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Anyone remember when Matthew Stafford was injury-prone? Could stay healthy? In his first two seasons he played 10 and three games, respectively. In the season opener in 2010 he injured his shoulder, came back on Halloween to beat... the Redskins (sigh), then reinjured that shoulder a week later and was done. He had arthroscopic surgery done on his throwing shoulder and was done until the next year. All the media experts were wringing their hands that this talented kid was injury prone and would never be the same, and the Lions had wasted a number one pick, and other hyperventilations. He's done all right since then, including not missing any game in 3.5 seasons.
Robert Griffin III returns this weekend, to an inexplicable amount of angst in the fan base. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. We saw what happens when teams get game tape and a bead on Kirk Cousins. I realize that from time to time a player can bounce around the NFL and then find the right home for himself as QB with a new franchise, but it doesn't happen often. If we're pinning our hopes on the definition of a journeyman, Colt McCoy, I think we're in for huge disappointment.
The long term starter for the Washington Redskins is either Robert Griffin III or not on the roster right now. The rest of the year should give us a nice insight into Griffin's future with the team. I am not expecting a 2012 repeat with a new offense and new head coach, but I am expecting more from Griff than I would with McCoy or Cousins. I want to see some read option. I want to see some slides (graceful or not). I want to see some bomb hit DeSean in stride. I want to see the pinpoint accuracy we saw in 2012. Above all, I want to be excited again.
I entered last season with hope, only to have it beaten out of me by Griff's tentativeness and the Shanahan drama foolishness. This season has sucked the joy right out of me between the losing, Griffin's injury and Kirk's disappointment. It's been a drag. But now we get to start to evaluate if we have the guy, or if we don't have the guy. Be assured of this: Griff wants as much time as possible. If you think he hasn't circled the Indianapolis game on the calendar at the end of November, you're kidding yourself. For two years now he has had to listen to "experts" tell us all that Luck should have won ROY, that the Griffin pick was the biggest joke of all time, etc. And Luck has torn the league up this year; if you think that isn't eating at Robert, you're fooling yourself. My money is on a focused, determined QB who will be trying with everything he has to prove that he deserves to be the man here in Washington, and that his rookie season wasn't the fluke so many (including a lot of fans) think it was.
I, for one, can't wait to watch. Robert gives me something that Colt and Kirk never did: hope. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. I have it again, and I am excited to watch the second half of this season.
Robert Griffin III returns this weekend, to an inexplicable amount of angst in the fan base. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. We saw what happens when teams get game tape and a bead on Kirk Cousins. I realize that from time to time a player can bounce around the NFL and then find the right home for himself as QB with a new franchise, but it doesn't happen often. If we're pinning our hopes on the definition of a journeyman, Colt McCoy, I think we're in for huge disappointment.
The long term starter for the Washington Redskins is either Robert Griffin III or not on the roster right now. The rest of the year should give us a nice insight into Griffin's future with the team. I am not expecting a 2012 repeat with a new offense and new head coach, but I am expecting more from Griff than I would with McCoy or Cousins. I want to see some read option. I want to see some slides (graceful or not). I want to see some bomb hit DeSean in stride. I want to see the pinpoint accuracy we saw in 2012. Above all, I want to be excited again.
I entered last season with hope, only to have it beaten out of me by Griff's tentativeness and the Shanahan drama foolishness. This season has sucked the joy right out of me between the losing, Griffin's injury and Kirk's disappointment. It's been a drag. But now we get to start to evaluate if we have the guy, or if we don't have the guy. Be assured of this: Griff wants as much time as possible. If you think he hasn't circled the Indianapolis game on the calendar at the end of November, you're kidding yourself. For two years now he has had to listen to "experts" tell us all that Luck should have won ROY, that the Griffin pick was the biggest joke of all time, etc. And Luck has torn the league up this year; if you think that isn't eating at Robert, you're fooling yourself. My money is on a focused, determined QB who will be trying with everything he has to prove that he deserves to be the man here in Washington, and that his rookie season wasn't the fluke so many (including a lot of fans) think it was.
I, for one, can't wait to watch. Robert gives me something that Colt and Kirk never did: hope. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. I have it again, and I am excited to watch the second half of this season.