the secondary still has communication problems in releasing receivers when no safety help is there and not adjusting to the Browns's quick passes at the beginning of the game; If Arie Kuandjio is in the game next week you can bet that the Redskins will not run a screen pass because he woefully missed his blocking assignments on both screen passes that caused them to go nowhere (literally); and finally, one play that stood out to me and it is the one in the picture above.  The Redskins called a run right on Fourth and 1 and Brandon Scherff gets pushed one yard into the backfield causing Morris to jump back and find the edge.  Luckily Morgan Moses sealed off the edge long enough, and Morris found the hole and turned it into a huge gain, but for a guy who was touted as a "mauler" in the run game Scherff needs to get more physical on short yardage.  You would think that with all the speculation about Scherff moving positions he would come out with a chip on his shoulder, and what better way to display your dominance than on a Fourth and 1.  It is his first preseason game, and Scherff was not horrible, but that play stuck with me. 

Next week Detroit, and hopefully we can keep this positive mojo going.

The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 12: What's Past is Prologue

Robert Griffin III (2012-present) "Darth Vader"           Kirk Cousins (2012-present) "Fallout Boy"
35 starts (14-21)                                                                 9 starts (2-7)

Completion % = 63.9% (679/1063)                                 Completion % = 59.0% (240/407)

8097 yrds – 40 TD - 23 INT – 90.6 – 101 sacks              3040 yrds - 18 TD - 19 INT - 77.5 - 16 sacks
5 Game Winning Drives                                                     1 Game Winning Drive

Colt McCoy (2014-present) "The Lone Ranger"
4 starts (1-3)

Completion % = 71.1% (91/128)

1057 yrds – 4 TD - 3 INT – 96.4 – 17 sacks
2 Game Winning Drives

A little Shakespeare to end this saga of Redskins quarterbacks that has gone on for over fifteen years and has led us to this point.  The Redskins now find themselves at a crossroads yet again.  This time with three quarterbacks who are coming off a season where all of them had significant playing time and neither one of them showing the skills necessary to be the unquestioned starter.  One who was supposed to be the face of the franchise, but has suffered set backs and injuries that have people questioning whether or not it is worth it to keep him.  One who was the insurance policy but who has shown that he has the physical ability to be the guy if not for his fragile mental state.  And one drifter who has a storied win under his belt, and the one who was hand picked by the current head coach, but may not have the time to be the long term solution.   We will get a preview of what is to come tonight against the Browns, and there are things that each one of them needs to do in order to be the unquestioned starter this season and to show that Jay Gruden can develop the talent that he has inherited. 

Robert Griffin:  Dan Snyder finally found his Darth Vader in the 2012 draft but had to pay a heavy price for him.  For one year, though, it seemed that our future was set.  No one will forget that unbelievable 2012 campaign that had Griffin anointed as the next generation of quarterback, and Mike and Kyle Shanahan's read option lauded as the next evolutionary step in the game.  But Griffin could not stay healthy, and the next two season proved that the Shanahans' system catered to Griffin's strengths without developing him as a passer.  The read option relied on the threat of Griffin being able to beat the edge rusher with his legs, which he did, but after his knee injury it is clear that he does not have the physical tools necessary to strike that fear into opposing defenses any more.  The read option also allowed Griffin to hit on his first read without going through his progressions because, more often than naught, some defender would creep up out of position in order to stop the run leaving a Redskins receiver wide open.  It catered to what Griffin had learned at Baylor running a spread style offense but now he needs to evolve.  He needs to learn to go through progressions, develop a better pocket awareness, learn better footwork in the pocket to avoid pressure, know when to use his legs to his advantage if leaving the pocket, and learn better pre-snap reads.  We have seen Griffin take bad sacks, make hasty decisions when he has more time in the pocket, and run right into opposing rushers without any inkling that he knows how to elude the pass rush.  These are the things we need to see from Robert Griffin if he is to become the starter we want him to be.  Jay Gruden has done similar work with Andy Dalton, who also came from a spread system at TCU, and he needs to make Griffin believe that he can be an accomplished passer in the NFL.

Kirk Cousins: After the Redskins drafted Cousins in 2012 it was alleged that Shanahan never wanted to move up to draft Griffin, and the Cousins pick was an insurance policy with a little bit of irreverence being shown by Shanahan towards the owner.  It proved to be a worthy pick, with Griffin being injured and Cousins proving that he can be a competent quarterback in the NFL.  The problem stems from his nickname; "Fallout Boy".  Cousins seems to always come in when something bad has happened, mostly an injury to Robert or replacing Robert's poor play, and he is there to manage the fall out.  He has also shown a propensity for melting down when things start to turn south for him during games, and his play devolves into something you would see out of a bad high school game.  The Eagles and Giants games from Weeks 3-4 this past season illustrate this point.  Cousins was having an amazing game against the Eagles until he threw a late interception and he could not recover.  The following Thursday against the Giants saw Cousins throw three interceptions in the third quarter when the Redskins had a chance to make it a game.  Instead the Giants blew us out and we saw this all too familiar body language from Cousins.  If Cousins is to be the starter he needs to develop a tougher skin when it comes to mistakes.  He needs to show the confidence he can have on a more regular basis, and he needs to improve on not locking onto receivers.  Interceptions will happen, but Cousins pouty face will not fly when it comes time to win football games, and it may get him traded before the season eve starts.

Colt McCoy:  There are some who say that McCoy has the best understanding of Gruden's offense, and he should get a legitimate shot at starting this season.  The one problem being that his physical attributes limit his ability to access the offense.  His arm is not as strong as the other two quarterbacks, which leaves him vulnerable when he needs to zip a pass into a tight spot or throw a deep ball that will not float it's way into a cornerbacks hands.  But he beat Dallas.  That game should have been the turning point of the season, and had Griffin not been able to go against Minnesota the following week we may be seriously talking about McCoy being the starter.  All McCoy can do now is bide his time and have an impressive showing this preseason.  His arm probably is not going to get any stronger at this point, but if he can take care of the ball and make the right throws he may find himself starting at some point this season.  Let's hope not though because if that happens it means that this saga is not over.

Robert Griffin will get the start Week 1 barring injury.  If the Minnesota game taught us anything last year, it is that no matter how dramatic a win Cousins or McCoy are able to engineer, if Robert Griffin can walk he is going to be the starter.  And the Redskins need him to be.  They do not need him to be 2012 Robert, but they need Griffin to be a legitimate NFL starter that can win at this level. The Redskins have assembled the best collection of talent on both side of the ball that they have had in a long time.  The biggest question mark for the Redskins lies in the most important position.  If Griffin proves to be a lost cause then we need to hope that Cousins shows enough improvement to be a starter, or worthy enough for someone to trade for him before he becomes a UFA at the end of the season.  If not then the Redskins may roll with McCoy for another year or two before drafting another prospect, and we will be back where we have always been since Dan Snyder bought the team:  Seeing if we can lure Eli Manning to start in Washington because he has two Super Bowl Rings and no contract for 2016. 

Williams's Legacy, Wilson's Destiny, and Griffin's........?

Forty-eight hours ago (as I write this on Monday Night), Doug Williams held the distinction of being the ONLY African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl.  After the Seahawks’s dismantling of the Denver Broncos on Sunday, that statement must be amended to the FIRST African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl.  And let’s be honest Redskins fans.  When Robert Griffin III was drafted everyone of you thought it would be Griffin who would carry on the legacy of Doug Williams and be the next African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl.  Alas it is Russell Wilson who has become the Buzz Aldrin of this mission, leaving Griffin to watch from afar in the orbiter like that other guy.  It is funny how fate can come together sometimes, and a look into the history of Williams’s Super Bowl, Wilson’s Super Bowl, and the fateful Griffin/Wilson game almost a year ago makes one wonder if this is all happening by accident.

            A comparison between the careers and Super Bowls of Doug Williams and Russell Wilson lead to some eerie similarities that makes one wonder if Wilson’s win was destiny.  We all know that Wilson was drafted by the Seahawks to back up Matt Flynn, who made his career off of one good game, and Wilson was quickly elevated to starter after Flynn was seen to be inadequate.  But did you know Williams replaced a quarterback with an equally dubious resume?  Jay Schroeder had one start in college for UCLA that was famous for an improbable game winning pass that landed him a third round selection by the Redskins in 1984.  Schroeder had success with the Redskins and led them to an NFC championship in the 1986-1987 season, but he was benched for Williams towards the end of the ‘87-’88 season because of injury and inconsistent play.  Unlike Wilson, Williams was far from a second year quarterback, but Williams’s Super Bowl XXII start came in his second year with the Redskins.  OK, that was a stretch, but do you remember how the Seahawks won their conference championship? One of the best corners in the league deflected a pass in the endzone to ice the game.  Do you know how the Redskins won their conference championship in 1988?  A hit by Darrell Green on a 4^th down pass from the 6 yard line forced an incompletion in the endzone and the Redskins iced the game.  Starting to get weird, right?  What is even weirder is that both Super Bowls were played in stadiums that had never held a Super Bowl before that game.  And in both games the Broncos set records for scoring fast.  In Super Bowl XXII the Broncos scored the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history (at the time) 1:57 into the game.  Sunday they set the fastest score ever in a Super Bowl with their bad snap.  Oh, and did you know that Peyton Manning was the league MVP this year?  I only bring that up because the league MVP for the ’87-’88 season was in attendance Sunday night to watch his former team get pasted like they did 26 years ago.  That’s right.  John Elway was the league MVP the year Doug Williams and the Redskins ran him out of Jack Murphy Stadium.  I can probably find some other flimsy pieces of evidence for this notion, but suffice it to say that there are strange parallels between Russell Wilson and Doug Williams that make it seem like Wilson was destined to finally carry on Williams’s legacy.   He did so by vanquishing the one Redskins fans thought would carry this legacy not but one year ago, and that fateful game could be a microcosm of how one career soared while the other flamed out.

            I was at Fed Ex field on January 6, 2013 when Wilson met Griffin for the first time.  Up to that point both quarterbacks had been heralded as the future of the quarterback position, and their shared success through the season pointed towards careers that would be inextricably intertwined towards success.  That game, however, put Robert Griffin and Russell Wilson on divergent paths.  One came out of that game with a career altering injury that led to a myriad of questions throughout the subsequent season that evolved to the point of questioning his ability to lead a professional football team.  One came out of that game heralded as a game winner.  He may not put up monster stats, but he makes the necessary plays to put his team in a position to win.  Now Russell Wilson finds himself at the highest peak of his profession while Robert Griffin if left to figure out how to rebuild a dysfunctional 3-13 team.  It is funny how one instance in time can drastically change the fate of two individuals who seemed to be headed in the same direction.  Before that game on January 6, 2013, most people would have said that either Griffin or Wilson could be the next Doug Williams and win a Super Bowl.  On February 2, 2014 one fulfilled that destiny.  The other is still waiting to fulfill that destiny in the city where it all started 26 years ago, and left hoping that that game on January 6th was not a harbinger of bad things to come.

Can Gruden resurrect Griffin?

The hiring of Jay Gruden has created a whirlwind of speculation as to what his offense will look like here in Washington and, more importantly, how Robert Griffin will fit into this system and develop as a quarterback.  Gruden’s naming of Griffin as the starter in his inaugural press conference poured more gasoline onto this speculation inferno because now Gruden is pot committed.  Barring injury, Robert Griffin III will be the vehicle for the Jay Gruden offense here in DC.  We can speculate about the details of this offense, but we may be able to get an idea of production output for Griffin by looking at the quarterback who last helmed Jay Gruden’s offensive vision.  Andy Dalton.  Before we analyze stats, lets look at what Gruden was dealing with when he drafted Dalton and what he can expect in Griffin by analyzing their draft profiles as provided by ESPN Insider.  Guess which one is which.

a)  College offense does not translate to the NFL game.  Has a lot to learn about identifying coverage and hot reads.  Has very simple reads. There's not much tape of him checking from one side of the field to the other.  Lack of ideal height leads to some problems seeing entire field at times.  However, is an intelligent and disciplined individual.  Has a great work ethic and is capable of digesting a new system quickly.  

b)  Will have a learning curve coming from shotgun heavy spread-formation offense that feeds him a lot of pre-snap reads from the sideline. But he is a gym rat with very good natural football intelligence. Does a great job of keeping his head down the field when scrambling. Has improved as a decision maker but still makes some questionable decisions throwing into traffic.

Have you guessed? That’s right.  Griffin is A and Dalton is B.  It is interesting that they said Dalton would have a “learning curve” coming from a spread formation.   It was Gruden’s job to make that curve less treacherous, and he turned Dalton’s “learning curve” into 3,398 yards, 20 TD/13 Int, and a 58.1% completion rate on 516 attempts plus a payoff berth.  Not a bad showing, and he has continued to improve in yards, completions, and touchdowns every year under Gruden culminating this past season by throwing for 4,296 yrds, 33 TD/20 Int, and a 61.9% completion rate on 586 attempts and another playoff berth.  So Gruden knows how to work with quarterbacks who come from spread looks, and he is essentially getting one in Griffin.  You don’t believe me?  Reread his draft profile.

            Has Griffin progressed since his days at Baylor?  Needs to learn to identify coverage, only runs simple reads, not good at going through progressions; this looks like it could have been written anytime over the past two years, and it is essentially what Gruden will be inheriting in his future quarterback.  What offset these deficiencies in Griffin’s first year was the information I left out of his profile to not make his identity obvious.  Here is what was left out of Griffin’s profile:

His mobility also gives him more room for error than many other quarterback prospects

Griffin’s athleticism was the sole reason the read option worked so well, and it is also the reason why Griffin has not improved on any of the weaknesses outlined in his draft profile.  It is also something that Gruden did not have at his disposal with Dalton in Cincinnati.  There is a trade off, however, and it is the task that Gruden must complete in the development of Robert Griffin.

Knows how to make progression reads and effectively checks down to second and third targets. Consistently looks off the safeties and does not telegraph many of his throws

This was the omission I had in Dalton’s profile.  It is almost a direct contradiction to Griffin’s current skill set, and the task set before Gruden will be to teach Griffin these skills.  Gruden has given up a quarterback with superior passing awareness for one who has superior athletic ability.  Gruden alluded to Griffin’s athletic prowess as being a major factor in his excitement to work with Griffin, but it is Griffin’s development as a passer that will define Gruden’s tenure here in Washington.  Gruden has proven with Dalton that he can make an honest passer out of a spread style quarterback.  He now must prove that he can do the same with a quarterback whose passing skills have been hindered by the over reliance on his physical ability by both himself and his prior professional coaching staff.  Dalton’s progression under Gruden gives some shape to the hazy picture that is this arranged marriage between Gruden and Griffin.  I think everyone would be elated if Gruden could get Griffin to turn in a season like Dalton had in 2013, and Gruden’s track record in Cincinnati gives us more than blind hope that this could happen.  The speculation will continue to burn out of control until we get to see the actual product in September, but Andy Dalton may give us a glimmer of hope that Gruden can return Robert Griffin to elite status.