Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins looked pathetic in a 27-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Griffin was hit almost every time he dropped back to pass and had very little time to throw. On the rare instances where he wasn’t drilled by a 49ers defender, RG3 looked uncomfortable and inaccurate. If you ask Niners linebacker Ahmad Brooks, Griffin shouldn’t have even been in the game.
“He’s obviously a man and he makes his own decisions, but I personally don’t feel he should be playing right now,” Brooks told reporters on Monday, according to CSNWashington.com’s JP Finlay. “I don’t think he should be playing. You can see it. Everybody can see it, everybody can see it.”
RG3 certainly isn’t making many plays with his legs. That could be a result of less designed runs being called, or it could simply be that Griffin has not yet fully recovered from his second ACL surgery and lacks burst. It’s probably a combination of both, as one of Griffin’s own teammates admitted the former Baylor star is much slower this season because of his knee brace.
“He’s a man, he has the heart of a warrior and is going to go out there and play regardless of the circumstance,” Brooks added. “Everybody can see it. Everybody can see it. He shouldn’t be playing.”
The numbers seem to support Brooks’ claim, as RG3 has thrown just 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 11 games this season. He was 17 of 27 for 127 yards, no touchdowns and an interception against San Francisco. He has also yet to score a single rushing touchdown. The Redskins are 3-8.
You have to wonder if next season will be any different or if RG3 will simply never be the same exciting player we saw during his rookie season. He’s not a pocket passer and probably never will be. With a big bulky knee brace, Griffin is simply an average quarterback on his best day.
