Robert Griffin III: 2013 Will Be Learning Experience for Redskins QB

After the Washington Redskins’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in week 11, their season is all but over. Though they are in a less than desirable division, Washington doesn’t appear to have what it takes to get to the playoffs in 2013 and from here on out will be playing for pride.

This season has been tough for quarterback Robert Griffin III after returning from an ACL tear. Following an offseason full of questions, rumors, rehab and plenty of press conferences, Griffin just wanted to get on with the regular season and work on getting back to form. But, as we’ve seen this year, that’s been tough for him to do.

Griffin is still showing flaws since coming back from his ACL injury. One of the biggest ongoing problems for the second year quarterback has been the undeniable willingness to sacrifice his body — even after everything he has gone through this year.

Still not seeming to understand how or when to slide, Griffin looks like he just refuses to even think about it when the opportunity presents itself. Many critics and experts last season said that Griffin would need to learn this one thing, over anything else, before he could move forward with his development. Why?

If he can’t keep himself 100 percent healthy and stay on the field, he won’t have the opportunity to keep developing.

Another reason why Griffin can use this season as a learning experience is by looking at his mechanics. There are too many times where he throws off of his back foot instead of planting and throwing. Last season, he didn’t seem to do this as much, but the 2013 campaign has seen it quite often for Griffin.

For the rest of this year, Griffin should focus solely on improving his game and working on getting better mechanically and in the aspect of protecting his body — that is, instead of putting it all out on the field for what would be meaningless wins at this point. This upcoming offseason, though, will be the important part for Griffin as he and the Redskins aim to try again in 2014.

Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.