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Why Keep Him In?

KDawg

The 1st Round Pick
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Those of you that were in chat with me yesterday know that the moment Griffin started hobbling, I was all aboard the "get Kirk in" bandwagon.

We went up 14-0 and were rolling, but Griffin came up limping. The time to pull him would have been right there. At the very least for a series to see if Cousins could widen the lead. Mike Shanahan said that Griffin told him he was alright, so he let him play. The other players said that Griffin deserved the opportunity. But what people don't seem to be understanding is that it's not about Griffin, it's about an injury.

Further playing him risked him for the next week, should we have gotten there. And it also made our multi-dimensional offense, with our multi-dimensional QB, zero dimensional.

They could have easily made the analogy of: "We had our starter in there that did the bulk of the work, now it's time to put Kirk in to be our closing pitcher and record the save."

There is NO question, whatsoever, that RG3 is the best quarterback on our roster. He's our leader, he's a competitor and he's the heartbeat of our franchise. The problem is, the RG3 we saw after the first quarter yesterday wasn't RG3. He was operating at less than 50%. It was obvious that he couldn't plant his leg to throw. It was obvious that he couldn't run. Seattle didn't have to worry about the read option anymore, so they sold out. They didn't even have to worry too much about coverage, as Griffin just couldn't deliver the ball.

Shanahan would have faced scrutiny either way, and I'll be the first to tell you that Mike knows much more about football and managing athletes than I do. That said, you'd have to be blind to think that Griffin was okay. He wasn't. And that guy is NEVER going to tell you that he wants to come out. He's a leader of men and a competitor. It's a big boy decision to make, but it's one that needed to be made.

Kirk Cousins came in and delivered two excellent throws until Seattle sold out on the blitz and left him picking himself off the ground down by a wide margin with very little time to play and with no threat of a running game. Dollars to donuts say we would have put at least a few more points on the board with Cousins in the game.

Again, I'm not telling you that Cousins is better than Griffin. He isn't. Cousins is better than Griffin operating at under 50%, however. Playaction was ineffective because Griffin couldn't boot or throw. Read option was ineffective because Griffin couldn't run. Drop back passing was ineffective because he couldn't plant. And thus, our running game was ineffective because our quarterback couldn't do anything. He'll never admit he was hurt, that's his mold. That's who he is. He's a total monster and a guy that I'm SO glad is wearing our colors.

I'm not sure anyone could argue that Cousins would at the very least offer us a live arm and two healthy legs. Which would give us some threat of playaction back, and would allow our stretch run game to get moving again.

That's why the decision wasn't his to make. It was our coaches. And in my opinion, they flubbed it.
 
If Cousins could have gotten us one or two long drives and seven more points, we win that game. He didn't need to be a world-beater. Our defense was getting the job done.

I agree that Griffin should have been pulled earlier, but at least when it was 14-13 at the start of the fourth quarter, you gotta take Griffin out. By then it was obvious to everyone he was completely ineffective because he couldn't throw the ball, and running was long gone. It was obvious that injury was aggravated and more than Griffin could handle.

I can handle the loss. I just hope no major permanent damage has been done to that knee. I will completely lose my mind if we gave up three firsts and a second for one half-decent season because our head coach refused to see what was obvious to the rest of the world.
 
Cousins is better than Griffin operating at under 50%, however.
Grossman is better than the Robert Griffin we saw after he hurt himself just before the second TD pass. Faster too.

That's why the decision wasn't his to make. It was our coaches. And in my opinion, they flubbed it.
Bingo! The head coach, failed to be the head coach.
 
I can handle the loss. I just hope no major permanent damage has been done to that knee. I will completely lose my mind if we gave up three firsts and a second for one half-decent season because our head coach refused to see what was obvious to the rest of the world.

I don't think the damage will be permanent. Griffin is a world class athlete who will be operated on, if necessary, by a world class surgeon. Which is part of the reason I think the 'Skins haven't cut ties with Dr. James Andrews yet. They want Griff in his hands. Smart decision.

But Shanahan was critical of Griffin's "put it all on the line" playing style earlier in the year. He didn't want him playing with reckless abandon. Yet, when it came down to it, Shanahan has played Griffin with complete reckless abandon. Poor decision.
 
Shanahan was hired to show judgment in rebuilding the franchise.

You have to take what a 22 year old rookie says with some filter.
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It almost seems to me like Shanahan's man crush came into play. Hell, I understand why he has one, I have one on RG3! But as a head coach, your man crushes have to come second to your team.
 
It almost seems to me like Shanahan's man crush came into play. Hell, I understand why he has one, I have one on RG3! But as a head coach, your man crushes have to come second to your team.

He was like an alcoholic at a bar. Knowing he has only two years left on his contract, he made a very selfish choice that could impact us for years to come.

I don't know how you can trust him going forward.
 
Here's another little tidbit that I just looked through:

First drive: 9 plays, touchdown. (Griff: 3/4 43 yards, TD)
Second drive: 12 plays, touchdown. (Griff: 3/6 25 yards, TD)
Third drive (Griffin injured): 4 plays, punt. (Griff: 0/1)
Fourth drive: 2 plays, interception. (Griff: 0/1 INT)
Fifth drive (3rd quarter): 8 plays, punt (Griff: 3/4 8 yards)
Sixth drive: 3 plays, punt. (Griff: 1/2 8 yards)
Seventh drive (4th quarter): 5 plays, punt. (Griff: 0/2, 0 yards, 1 carry 9 yards)
Eight drive: 2 plays, lost fumble. (sack, fumble)
Ninth drive (Cousins): 7 plays, turnover on downs. (Cousins: 2/7 27 yards)

Before Injury:
6/10 68 yards 2 TD

After Injury:
4/10 16 yards 1 INT


Cousins had more passing yards in his short time in than Griffin had the entire second half. How can anyone argue Griffin was capable of playing?
 
We not could have, but do win this game if KC1 is put in after the 1st quarter. Seattle will get demolished by Atlanta.

Nick
 
The other thing to note is that if he stays in and wins it, he's a hero playing through pain. I think a lot of this is hindsight, and Shanahan had a very tough decision to make. He may have made the wrong one, but you never know.
 
Lanky, I don't know anything about football. I just watch and cheer.

So when I can see something plain as day and our coach doesn't see it and I turn out to be correct I tend to get pretty furious about it.

I didn't need hindsight to know Griffin couldn't play at all by the fourth quarter. I knew it at the time. It was obvious and painful to watch. The guy being paid millions of dollars to know it should have as well.
 
Lanky, I don't know anything about football. I just watch and cheer.

So when I can see something plain as day and our coach doesn't see it and I turn out to be correct I tend to get pretty furious about it.

I didn't need hindsight to know Griffin couldn't play at all by the fourth quarter. I knew it at the time. It was obvious and painful to watch. The guy being paid millions of dollars to know it should have as well.

I mean, Byron Leftwich had to be carried down the field by OLineman in the broken-leg game. He won, so nobody criticized his coach. Things didn't work out so well for Griffin...it sucks, but it is what it is.
 
Yeah, McNabb once played on a broken leg and threw four TDs. It was truly inspiring.

All I can say is that if, after two quarters, Shanahan hadn't seen enough to know Griffin wasn't going to be throwing even one TD, he wasn't watching the same game you and I were watching.
 
The other thing to note is that if he stays in and wins it, he's a hero playing through pain. I think a lot of this is hindsight, and Shanahan had a very tough decision to make. He may have made the wrong one, but you never know.

It's not hindsight when you say in the chat that he should have been pulled for Cousins immediately after we went up 14-0. :)
 

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