Washington Redskins: RG3 and Gruden must coexist

By Andrew Long | Jun 9, 2015

The Washington Redskins and their fan base are hungry for victories, but the amount of success that the team is capable of having is contingent on how Robert Griffin III plays in his fourth season with the team. By now, his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2012 seems like ancient history, and he’ll undoubtedly have to prove his worth to his coaches and new general manager if he does indeed want to be the face of the franchise for years to come.

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The fact that GM Scot McCloughan opted to pick up the fifth-year option on RG3‘s contract in April is a good sign, as it bodes well for the confidence of the young signal caller. When you’re an NFL quarterback, confidence runs hand in hand with success, especially in the case of Griffin.

While this is just my opinion, I believe that Griffin is the type of player that feeds off of confidence and the atmosphere that he’s playing in. That being said, the 2014 season was a tumultuous one for RG3, as his coaches and the media constantly picked apart his play and verbiage in post-game interviews.

It’s understandable that the media was picking him apart, but the fact that his coach, Jay Gruden, was doing it on such a public stage, in my opinion, is unacceptable. It basically tells Griffin that his coach doesn’t have confidence in him and his ability, and in no way is that a good thing.

When a relationship between a coach and quarterback goes sour, it has a trickle down effect on the rest of the roster. I say this because if Gruden doesn’t believe in Griffin, or if Griffin doesn’t think that he does, it’s nearly impossible for him to succeed, as he’ll likely always be worried about the unnecessary headlines that his head coach might create.

Outside of the drama filled aspect of their relationship, Griffin also has to worry about whether or not his coach is putting him in the best position to succeed on the field. And, like many others, I’m well aware of Griffin’s woes as a pocket passer. He struggled mightily in his first season under the tutelage of Gruden.

Whether or not RG3 is capable of transitioning into a full time pocket passer is up for debate, but I believe that Gruden and company would be foolish to try and take away the running aspect of Griffin’s game. I know that it can potentially lead to more injuries, however, forcing a defense to account for his running ability will help his transition, as it will open up coverages and keep opposing defenders on their toes.

If Gruden and RG3 can coexist on and off the field, the sky’s the limit for what the Washington Redskins can accomplish moving forward. Griffin will have to better his passing technique and overall production, but I believe that he’ll have a better opportunity to do that with a supportive head coach, as opposed to one that’s taking shots at him during post-game interviews and press conferences.

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