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While I think it’s way too early for the Washington Redskins to panic, there are a lot of fans who have already started pushing the proverbial button. Sure, Robert Griffin III doesn’t look quite right out there, but that was to be expected after the offseason he went through. He set the bar awfully high with his rookie season and as a result, fans should expect a little more from him, but the guy is still just eight months out from major knee surgery.
The Redskins made it clear that they were going to change the way they use their talented quarterback and thus far that’s been the case. Through two games, Griffin has only nine rushing attempts for 25 yards. This has sparked many people to say that he needs to run more and that the Redskins should go back to a form of the game plan they used for RG3 in 2012. The QB himself has even spoken up on the issue:
“I could run more. I think it creates a spark for the team. It’s not that I want to run more, but I think that’s what we need. If that’s what it takes to win games, then I’m willing to do that.”
While he’s right that his running ability could spark the Redskins, it’s just way too early to abandon the pass-first plans the team has in place. If Griffin is going to have a long career, it’s going to be done in the pocket. I’m not saying that he shouldn’t run a little more than he has in the first two weeks, but given the way he looks on his surgically repaired right knee, there’s just too much risk involved with running him on designed plays.
The Redskins have a winnable home game coming up against the Detroit Lions this weekend and then they’ll travel West to take on the Oakland Raiders in week four. Week five then brings a bye. I think that’s the place where Washington should reevaluate its strategy moving forward. They need to stick to their guns for now and hope they can get to the bye with an even 2-2 record.
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