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Showing posts with label Kyle Shanahan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Shanahan. Show all posts
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
How Should Shanahan have Handled RG3?
The Redskins’ season came to an inglorious end Sunday night with a 24-14 loss to Seattle. Redskins’ fans hope their future did not end that night along with the season.
In the fourth quarter, Robert Griffin III bent down to pick up a low snap, his leg caught in the turf, and his knee buckled beneath him. As Griffin lay on the ground writhing in agony, the worst fears of the Redskins’ faithful became realized.
The question on everyone’s mind this week is whether Griffin should have stayed in the game. In the first quarter, Griffin threw the ball as he scrambled towards the sidelines and seemed to pull up after the throw. He began to visibly limp after that play and struggled for the remainder of the game.
Many people have been critical of Shanahan’s decision to keep him in the game, but before you bash him, remember that hindsight is 20/20. It is easy to say now that Griffin should have been pulled, but you cannot ignore the circumstances during the game.
It is completely unfair to say that Griffin should have been pulled when he began limping in the first quarter. Immediately after reinjuring his leg, Griffin threw his second touchdown pass of the day. While he clearly was playing injured, he had played injured the last two games. There was no way for Shanahan to know just how ineffective he would be. Had the doctors or trainers gone to Shanahan and told him Griffin needed to come out, then of course, he should have pulled him, but that does not seem to be the case.
True, the offense struggled immensely through the second quarter. The Redskins managed only 16 yards in two drives. That’s not good, but it’s also probably not enough to determine that Kirk Cousins gave them a better chance to win. Also, keep in mind the situation. The Redskins were ahead 14-13. While it seems obvious now that pulling Griffin was the right move for his future, it would have been a tough sell not just to Griffin, but also to the media and the fans.
Imagine if Griffin had been pulled at halftime and the Redskins had lost. Wouldn’t the clamor over what Shanahan was thinking be just as loud as it is now? Yes, the coach gets paid to make tough decisions even if they are unpopular, but are two drives really enough to go on?
My point is not that Shanahan should have kept Griffin in, it’s that you could make a valid argument either way. That’s not to say Shanahan handled this well, however.
There are many different versions of what happened on the sideline; who said what, who examined Griffin, who decided he was ok to go in, etc. As soon as Griffin limped off the field in the first quarter, the trainers should have been there. It doesn’t matter whether he wanted to talk to them or not, he needed to be examined. The most important things for the doctors to find is how serious the injury was, whether Griffin was able to continue playing, and how likely it was that he could make it worse. If the doctors came to Shanahan on the sideline and said Griffin needed to come out, then it doesn’t matter if Griffin wanted to keep playing or not. The fact that Griffin re-aggravated his knee on a play in which he wasn’t even touched, then hurt himself even worse later in the game, makes me think Griffin was not examined on the sideline as thoroughly as he should have been. Clearly there was a chance he could reaggravate his injury because he did just that. Was he unlucky or was he hurt to the point that by continuing to play he was putting himself at serious risk for a disastrous injury?
The most egregious mistake the Redskins made was not adjusting their play calling in light of Griffin’s struggles. The team has hailed their two rookie phenoms all season long, but for some reason when one was injured, they took the ball completely out of the other’s hands.
Alfred Morris had only 16 carries and eight of them came in the first quarter. If Shanahan thought Griffin gave them the best chance to win I’m willing to accept that, but it was undeniable that the the injury rendered him less effective. This was a situation in which the team needed to turn to Morris. The Redskins did not trail until the fourth quarter, there was no reason to abandon the run. Morris had 33 carries against the Cowboys, he’s capable of shouldering the load.
This is something that both Shanahans, assuming Kyle returns next season, need to think about going forward. Initial predictions for Griffin’s recovery are somewhere between six months to a year. Some doctors have said he will not be the same dynamic player when he returns and even if he is, the offense needs to change.
Critics of the pistol offense argue that this college-style offense puts Griffin at too much risk. We can now safely put that debate to rest because it absolutely does. Granted, Griffin was not hit on either of the plays he was injured on against Seattle, but the initial knee injury came from a hit in the game against Baltimore as Griffin scrambled from the pocket. Before that, he suffered a concussion against Atlanta. He is the franchise quarterback. His running abilities are what make him dynamic, but the Redskins should be looking to prevent him from taking hits, not putting him in a situation to get hit more. Clearly, his body cannot take this type of punishment.
Critics of the pistol offense argue that this college-style offense puts Griffin at too much risk. We can now safely put that debate to rest because it absolutely does. Granted, Griffin was not hit on either of the plays he was injured on against Seattle, but the initial knee injury came from a hit in the game against Baltimore as Griffin scrambled from the pocket. Before that, he suffered a concussion against Atlanta. He is the franchise quarterback. His running abilities are what make him dynamic, but the Redskins should be looking to prevent him from taking hits, not putting him in a situation to get hit more. Clearly, his body cannot take this type of punishment.
The responsibility does not fall solely on the coaches’shoulders, Griffin also needs to adjust his game. After his concussion, Griffin declared he would look to slide more and keep himself out of harms way. Obviously, his sliding needs some work.
Daniel Snyder also must do something about the field. It was a disgrace. It is embarrassing for fans and for the team when visiting teams come to your stadium to play on painted mud. It could very well have contributed or even caused Griffin’s injury. Seattle’s Chris Clemons tore his ACL during the game and, don’t forget, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL the year before at FedEx. It is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Judging Shanahan’s decision with the benefit of hindsight of course makes it an unfair debate, but an argument can be made defending either point of view. What’s clear, however, is that a change must be made to the offense in order to keep Griffin safer. We live in a world where Jay Cutler’s entire legacy has been tainted because he was injured in the 2011 NFC Championship game and did not look sad enough on the sidelines. Expecting Griffin to take himself out or to let you know when he’s injured is unrealistic. Shanahan needs to come into next season knowing he needs to protect his quarterback not just from opposing defenses, but from himself. Otherwise, Griffin’s career could be cut tragically short and the fans of Washington are going to pin the blame squarely on the coach’s shoulders.
For the latest DC Sports News, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
For the latest DC Sports News, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
Friday, October 12, 2012
Should RG3 Play this Sunday?
Last Sunday, all of DC collectively held its breath as
Robert Griffin III struggled to get up after a crushing hit to the head. He managed to stagger to his feet, but he was
soon taken to the locker room where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion.
The question on everyone’s mind this week has been whether Griffin would be ok to play Sunday against the Vikings. Griffin has practiced all week and has not exhibited any concussion symptoms. He has passed every test administered by doctors and, barring any setback between now and Sunday, it appears he will be able to play.
But should he? There seems to be little discussion among the Redskins’ coaches or the fans in DC. Why would you sit the most exciting player to play for the Redskins in at least 20 years? Nationally, however, many are asking why the Redskins would risk it (as a quick aside, I find it ironic that the Nationals were skewered for even considering shutting down Stephen Strasburg, but now everyone thinks Griffin should sit. Granted the Redskins are not playoff bound and we are only talking about one week, but I still find it ironic). Concussions are very tricky. They affect everyone differently and are very hard to predict. The severity of concussions and their symptoms may worsen with successive injuries, even if a subsequent injury occurs months or years after the initial one. Griffin suffered a concussion last year at Baylor and now five games into his NFL career he has already suffered another. If he is concussion prone it is likely that each one will be more difficult to recover from and recovery from severe concussions can take up to several months (see Nicklas Backstrom).
The Redskins are not headed to the playoffs. Let’s be real. They’re 2-3 right now, and their schedule is going to get increasingly more difficult. They are not the terrible team they have been over the past few years, but they still are not a playoff team. What do they gain, therefore, by playing Griffin only a week after his concussion?
I’m not a doctor so I’m not saying definitively whether Griffin should sit or play, but while most people are asking if Griffin can play Sunday, there’s a more important question that needs to be asked: will Griffin be less likely to suffer a concussion if he does not play this week? Obviously he won’t be concussed if he doesn’t play, but barring that, would there be any benefit to his health if he were to sit? The Redskins should not just be concerned with whether Griffin passes the concussion tests, they should be thinking about how to prevent him from getting his next one.
Even if he does play, there are things the Redskins can do to better protect their quarterback. Kyle Shanahan has come out and said Griffin’s injury will not affect his play-calling, but that’s probably just him posturing. The Redskins have to be smarter offensively and they have already altered their calls accordingly. In the first four games, Griffin averaged over 10 rushing attempts per game. He had only one against Atlanta. If teams think the playbook is wide open, however, they will have to prepare for it, explaining Kyle’s seemingly hard-line stance.
Griffin will also have to slide better. He has taken more than a few shots this season that perhaps he did not have to take. He has worked on sliding in practice this week, so hopefully we will see more of it as the season continues.
Ultimately, it all comes down to what the doctors say. Concussions have become a major issue for the NFL so it is not as if he will be allowed to play before he is ready. The issue is whether some “Strasburg” like precaution would benefit Griffin. Even if he passes the concussion tests, will he benefit from sitting out this week? If the doctors say he is completely fine and that another week won’t help him, then by all means let him play. If there is any possibility, however, that it could help prevent another concussion. You have to sit him. Is the chance to go 3-3 worth risking your franchise QB? Not to me.
The question on everyone’s mind this week has been whether Griffin would be ok to play Sunday against the Vikings. Griffin has practiced all week and has not exhibited any concussion symptoms. He has passed every test administered by doctors and, barring any setback between now and Sunday, it appears he will be able to play.
But should he? There seems to be little discussion among the Redskins’ coaches or the fans in DC. Why would you sit the most exciting player to play for the Redskins in at least 20 years? Nationally, however, many are asking why the Redskins would risk it (as a quick aside, I find it ironic that the Nationals were skewered for even considering shutting down Stephen Strasburg, but now everyone thinks Griffin should sit. Granted the Redskins are not playoff bound and we are only talking about one week, but I still find it ironic). Concussions are very tricky. They affect everyone differently and are very hard to predict. The severity of concussions and their symptoms may worsen with successive injuries, even if a subsequent injury occurs months or years after the initial one. Griffin suffered a concussion last year at Baylor and now five games into his NFL career he has already suffered another. If he is concussion prone it is likely that each one will be more difficult to recover from and recovery from severe concussions can take up to several months (see Nicklas Backstrom).
The Redskins are not headed to the playoffs. Let’s be real. They’re 2-3 right now, and their schedule is going to get increasingly more difficult. They are not the terrible team they have been over the past few years, but they still are not a playoff team. What do they gain, therefore, by playing Griffin only a week after his concussion?
I’m not a doctor so I’m not saying definitively whether Griffin should sit or play, but while most people are asking if Griffin can play Sunday, there’s a more important question that needs to be asked: will Griffin be less likely to suffer a concussion if he does not play this week? Obviously he won’t be concussed if he doesn’t play, but barring that, would there be any benefit to his health if he were to sit? The Redskins should not just be concerned with whether Griffin passes the concussion tests, they should be thinking about how to prevent him from getting his next one.
Even if he does play, there are things the Redskins can do to better protect their quarterback. Kyle Shanahan has come out and said Griffin’s injury will not affect his play-calling, but that’s probably just him posturing. The Redskins have to be smarter offensively and they have already altered their calls accordingly. In the first four games, Griffin averaged over 10 rushing attempts per game. He had only one against Atlanta. If teams think the playbook is wide open, however, they will have to prepare for it, explaining Kyle’s seemingly hard-line stance.
Griffin will also have to slide better. He has taken more than a few shots this season that perhaps he did not have to take. He has worked on sliding in practice this week, so hopefully we will see more of it as the season continues.
Ultimately, it all comes down to what the doctors say. Concussions have become a major issue for the NFL so it is not as if he will be allowed to play before he is ready. The issue is whether some “Strasburg” like precaution would benefit Griffin. Even if he passes the concussion tests, will he benefit from sitting out this week? If the doctors say he is completely fine and that another week won’t help him, then by all means let him play. If there is any possibility, however, that it could help prevent another concussion. You have to sit him. Is the chance to go 3-3 worth risking your franchise QB? Not to me.
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