Is RG3 done?

It's not about being right.

But when Manning stands in front of the media and says, "I don't usually suck, but I sucked tonight."

Quarterbacks are going to get the credit when they win, but the good leaders are the one who step up and take the blame after a loss.

Can you imagine Rodgers or Manning or Brees making a comment like that. Hell, I can't imagine Cutler saying something like that.

 

"I'm trying to be a good teammate here. Let's just say we had some problems in protection.'' - Peyton Manning, 2006.

But Manning is a hell of a quarterback who doesn't miss receivers on routes like Griffin missed Jackson. As I said, playing well will mitigate speaking stupidly.

 

He has also had some really good games in that stretch. His best games have mostly been Redskins losses, though.

I maintain the biggest difference since his rookie year, besides the injuries, is the turnovers. This year, it's taking sacks, which obviously is part and parcel of the other flaws mentioned here.

 

Ha, I wasn't aware of that.

 

So who is coaching the Redskins next season?

 

The local radio guys, who are usually excellent, are venturing into full-fledged hackery tomorrow, with a wacky bit "burying RG3's Redskins career":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/11/20/sports-junkies-will-bury-robert-griffin-iiis-washington-career-on-friday/

 

Not sure I've ever seen a QB eviscerated quite so comprehensively. Wow.

I just don't know how he had such an impressive rookie season if he's really this clueless about how to play QB in the NFL. But, then, seems like that's been a similar story with several other recent star college QBs like Sanchez, Vince Young, Tebow, etc.--in the beginning they have success and get folks all excited, only to later be exposed as NFL frauds. Not sure why that would be, though--seems counterintuitive to me, QBs ain't supposed to get worse with experience.

 

I think a lot of it is because he was allowed to run when he was a rookie and since the injury, he doesn't run nearly as much.

Kaepernick has some of the same issues, he just happens to have a better coach and a better team, but he's not the player he was in 2012 either.

I think it's a question of what happens when you draft these guys who are good because of how much they run and then you take that away from them because they got injured or you're worried that they could get injured.

 

One thing off the top of my head that they all have in common is multiple offensive coordinators in their early seasons (not sure about Young). Granted a great QB should be able to adapt to new offenses, but it could be a factor.

 

Tebow succeeded despite lacking the physical abilities most QBs need. His story and Vince Young's story are polar opposites.

And the further RG3 gets from his rookie season, the better Kyle Shanahan looks.

 

NFL defenses usually need a year to adapt to something new. The wildcat, Tebow, whatever other idea is out there ... in college we see it a lot when a team plays Navy, it's just so different from what they're used to.

Between defenses responding to the proliferation of the running QB and read option, and Griffin's own injury problems, he doesn't have any of the shock value that he had as a rookie. Eventually you have to throw from the pocket in the NFL.

I remember Andy Reid started reining McNabb in early, when it looked like the guy could make something happen with his legs on every play. That was controversial in Philly at the time, but it paid huge dividends for a decade, even if the head of the Philadelphia NAACP considered McNabb an Uncle Tom because of it.

 

I think you can almost make the argument that if you draft someone like Vick, Newton, Kaepernick, RG3 or Wilson you just let them do what they do and hope they don't get hurt.

If you're not going to let these guys run, you really have to evaluate if they're good enough passers without that.