The Washington Redskin's season is not starting as planned. After a strong 2012 that saw the team in the playoffs, they are 0-2 to start 2013 and struggling on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Robert Griffin III successfully met his goal of being under center Week 1 of the season, but he has yet to look like the AP Offensive Player of the Year that he was last year. Despite his struggles, head coach Mike Shanahan is not benching Griffin in favor of Kirk Cousins.
The idea is not crazy. Cousins played with the first-team offense all throughout training camp and the preseason. While he only has a few games of regular-season experience, he is a quality backup that is more than capable of stepping in for Griffin. On the other hand, Griffin did not play a single down of preseason football and the rust is showing.
In two games, Griffin has thrown for 649 yards and five touchdowns, along with three interceptions. He does not appear as mobile outside of the pocket and throws with hesitation down the field. NFL analyst Merril Hoge pointed out that Griffin does not look 100 percent healthy yet and decision making is being compromised as a result. No matter, he will play in Week 3.
"We've got a lot of confidence in Robert," Shanahan said, via the Washington Post. "If we didn't feel that way, he wouldn't be in there."
On Sunday, the Redskins fell behind the Green Bay Packers 31-0, leaving many crying to put Cousins in and take Griffin out. Instead, Griffin led the team to a 20 point rally before eventually losing the game. All of the blame cannot be placed on Griffin. The defense has looked shaky especially in the team's first game against the Philadelphia Eagles. No matter, Griffin is taking all the blame for the slow start.
"I'm not afraid to sit here and say, 'Put that on my shoulders,' " Griffin said."I'll take that. We didn't start fast because of me. If I've got to do a little bit more to clean up that sloppiness, then I'll do it."
Griffin eventually threw for three touchdowns against the Packers helping get the offense moving. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon believes it is a total team issue and not just a problem with the quarterback. Garcon stressed that everyone needs to start contributing.
"We definitely can get out of it," Garcon said. "It's not unfamiliar territory that we're in. We have players in here that are going to keep competing. We definitely have a lot of good players in here that will compete. . . . If any time we needed a guy to step up and make plays, that'd be now."