Yes, there is a cause for concern regarding the play of Robert Griffin III. The Washington Redskins quarterback entered the 2014 season in search redemption after an up and down season last year following his return from an ACL injury. However, things did not start off as planned as Griffin and the Redskins' offense struggled to gain any kind of momentum against the Houston Texans. Will the questionable play at quarterback cause the team to change their offensive attack before Week 2?
By the numbers, Griffin did not have a terrible day. His final numbers were positive, completing 29 of 37 passes for zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. The lack of touchdowns might be what people question the most as the Redskins were only able to muster up six points. Griffin looked uncomfortable. His throws lacked confidence and he did not show any kind of explosive runs he was known for in his rookie season. Head coach Jay Gruden admits he wished he had a difference game plan.
Gruden noted that he wished he had run the ball more in the first game and might look to do so in Week 2. Alfred Morris finished the day with 91 yards on 14 carries while Roy Helu Jr had four carries for 46 yards. The terrible number is the one showing Washington ran the ball just twice in the fourth quarter. That must change.
"If I had to do it all over again Sunday, I probably would have run the ball more than I did," Gruden said, via Washington Post. "Some of the plays that really hurt us were when we tried the reverse - we lost nine yards - and some of our boots and designed play-actions to get Robert out of the pocket - we were very unsuccessful on those."
Pierrce Garcon and DeSean Jackson led the receivers as expected. Garcon had 10 catches for 77 yards while Jackson had eight for 62. While Gruden thought the receivers did an efficient job, he wished he had focused on the ground game. In Week 2, the Redskins offense must do a better job of opening up the playbook more and getting more balanced on offense or it could be a rough season for Griffin and company.