 }})
August 13, 2012
Redskins Park
On his first NFL training camp:
“I thought it was a huge success. It’s my first camp. I got that out of the way. It is definitely different from our college training camp, but it is also worthwhile. You get to spend a lot of time with the guys, get to know each other and find out a lot about your team. I think 10 or 15 years from now I will still remember my first NFL training camp.”
On anything that jumped out to him on from watching film of the Buffalo game:
“Tempo is important. Our tempo was extremely good, even on the two drives we went three-and- out on. I think getting to the line and kind of pressing the defense to make sure that they’re ready at all times with whatever we’re going to bring. It is going to be something we can use to our advantage. In the limit of time that we played I thought that the guys did a great job. The offensive line played well. That’s what I pulled from the game. How I did in the game, I thought I did OK. I threw the ball well. But other than that the six passes that we threw and all the runs, I made the right run checks. By no means was I perfect, but I thought it was a great first outing.”
On what does he want to build on or see improvement upon:
“You just have to play more. It’s hard to pull from 14 plays. “I need to work on this, this, and this.” I thought I did a good job of going through my reads. The receivers did a good job of getting their depth on their routes, making sure that they were in the right spots at the right time and did a good job of running after the catch. I thought everybody did really well. We threw in some screens in there and some short game, some play-action pass, all within those 14 plays, and for the most part it was all successful.”
On if he and wide receiver Pierre Garçon are forming chemistry:
“Yeah, we came in together. We are looking to grow together as a quarterback and receiver. Of course I am going to have chemistry with him, hopefully I can have that same type of chemistry with Santana [Moss], [Leonard] Hankerson, and the rest of those guys as well. It just so happens that he got targeted more times than everyone else. It’s not like we were calling designated plays for Pierre [Garçon]. We were just calling our base plays, going through the reads and it just so happen that his number popped up.”
On what impresses him most about wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“Just his tenacity after he gets the ball. I think everybody can see that in his enthusiasm when he jumped in the end zone. He is a talented guy, very strong. He is confident going across the middle because he knows that nobody can really punish him because of his body build and the amount of work that he puts in the weight room. He is definitely an explosive receiver. He’s got great hands, downfield speed, and he’s big and tough. I think he’s got the total package.”
On his comfort dropping back from under the center:
“It’s getting a lot easier for me. I think our quarterback coach Matt LaFleur has put it the best way today, I am getting more and more comfortable with everything each passing day, whether it’s from the shotgun or under center. Of course I feel more comfortable in shotgun because that is what I am used to. I think the drop back game from underneath the center is definitely something that I am getting better at. It’s not necessarily something that I am working to get better at, it’s just going to come as the days go on and the more I do it the better I will get at it. I felt comfortable in the game.”
On running back Evan Royster being pleasantly surprised after Robert Griffin III’s audible:
“We had a naked or a keeper on and they were bringing weak side pressure. So instead of keeping it to the weak side pressure I just audibled to a run play. Of course he is going to love it when I audible to calling his number. But it is something that you have to get used to. I didn’t really audible all that much in college. Most of our stuff was pre-snap. We had pre-snap audibles, but once we got into the play we were getting going because we were running 90 plays a game. Those were our audibles. It was good to get out there and do that.”
On tight end Chris Cooley saying Robert Griffin III doesn’t doubt himself:
“I don’t know how to answer that. It’s definitely been a good camp. You can be confident. You can never be overconfident. I think the experience in the Buffalo game kind of reassured myself and everybody else why they brought me here, reassured me that this is still football and still the game that we love and love to play. If you trust your preparation, not that you can’t be stopped, but if you trust your preparation you will feel confident when you go out on the field. We definitely felt confident out there.”
On the play against Buffalo when he went through all three reads:
“The thought never crossed my mind to run. I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up. At some point or another, one guy is going to be open. On a lot of plays, there is usually one guy that’s wide open and everyone else is blanketed. I went through the reads. The flat defender was outside of my first read and the corner was taking away the second read down the field so I came backside and we high-low’d the backside hook player. That all sounds real confusing...I threw the ball to Pierre.”
On what helps him be comfortable with the audibles:
“Just talking about it. It’s not that you walk through the line and see a defense and think 'I’ve got the perfect play for that defense.’ There are just certain calls that you need to have audibles with, and that’s the coaches - a testament to them. It’s not that I’m the smartest guy in the world, they’ve done a good job of throwing the whole offense at me. Now that we’re starting a game plan, they can kind of break it down and say 'If you get this specific look, you can audible to this play.’ That’s really helped me to learn the offense first and then come back with the audibles, instead of audibling to a play I’ve never run in my life and being confused out there. They’ve kept it really consistent with the way that they’ve introduced me to the offense and I feel really good about it.”
On adjusting to playing under center:
“I think it’s more with just the straight drop-back. The play- action - I think everyone has done a play-action from under center. It’s not the simplest thing but it’s definitely more comfortable for me to do play-action from under or from the shotgun. It’s just mostly the strip-lead, drop-back passing. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just something I haven’t done in a really long time. I did a little bit at Baylor and I did a lot in high school, so it’s just something you have to get used to. Getting your feet right, from doing a drop full-speed to not full speed is different than other full-speed. So I’ve got to make sure I keep my feet right and my technique sharp. That’s the one thing we’ve been working on. I think we’ve done a good job of it.”
On watching film from the Bills game:
“I think I’m my worst critic. In the game, in the 14 plays that we got, there wasn’t anything that stuck out, 'Hey, I could’ve done this differently or could’ve done that differently.’ In practice, there’s definitely moments like that where you say, 'Hey, maybe I should have made this throw instead of that throw.’ I think it happens more in practice than it does in the game - or did - in the Buffalo game. Hopefully it will be the same way in Chicago.”
On finishing the drive against Buffalo and then, being done for the night:
“You build momentum and then they’re like 'All right, you’re done.’ It was unfortunate but I understand that it’s preseason. They just wanted us to put a touchdown drive together. I’m not saying we would have kept going until we scored, but they wanted to see that. They wanted us to feel that momentum and feel how good we can be if we’re all clicking on all cylinders and we did that. I think everybody was satisfied. The joy that I saw in the team on the sideline after we scored that touchdown, after Pierre scored on that screen, was unbelievable. The defense was extremely excited, so that’s why I say I think it helped the team become more confident knowing that what they’re seeing in practice isn’t just a fluke. We can go out and be successful as an offense and that I can help lead this team.”
On if he’ll do a somersault when he scores:
“No, I’m not going to somersault.”
On the amount of attention he is receiving now:
“I love talking to you guys. It is great every single time. That is Coach Mike Shanahan’s decision, and he wants me to talk to you guys once a week so I am talking to you guys once a week. The biggest thing is that I am the quarterback, the face of the team and the face of the franchise. We all understand that. It is not that one guy is getting more attention than the other guy. We all know that if I am getting a lot of attention that means we are doing extremely good on the field. When people say to me, “Do I care about the fans?” or “Is it going to bother me if it continues to increase?” We want to play well. I want to play well so it’s going to increase and we are looking forward to that.”
On building chemistry and sharing the ball with his wide receiver group of Santana Moss, Pierre Garçon and Joshua Morgan:
“You try not to do those types of things because you don’t want to, pre-snap, say, “I am throwing it to Santana if I get in trouble.” It’s just something that comes about with the flow of the play. If the play breaks down, Santana just happens to have more experience in following the quarterback. It’s just certain things like that that can help you out and you can go to those guys in certain situations. They can tell you, “I might want to do this or I might want to do that.” I think we have all been growing together. There are certain things that I do that other quarterbacks don’t do and they are getting used to that. I am just getting used to just having them on the field and being able to play with some guys like Santana who might be a legend some day.”
On not being hit this preseason:
“I have been hit in practice, not that Coach Mike likes that, but I have been hit in practice a few times and gone down. I haven’t been hit since that Bowl game back at Baylor in the Alamo bowl. I haven’t been hit since then. Hopefully we can keep that trend going, I am fine with that. But if I have to get hit by the Bears then so be it.”
On comparing wide receiver Pierre Garçon to Tennessee Titans receiver Kendall Wright, Griffin’s former Baylor teammate:
“Kendall reminds me of Pierre or Pierre reminds me of Kendall, however you want to put that. Just their attitude, they are so competitive. Pierre doesn’t want to let anybody beat him in anything. Tic-Tac-Toe, Jacks, it doesn’t matter what it is, he wants to win, and Kendall is the same way. They are built a little bit differently. Both speed guys, quick twitch. I definitely feel that my relationship with Kendall and how we grew at Baylor is now helping me grow with Pierre here in Washington.”
On the adjustment from Waco, Texas to Washington, D.C.:
“It feels like I have been in a movie. I walk outside my house, one Saturday, and there are kids selling lemonade on the side of the street and that is funny to me because I have never experienced that. Next thing you know somebody knocks on the door and brings a “goodie” basket. So, those types of things have been great, but I haven’t experienced the city too much. I am not really a big city guy. I really don’t do too much. I can sit at home and have fun and be content for the rest of my life if I need too. Hopefully once D.C. starts 'poppin’ because this team is doing extremely well, we will all be able to enjoy.”
Redskins Park
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On his first NFL training camp:
“I thought it was a huge success. It’s my first camp. I got that out of the way. It is definitely different from our college training camp, but it is also worthwhile. You get to spend a lot of time with the guys, get to know each other and find out a lot about your team. I think 10 or 15 years from now I will still remember my first NFL training camp.”
On anything that jumped out to him on from watching film of the Buffalo game:
“Tempo is important. Our tempo was extremely good, even on the two drives we went three-and- out on. I think getting to the line and kind of pressing the defense to make sure that they’re ready at all times with whatever we’re going to bring. It is going to be something we can use to our advantage. In the limit of time that we played I thought that the guys did a great job. The offensive line played well. That’s what I pulled from the game. How I did in the game, I thought I did OK. I threw the ball well. But other than that the six passes that we threw and all the runs, I made the right run checks. By no means was I perfect, but I thought it was a great first outing.”
On what does he want to build on or see improvement upon:
“You just have to play more. It’s hard to pull from 14 plays. “I need to work on this, this, and this.” I thought I did a good job of going through my reads. The receivers did a good job of getting their depth on their routes, making sure that they were in the right spots at the right time and did a good job of running after the catch. I thought everybody did really well. We threw in some screens in there and some short game, some play-action pass, all within those 14 plays, and for the most part it was all successful.”
On if he and wide receiver Pierre Garçon are forming chemistry:
“Yeah, we came in together. We are looking to grow together as a quarterback and receiver. Of course I am going to have chemistry with him, hopefully I can have that same type of chemistry with Santana [Moss], [Leonard] Hankerson, and the rest of those guys as well. It just so happens that he got targeted more times than everyone else. It’s not like we were calling designated plays for Pierre [Garçon]. We were just calling our base plays, going through the reads and it just so happen that his number popped up.”
On what impresses him most about wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“Just his tenacity after he gets the ball. I think everybody can see that in his enthusiasm when he jumped in the end zone. He is a talented guy, very strong. He is confident going across the middle because he knows that nobody can really punish him because of his body build and the amount of work that he puts in the weight room. He is definitely an explosive receiver. He’s got great hands, downfield speed, and he’s big and tough. I think he’s got the total package.”
On his comfort dropping back from under the center:
“It’s getting a lot easier for me. I think our quarterback coach Matt LaFleur has put it the best way today, I am getting more and more comfortable with everything each passing day, whether it’s from the shotgun or under center. Of course I feel more comfortable in shotgun because that is what I am used to. I think the drop back game from underneath the center is definitely something that I am getting better at. It’s not necessarily something that I am working to get better at, it’s just going to come as the days go on and the more I do it the better I will get at it. I felt comfortable in the game.”
On running back Evan Royster being pleasantly surprised after Robert Griffin III’s audible:
“We had a naked or a keeper on and they were bringing weak side pressure. So instead of keeping it to the weak side pressure I just audibled to a run play. Of course he is going to love it when I audible to calling his number. But it is something that you have to get used to. I didn’t really audible all that much in college. Most of our stuff was pre-snap. We had pre-snap audibles, but once we got into the play we were getting going because we were running 90 plays a game. Those were our audibles. It was good to get out there and do that.”
On tight end Chris Cooley saying Robert Griffin III doesn’t doubt himself:
“I don’t know how to answer that. It’s definitely been a good camp. You can be confident. You can never be overconfident. I think the experience in the Buffalo game kind of reassured myself and everybody else why they brought me here, reassured me that this is still football and still the game that we love and love to play. If you trust your preparation, not that you can’t be stopped, but if you trust your preparation you will feel confident when you go out on the field. We definitely felt confident out there.”
On the play against Buffalo when he went through all three reads:
“The thought never crossed my mind to run. I went through my first three reads really confidently, knowing the protection was going to hold up. At some point or another, one guy is going to be open. On a lot of plays, there is usually one guy that’s wide open and everyone else is blanketed. I went through the reads. The flat defender was outside of my first read and the corner was taking away the second read down the field so I came backside and we high-low’d the backside hook player. That all sounds real confusing...I threw the ball to Pierre.”
On what helps him be comfortable with the audibles:
“Just talking about it. It’s not that you walk through the line and see a defense and think 'I’ve got the perfect play for that defense.’ There are just certain calls that you need to have audibles with, and that’s the coaches - a testament to them. It’s not that I’m the smartest guy in the world, they’ve done a good job of throwing the whole offense at me. Now that we’re starting a game plan, they can kind of break it down and say 'If you get this specific look, you can audible to this play.’ That’s really helped me to learn the offense first and then come back with the audibles, instead of audibling to a play I’ve never run in my life and being confused out there. They’ve kept it really consistent with the way that they’ve introduced me to the offense and I feel really good about it.”
On adjusting to playing under center:
“I think it’s more with just the straight drop-back. The play- action - I think everyone has done a play-action from under center. It’s not the simplest thing but it’s definitely more comfortable for me to do play-action from under or from the shotgun. It’s just mostly the strip-lead, drop-back passing. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just something I haven’t done in a really long time. I did a little bit at Baylor and I did a lot in high school, so it’s just something you have to get used to. Getting your feet right, from doing a drop full-speed to not full speed is different than other full-speed. So I’ve got to make sure I keep my feet right and my technique sharp. That’s the one thing we’ve been working on. I think we’ve done a good job of it.”
On watching film from the Bills game:
“I think I’m my worst critic. In the game, in the 14 plays that we got, there wasn’t anything that stuck out, 'Hey, I could’ve done this differently or could’ve done that differently.’ In practice, there’s definitely moments like that where you say, 'Hey, maybe I should have made this throw instead of that throw.’ I think it happens more in practice than it does in the game - or did - in the Buffalo game. Hopefully it will be the same way in Chicago.”
On finishing the drive against Buffalo and then, being done for the night:
“You build momentum and then they’re like 'All right, you’re done.’ It was unfortunate but I understand that it’s preseason. They just wanted us to put a touchdown drive together. I’m not saying we would have kept going until we scored, but they wanted to see that. They wanted us to feel that momentum and feel how good we can be if we’re all clicking on all cylinders and we did that. I think everybody was satisfied. The joy that I saw in the team on the sideline after we scored that touchdown, after Pierre scored on that screen, was unbelievable. The defense was extremely excited, so that’s why I say I think it helped the team become more confident knowing that what they’re seeing in practice isn’t just a fluke. We can go out and be successful as an offense and that I can help lead this team.”
On if he’ll do a somersault when he scores:
“No, I’m not going to somersault.”
On the amount of attention he is receiving now:
“I love talking to you guys. It is great every single time. That is Coach Mike Shanahan’s decision, and he wants me to talk to you guys once a week so I am talking to you guys once a week. The biggest thing is that I am the quarterback, the face of the team and the face of the franchise. We all understand that. It is not that one guy is getting more attention than the other guy. We all know that if I am getting a lot of attention that means we are doing extremely good on the field. When people say to me, “Do I care about the fans?” or “Is it going to bother me if it continues to increase?” We want to play well. I want to play well so it’s going to increase and we are looking forward to that.”
On building chemistry and sharing the ball with his wide receiver group of Santana Moss, Pierre Garçon and Joshua Morgan:
“You try not to do those types of things because you don’t want to, pre-snap, say, “I am throwing it to Santana if I get in trouble.” It’s just something that comes about with the flow of the play. If the play breaks down, Santana just happens to have more experience in following the quarterback. It’s just certain things like that that can help you out and you can go to those guys in certain situations. They can tell you, “I might want to do this or I might want to do that.” I think we have all been growing together. There are certain things that I do that other quarterbacks don’t do and they are getting used to that. I am just getting used to just having them on the field and being able to play with some guys like Santana who might be a legend some day.”
On not being hit this preseason:
“I have been hit in practice, not that Coach Mike likes that, but I have been hit in practice a few times and gone down. I haven’t been hit since that Bowl game back at Baylor in the Alamo bowl. I haven’t been hit since then. Hopefully we can keep that trend going, I am fine with that. But if I have to get hit by the Bears then so be it.”
On comparing wide receiver Pierre Garçon to Tennessee Titans receiver Kendall Wright, Griffin’s former Baylor teammate:
“Kendall reminds me of Pierre or Pierre reminds me of Kendall, however you want to put that. Just their attitude, they are so competitive. Pierre doesn’t want to let anybody beat him in anything. Tic-Tac-Toe, Jacks, it doesn’t matter what it is, he wants to win, and Kendall is the same way. They are built a little bit differently. Both speed guys, quick twitch. I definitely feel that my relationship with Kendall and how we grew at Baylor is now helping me grow with Pierre here in Washington.”
On the adjustment from Waco, Texas to Washington, D.C.:
“It feels like I have been in a movie. I walk outside my house, one Saturday, and there are kids selling lemonade on the side of the street and that is funny to me because I have never experienced that. Next thing you know somebody knocks on the door and brings a “goodie” basket. So, those types of things have been great, but I haven’t experienced the city too much. I am not really a big city guy. I really don’t do too much. I can sit at home and have fun and be content for the rest of my life if I need too. Hopefully once D.C. starts 'poppin’ because this team is doing extremely well, we will all be able to enjoy.”