Robert Griffin III versus the St. Louis Rams
By Chris West
Nov 25, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) rolls out against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Griffin III Versus St. Louis Rams 2012-Review
For the game, Griffin earned 33 points on 34 called pass plays for a 0.97 rating. His 12 points on 6 designed run plays scored an excellent 2.00 rating over the entire game. The game plan was still basic for Griffin in his second game but his athleticism and play-making ability came shining though.
8 of 34 called pass plays involved play action run fakes and only 4 of 24 designed run plays used the read option. These were both significant drops in usage than in the first game versus New Orleans when 16 of 30 pass plays used play action and 11 of 37 run plays used the read option attack.
Griffin played better versus the Rams than…the Saints
Griffin had three pass plays on which he ran past the line of scrimmage on a scramble to avoid pressure to give him nine total run plays. Kyle Shanahan still used the screen pass five times versus the Rams but surprisingly, did not roll Griffin out of the pocket as he did five times versus the Saints. Shanahan did throw in a new wrinkle, running the normal option twice in the third quarter with Griffin pitching the ball to Morris both times.
Overall, Griffin played better versus the Rams than he did against the Saints. Shanahan gave him more responsibility and he thrived with it. The only sack he took was when All-Pro left tackle, Trent Williams, was beaten off the snap by defensive end, Robert Quinn.
Griffin’s footwork was good
Griffin’s footwork was good although he had to throw off balance a few times when under pressure. As a quarterback with the ability to escape the pocket and make a play at any time, Griffin’s footwork will not be the same as a more stationary player such as Tom Brady who slides side to side and up in the pocket to draw time to throw while always resetting his feet with an intention to release the ball quickly. Griffin rather will set up ready to escape the pocket quickly if needed.
Griffin looked very quick and elusive on his two touchdown runs. He threw a beautiful deep ball on his touchdown pass and could have had another but it was dropped by Robinson. Next, we will review Griffin’s performance in week three versus the Cincinnati Bengals in front of his home fans.