EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The thing they needed most was energetic play from the quarterback, a guy in rhythm who can make plays. For a while the Washington Redskins had that Sunday. They had Robert Griffin III running around, getting protection in the pocket, making plays.
What Griffin needed, though, was to play that way the whole game and have it lead to a win. Instead, his first extended playing time in three weeks came with mixed reviews after Sunday's 24-13 loss to the New York Giants: reminders of what he can be and a reality check on where he's at in his development.
Yes, as always with the Redskins this is where it gets interesting. Because coach Jay Gruden spent more than a week discussing Griffin's benching late last month with owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen. There wasn't a great deal of confidence in Griffin that he could execute what the team needed to run.
With the Redskins and Griffin (18-for-27, 236 yards, one touchdown), it's never about one game. There's always more to the story, it seems. There's the dynamic between the coach and the player and the coach and the owner. There's the confidence by others in the locker room. Again: Forget what they think of him personally, every player likes a teammate who helps them win.
Now, if Griffin starts and plays well the next two games -- we don't yet know who will start after Colt McCoy reinjured his neck -- then what does that say about Gruden? Would he have whiffed on his opinion of Griffin? It's hard to imagine Snyder being happy if that's the case, considering the public spectacle this has become. And considering the ramifications of his opinion.
It's not as if Gruden is alone in his sentiment or belief that, at the least, it would take Griffin a long time to reach the point where the Redskins feel he needs to be in order to consistently play well. This isn't just about one person losing confidence in Griffin's future.
Still, they've invested a lot in him and, on Sunday, it's not as if he was bad. At times he was good. At times he looked like a guy with a lot to learn, missing the sort of plays that got him benched.
Griffin made positive plays with his arm and his legs. He threw in rhythm at times, had nice passes on the move on bootlegs. Griffin used his running backs well, checking down or finding them against blitzes for big gains.
It also should be noted, in the first half at least, that Griffin received more time in the pocket than normal, allowing him to comfortably work through progressions. He also scrambled around right end for 23 yards in the second half. Of course, he gambled on a run at the end of the first half that everyone initially thought was an 8-yard touchdown run. Instead, after a review, it ended up being a fumble and a touchback. The Redskins needed points in that situation; they got none.
The problem for Griffin and the Redskins remains life in the pocket. Yes, the protection can be and must be better. However, Griffin also missed open targets on plays where the pocket was getting tight. He must learn to operate more efficiently in this area, which is why he was benched in the first place. It's a fine line with Griffin because you'd like to see more movement plays in the red zone. The Redskins, though, want to see him do better in the pocket.
“It's a challenge because eventually they're going to stop those movement plays and they did,” Gruden said.
“Eventually we are going to have to drop back and throw. We've got to do a much better job converting some of these third-down dropbacks unless we try to bootleg on third down and 6.”
The one thing Gruden had said he wanted to see from Griffin was more confidence. Griffin showed that Sunday. He did not look like a lost quarterback. He didn't look like a finished product, either. Considering he was benched three weeks ago, that's the last thing anyone expected.
Gruden wasn't exactly upbeat after the game. He strained to praise aspects of Griffin's game, but this is also a coach who has lost six straight and whose single biggest decision -- the quarterback -- hasn't exactly helped his standing. It's hard to imagine his opinion of Griffin has changed, based just on a good half followed by a questionable one. Which means the next two weeks will be interesting.
It's a crucial time for the coach and the quarterback and the franchise.
“I've been able to get back to having fun and playing the game the way I know how,” Griffin said. “You have to be yourself.”
This, indeed, is who Griffin is: young quarterback who can still do some things well but who remains at the crossroads of a career. Gruden is at the same point.
