In a rookie season full of special moments, Robert Griffin
III added yet another one on the biggest stage yet. On Thanksgiving Day in Dallas, Griffin carved
apart the Cowboys’ secondary like he was carving up a Thanksgiving turkey.
It was a nationally televised game in “Jerry world” out of
Griffin’s home state of Texas. He was
thrust into one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL and he played like he
belonged. He went 20 of 28 for 311 yard
and 4 touchdowns in perhaps his most impressive NFL performance yet.
The Redskins jumped to a 28-3 lead at halftime, dominating
the Cowboys in just about every aspect of the game. The Cowboys made a run in the second half and
Griffin stepped up again.
Up 35-28 in the fourth, the Redskins were in desperate need
of a long drive. The Cowboys had managed
to cut the deficit to one possession and all the momentum was on their
side. Griffin delivered clutch pass
after clutch pass, leading the Redskins down the field for a Kai Forbath field
goal that put the Redskins up by ten.
The numbers are not what made Griffin’s performance impressive,
it was how he got them. He showed
pin-point accuracy on his passes from all parts of the field. Whether it was hitting Aldrick Robinson deep,
throwing just behind a leaping defender into the waiting arms of Pierre Garcon
in the middle of the field, or throwing just behind a tightly covered Santana
Moss where only he could catch, he showed accuracy and vision in all the
different spots on the field. He’s not a
gunslinger, he doesn’t just check down, his accuracy is not limited to any
specific route or distance; he can throw it anywhere.
So I’m not exactly going out on a limb here by writing about
how good Griffin is, but the point is that he has absolutely surpassed even the
most optimistic of expectations. More
importantly, he makes the team around him better.
The Redskins have scored 35 touchdowns this year and Griffin
has accounted for 22 of them (16 through the air, six on the ground). The Redskins boast a 5-6 record and are in
the division hunt despite having the 30th ranked pass defense in the
league. If the Redskins do manage to
make the playoffs, he should be the unanimous MVP because he will have
single-handedly elevated this team to that level of play. I’m not saying he will be, just saying he
should….
All hyperbole aside, I still am not overly optimistic in
terms of playoffs for this season, but that does not take away from what he has
already accomplished. Not only does
Griffin look like he will be a top NFL quarterback, he looks like a clutch one
as well, capable of delivering when it’s most important.
An elite talent who plays his best games on the biggest
stage? Sounds like a franchise
quarterback to me.
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