Washington Redskins fans are hoping their team’s bye week helps Robert Griffin III get back to being the dynamic playmaker he was a year ago. Griffin looked shaky at best during the first four games of the season, throwing off his back foot quite a bit and looking timid on read-option plays. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr sounds like he is counting on that continuing this weekend.
“He doesn’t look the same,” Carr told NFL Network’s Around The League Live on Thursday.” “That’s not saying we’re going to fall asleep on him. He still has the same arm strength. He still has some type of elusive ability once he gets outside the pocket. … But we know he’s not the same.”
That isn’t a shot at RG3. Griffin’s own teammate, wide receiver Pierre Garcon, said earlier this season that RG3’s knee brace slows him down and that he can’t run as fast as he used to. Garcon also said the team is running the same offense it did last season, which could be an issue if RG3’s mobility is that limited.
In reality, Griffin is likely going to have to become a better pocket passer for the Redskins to succeed. He’ll still make plays with his legs, but you can’t expect him to be the same athlete he was less than a year removed from the second major reconstructive knee surgery of his career. Fortunately for Washington, the Dallas secondary is coming off a week in which it was torched by the Denver Broncos for over 400 yards. Sunday would be a good time to try that whole pocket passing thing.
H/T NBC DFW
