Monday Morning Redskins Pundit Report; Week 7
The Washington Redskins dropped a heart breaker yesterday to the New York Giants, 26-23. Madieu Williams bit on a short route and allowed a bomb pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz to respond to an RGIII led touchdown that gave the Redskins a 23-20 late fourth quarter lead. So what did the media pundits have to say about the Redskins the morning after. Find out here.
CBS Sports, Clark Judge, Judements
Washington's Robert Griffin III may indeed be the "Black Jesus," as teammate Fred Davis said, but even he can't save a franchise that hasn't done much in years. But that has nothing to do with RG3, who is the most electrifying rookie we've seen in a long time, and it has everything to do with turnovers. The Redskins had four in the second half Sunday. They had five in their first six games. Check, please.
Judge did not like ...
That means the Redskins just subtracted their leading receiver, and that's a blow. With RG3 lighting up opponents, Washington looked like a darkhorse waiting to happen in the NFC East.
Response: We agree Clark. Any fan that doubts Robert Griffin II is either unknowledable to in denial. Many will argue he is the best quarterback in the NFL right now, even as a rookie. Hwoever, even with RGIII playing the way he is, electrifying, and many drives, unstoppable, RGIII does not play cornerback or safety. Yes, turnovers killed the Redskins. Teams generally do not win turning the ball over five times. However, the secondary coverage is going to be a weekly problem, has been a weekly
problem, and will be a weekly problem until next off-season. As for the loss of Fred Davis, yes it is huge. However, when you have a QB like RGIII, who already spreads the ball around to a sub-par receiving corp, he will find targets. Logan Paulsen is a solid target. He doesn't drop the football and he gets open. I hope the Redskins plan to use Chris Cooley as a backup to Paulsen, because Paulsen deserves the shot.
ESPN, John Clayton, The Last Call
Cam Newton was the first pick of a Carolina Panthers team that was 2-14 in 2010. Andrew Luck went to an Indianapolis Colts team that was 2-14 in 2011. What's becoming clear is that Robert Griffin III, the second pick in this year's draft, may be the first of the three quarterbacks to think playoffs. Even though the Washington Redskins lost to the New York Giants 27-23, RG3 proved he can stay with Eli Manning pass for pass and quarter for quarter. This isn't to minimize Luck. He's doing what I thought he would do -- outduel young quarterbacks at home. He rushed for two touchdowns in a 17-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns and Brandon Weeden.
When I previewed the season, I thought Luck would win five games at home because the Colts hosted five rookie or second-year quarterbacks. Though he lost to Gabbert and the Jaguars in Week 3, he made up for that loss with an upset win over the Green Bay Packers. He has a great chance to beat Ryan Tannehill and Jake Locker to get to five.
But winning on the road is tough, and that's where RG3 shines. He has won in Tampa Bay and New Orleans and did enough to beat the Giants on the road. His 77-yard drive for a touchdown in the final three minutes that put the Redskins ahead 23-20 was amazing. His ability to scramble allowed him to escape pressure and complete a fourth-and-10 pass to tight end Logan Paulsen. Griffin then scrambled for 24 yards, which set up his 30-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. Manning's heroics -- he hit Victor Cruz on a 77-yard TD pass with 1:13 remaining -- was the only reason Griffin III came up short of victory.
RG3 is as positive as sunshine. Although he's a rookie by definition, he's looking like a seasoned vet.
Response: Comparing RGIII to Michael Vick or Cam Newton is just plain wrong. He is faster, has a stronger arm, makes better decisions, and has high moral character. These comparisons have more to do with race than they do invididual abilites.
NFL.com, Marc Sessler, Around the League
Mike Shanahan's handling of his Washington Redskins backfield generated tears for fantasy enthusiasts and middling results in recent years. Then Alfred Morris marched into the picture. The sixth-round draft pick pumped out another solid performance in Sunday's tight loss to the New York Giants. Morris' 30-yard burst against Big Blue was the longest run of his 120-yard day and showed why he's a nice fit alongside fellow rookie Robert Griffin III in D.C.
CNNSI, Don Banks, Snap Judgements
Imagine how good Robert Griffin III might be when he gets a top-notch receiver or two to throw to. Griffin was already getting it done in Washington without much help from his pass catchers, and now tight end Fred Davis, the team's leading receiver, goes down with a reported season-ending Achilles tear. No wonder Washington loves to run the ball, as it did with great success again in its narrow loss at the Giants. The Redskins had a gaudy 248 yards on 38 rushes, good for a 6.5 yard average, with rookie Alfred Morris leading the way with a career-best 120 yards on 22 attempts (his third 100-yard game in the past four weeks). Washington has a league-high 13 straight games with at least 100 yards rushing as a team.
Santana Moss wasn't supposed to be the main guy in Washington, just a third-receiver type. But with Pierre Garcon still out with that puzzling toe issue, Moss and Griffin made the most of their opportunities against the Giants, hooking up twice for touchdowns, including a go-ahead 30-yard scoring pass with 1:30 remaining. Moss (three catches for 67 yards, two touchdowns) later fumbled to snuff out the Redskins' final shot at pulling the upset.
Even with the loss, Griffin makes Washington (3-4) a much tougher out and more exciting than any Redskins team in recent memory. Three times in the game Griffin led drives that allowed them to re-take the lead from New York, and were it not for more Manning fourth-quarter heroics, Washington's late RGIII-led comeback would have been one of the biggest stories of Week 7.
