What’s the Verdict on RG3?
I look through burgundy and gold glasses, but I feel like RG3 still very much has the ability and potential to be a star.
As a diehard Redskins fan, it’s hard for me to see my team struggle for the second year in a row now, all while our franchise quarterback seems to have become the Derrick Rose of the NFL–struggling to get back to star form after major knee surgery, then followed with an ankle injury.
Robert Griffin III’s rookie year was one of the best rookie performances of recent memory–especially when he lead the Skins on a 7-game winning streak to win the NFC East and make the playoffs. In fact, it’s safe to say he was the most feared and difficult-to-prepare-for player in the NFL.
Here’s RG3’s rookie stats:
- 65.6% completion percentage (4th in NFL)
- 3,200 yards passing
- 20 passing TDs
- 5 INTs (best in NFL, min. 220 attempts)
- 815 yards rushing (6.8 avg., best in NFL)
- 7 rushing TDs
- RAT: 102.4 (3rd in NFL)
- QBR: 73.2 (5th in NFL)
Then that gruesome injury against the Seahawks in the opening round of the playoffs. Torn ACL. Total reconstructive knee surgery to follow.
He worked his tail off to be ready for Week 1 of the 2013 season–and to his credit, he was. In fact, he played 13 straight games before being benched when the season had gotten well out of hand and missing the playoffs was a foregone conclusion to the season. An often overlooked fact about Griffin III is that until this 2014 season, he had only missed one game in two years due to injury–only one game in two years, yet he was pegged as “fragile”. Oddly enough it was a non-contact ankle injury that finally cost him some games.
All that being said, his sophomore season in 2013 was not near the success of 2012. His numbers weren’t awful, but he clearly was not quite the same player as he tried to recover from knee surgery.
- 60.1% completion percentage
- 3,202 yards passing
- 16 TDs
- 12 INTs
- 489 yards rushing (5.7 avg.)
- 0 rushing TDs
- RAT: 82.2
- QBR: 40.1
Now here we are about 2/3 of the way through the 2014 season, a season I was certain would be a playoff year for the Skins, yet they’re 3-7 and just got trounced coming off a bye week by lowly Tampa Bay 27-7 at home. RG3 threw two picks in the first quarter and the Redskins offense never got going.
So the question is, can RG3 return to elite play or was that a one-season wonder? My opinion, he absolutely can, but he has to humble himself and stop being pampered by the Washington front office. Nobody likes the teacher’s pet and that’s how RG3 comes across to teammates and fans when he’s flying around in Redskin’s owner Dany Snyder’s private jet, doing Subway commercials despite average play and losing seasons. Act like Andrew Luck. Be humble. Be likable. Be a good teammate and leader. The athleticism and skills are there, bring in the intangibles and the Skins will be a playoff team again. If those things don’t happen very soon, RG3 will find himself on another team and I fear he’ll go flourish somewhere else after he’s forced to be humble. Please don’t let that happen Dan Snyder and RG3.
But hey, I’ve still got my burgundy and gold glasses on.
