RG3 Makes a Good, Albeit Short, Debut

All eyes were on Robert Griffin III Thursday night, as he took the field in Buffalo for his first professional game.  Granted it was an abbreviated, preseason appearance, but it was our first glimpse of the new franchise quarterback in a game situation.  RG3 did not disappoint.

After a slow start, Griffin led the team down the field and threw for the game’s only touchdown, a 20-yd pass to Pierre Garcon.  Griffin went 4-6 in the game with 70 yards and the one touchdown.  He made good reads, spread the ball around, and managed to get rid of it quickly.  He was not sacked at all a major victory for a banged up offensive line, but also a sign of Griffin’s quick decision making.

Another sign of Griffin’s confidence at the NFL level was his ability to audible at the line.  He seemed very comfortable as field general and the offense clearly responded to him.

There were a few glitches in his play as well, as should be expected with a rookie.  It took a few drives before the offense was able to get into any sort of rhythm and a muffed handoff between Griffin and running back Evan Royster resulted in a lost fumble.  Mike Shanahan was also pretty conservative with his play-calling, clearly trying to keep the young QB in his comfort zone.  For the first preseason game, this is to be expected.  Shanahan will no doubt open up the playbook slightly as the preseason continues, but for the most part we will have to wait until September 9 to see what Griffin can really do.

Still, for his first preseason game it was mission accomplished.  He looked comfortable running an NFL offense and reading an NFL defense.  Based on the very small sample size, Griffin so far looks as good as advertised.

A few other notes from Thursday’s game and training camp:

-Pierre Garcon looked versatile and in-sync with RG3.  If he is able to establish himself as a number one receiver, the Redskins will have a very versatile receiving core.  Josh Morgan looked very good as well.  If they both continue to play well then Santana Moss can move to slot receiver, a position better suited for the veteran.

-When healthy, the Redskins appear to have four dependable running backs.  Alfred Morris looked impressive with his 54 yards against Buffalo.  He keeps his feet moving and always falls forward.  While I believe Tim Hightower is the clear starter, I would not be surprised to see Royster, Morris, and Roy Helu Jr all have significant playing time this season.  Spreading the ball around these four could take some of the pressure off the injury-prone Hightower (and Helu).

-RG3 was not sacked once, despite the absence of Kory Lichtensteiger, Jammal Brown, and Chris Chester.  This was partly due to Griffin’s quick decision making, but the line played well.  The o-line was one of the major question marks for the Redskins this season.  If they continue to play well and Griffin can keep making quick decisions, it may not be as big a concern as many had thought.

-Anthony Armstrong and Brandon Banks may be facing an uphill battle to make this roster.  Armstrong did not play in Thursday’s game due to a shoulder injury and still did not practice on Monday.  Banks was targeted a team-high nine times but caught only two passes for seven yards.  At 5’7”, Banks just does not seem to have the height to compete for jump balls.  His speed will only get him so far.  This team has an abundance of wide receivers and these two fan-favorites may find themselves cut if they cannot establish themselves in the preseason.

-Bryan Kehl led the team with six tackles, and looked like a dominant defensive force.

-The battle for the kicking job still appears pretty even.  Neither Graham Gano nor Neil Rackers was given a chance at a field goal in Thursday’s game.