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Breakdown of when Griffin gets hit

tshile

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Edit: These are from the Bengals game only.

There's been lots of talk about when/how Griffin is getting hit. Some people use it as a reason why we shouldn't run the option, others are blaming the O line in general, and some are pointing to the rookie QB holding on to the ball too long.

So I decided to go over the game play by play and tally things up.

Here are the numbers I came up with.

I'm not counting sacks. Those are obviously hits. I define hit as: the opposing team's player touching Griffin and Griffin going to the ground.

(note: in reality that's a pretty weak definition of 'hit' and some of these are weak, but trying to rule out 'weak' hits is very subjective)

Hits while passing (not sacked): 8
Hits while scrambling (call was a designed pass, turned into a run) - this includes if Griffin was hit late/out of bounds: 2
Hits while running the option (with out the ball): 1
Hits while running the option/draw (with the ball): 4

Number of runs where Griffin was hit late out of bounds (the Newman play): 1

And, a completely subjective thing I kept track of - Number of times Griffin was hit because he held on to the ball too long (ie: should have found a WR or threw it away before he was hit): 2


Watching the game a second time, it's my opinion that our biggest issue is blocking pass protection, not running the option/draws. He was hit a combined 16 times on passing plays (scrambles + sacks + hits while passing that weren't sacks).

Compared to 5 times while running the option/draw.


Edit: I did not include the play where Griffin runs around the left, dives out of bounds while trying to stretch over the goal line for the TD. You know, the one where he laid on the ground for a few making it look like he was hurt? When you look over the film he was barely touched, and clearly dove on purpose trying to get the TD. The combination of him purposefully diving while barely being touched, to me, means he wasn't 'hit'. I'm not suggesting he wasn't hurt, he may very well have been hurt. Just that, if he was hurt it was because he decided to dive not because a Bengal player hit him hard.
 
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I applaud your effort to put this together, we know you enjoy the numbers. But the hardest hit Griff took all day was when he was running the option. It was a clean shot by a defensive lineman, with that DL landing on top of him after the hit. That is the kind of hit that can end careers. Yes Griff got up from it and continued, but you've watched the game a couple times now...he looked a little slow getting up after that one if memory serves.

Edit: I meant to say that isn't reflected in the numbers.
 
Elephant said:
I applaud your effort to put this together, we know you enjoy the numbers. But the hardest hit Griff took all day was when he was running the option. It was a clean shot by a defensive lineman, with that DL landing on top of him after the hit. That is the kind of hit that can end careers. Yes Griff got up from it and continued, but you've watched the game a couple times now...he looked a little slow getting up after that one if memory serves.

Edit: I meant to say that isn't reflected in the numbers.
Click to expand...

Oh certainly, all hits are not created equal and he certainly took some crazy rough hits. That said, some of those hits aren't nearly as rough as they first appear - sometimes he slides underneath and the two defenders hit each other. If i had my way we'd do tons of the later, maybe other teams will knock each other out of the game :)

You're absolutely spot on though. Numbers never tell the whole story, and sometimes they can be incredibly misleading. I was trying to be as objective as possible, so things like 'how hard' a hit is is not something I can measure :(

Edit: there were also hits where the hit wasn't hard, but the way Griffin's body was twisted and turn (specifically the way his knee area was twisted, turned, and folded up on itself) was pretty rough. it doesn't have to be a hard hit, it just has to twist him the wrong way and he'll be out for the year. he lost a year at baylor do a hit that cause his knee to go out (though to be fair I think it was a hard hit too? can't remember)
 
I realize you were counting some of the hits as weaker, less impact. We are just lucky the single hit he took on the one play I mentioned was that he got hit straight on and the defender landed on him flatly. As they landed if Griff was turned had an arm under his body...season over.
 
speaking as a former Dlineman and QB, as a DE I absolutely loved when teams ran the option, my responsability was pitchman, which meant I would just tee off and literally explode into the QN whether he picthed the ball or not. its a free hit on a guy that you can remove form the game and ruin a teams entire gamepan without being dirty. and given that good teams place an emphasis on protecting the QN getting a free run at a guy is rare unless a team runs a lot of option or bootlegs. so you make sure you take your best shots when you get them. as a DT, when you get to hit a QB its usually because someone else contained the edge and you are pursuing, so you maximise every hit you get, you make sure that they take your full weight when you drive them into the ground. You do NOT want your QB taking too many of those hits as those are the rib breaker /shoulder ruiner hits.

as a former QB, you cant sit in the pocket if there isnt one, you have your internal clock set and if you bail early you are giving a DE a better shot at getting to you, but on the same hand you are avoiding the interior rush, the only play you cant really protect yourself on is the option because the best options rely on solid ball fakes which means taking a hit after you pitch.

we should not be ruining Rg3's internal clock, nor should we be exposing him to hits he doesnt need to take.
 
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