Opposing teams show no fear of Robert Griffin III running the ball. RGIII shows less inclination to do so.
Griffin ran 15 times this season, mostly from the Redskins' conventional offense. He ran 33 times for three scores in the first three games last year.
Even when the Redskins ran the read option, the ball went to Alfred Morris. that who defenses are keying.
Griffin is passing as well as we thought he would. He is the league's fourth-ranked quarterback after Sunday's action. But let me tell you that Hog Heaven does not like this new offensive identity. The Redskins are running an offense Kirk Cousins could run. Conventional. Play action. Boring.
Football loves a running quarterback and really loves true dual threat quarterbacks. While we hoped that Griffin and the Shanahans would dial back RGIII's 120 rushing attempts last year, it has virtually disappeared from the 2013 offense.
Unless Griffin is flushed from the pocket, he ain't running and we may as well broadcast it to everyone. There is enough video on record for opposing DC's see that.
Time to start Cousins? Don't make me laugh
Hog Heaven gets the debate by some fans to rest Griffin now and start Kirk Cousins. We get it, but we do not agree with it.
The case for Cousins is that he is better prepared to run a conventional pro style offense than Griffin. Cousins ran it three years at Michigan State. Griffin was all option all the time at Baylor.
The Redskins baked in the read option last season to make Griffin's introduction to the NFL easier and his success immediate. Moving in the pocket, progression reads, throwing the ball away, sliding on the run, instead of falling forward, does not come as naturally to Griffin as it does to Cousins.
We saw some of that yesterday against Detroit. When pockets collapsed, Griffin's instinct was to run and he did that better than in the first two games. The problem was that he ran backwards to be sacked for big losses. On one occasion, Griffin did throw the ball away ‒ within the field of play to be intercepted. He self-corrected that throw away technique on two letter occasions.
Part of the rust is physical, the process of whipping your body into game shape. Part of it is honing the QB thought process after missing preseason. But Griffin also has to grow up as a pocket passer more than ever.
That's the argument for Cousins ‒ his pocket instincts are marginally better than Griffin's at this moment in a conventional offense that isn't striking fear in opposing defenses. Maybe RGIII needs more time.
We beg to differ. Griffin would be rusty whenever he starts. It would not help to go through this after the Bye. Then he would shake off the rust against Dallas (Insert gag noise here.) There is no better time than right now for Griffin to complete this process.
A coaching staff that that did not have the guts to bench an obviously impaired Griffin against Seattle wouldn't have the backbone to sit a healthier Griffin, the No. 4 passer in the land, right now anyway.
Unless Cousins becomes a two-way player and plays safety, he can't help a defense with tackling problems.
Hog Heaven endorsed the preseason plan for Griffin. He must go through this process now.
The rest of us may have to get used to RGIII as a single threat quarterback maybe forever.
_________________________
The topic of firing Kyle Shanahan came up over family dinner last night. The Twitterverse has already given Jim Haslett his walking papers. Timing is the only question. During the Bye is the popular answer.
Never mind that Coach Mike would have troubles with Mama if he fired Junior. Never mind that that the Redskins are into their second season with Raheem Morris and still have trouble with the secondary that starts two rookies.
In a sport where continuity has an incalculable benefit, nowhere is continuity needed more than on the coaching staff. If Haz has to go, January is the time.
The answers to the Redskins problems on defense are already on the roster, or are suspended and will return in two weeks.
As for Kyle, don't blame him for calling a gameplan that Griffin can run.
Redskins' Pierre Garcon on RG3: 'He's not fully healthy, obviously' http://t.co/v4LkF7fjV6
— USA TODAY NFL team (@usatoday_nfl) September 23, 2013
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But fans grasp for easy answers and quick solutions. Firing someone is the easiest to do. Why don't you try doing open heart surgery on a runner during a marathon? The result would be the same.
There are no easy answers for Washington.
This season is hardly lost. The 'Skins are down two games to Dallas in the NFC Least with 13 games to go, including five more against division rivals.
Don't panic.
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