In a small serving size of 14 plays, Robert Griffin III looked as good as advertised, posting a stat line of 4 for 6, 70 yards, and 1 touchdown with a QB rating of 145.8.
It’s unusual to see a world class athlete at the Quarterback position with the ability to drop back, stand tall in the pocket, and deliver accurate passes. Griffin was poised and looked like a seasoned veteran Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, scoring the game’s only touchdown.
Griffin has a certain confidence that’s evident in his playing style. His footwork is elegant – he has a bounce to his game while standing in the pocket that’s unique. It’s reminiscent to that of a boxer. Great boxers have a certain bounce and they’re light, yet quick on there feet. That’s Robert Griffin III inside the pocket. He’s light, yet quick with his footwork and delivers the ball with great velocity and accuracy.
After his brief outing, Griffin spoke to the media on how his first game experience went: “It felt extremely good to come out [and play]. Coach did a good job calling plays, got me in rhythm and helped get the offense in rhythm on that third drive. And that’s what it’s all about. You don’t always have to go out and try to put together the best scheme to the one play to the one route that’s going to be wide open. Sometimes you have got to go out and out-execute the team.”
Redskins’ fans should be delighted to know that Robert Griffin III and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have been able to work well together. This is a duo that could last a long time.
Pierre Garçon was on the receiving end of RGIII’s touchdown pass. On a quick bubble screen, Griffin was able to get the ball over Mark Anderson, DE for the Bills and Pierre Garçon was able to go 20 yards for the lone touchdown of Thursday night’s game.
Garçon spoke about the development of his quarterback after the game: “It’s very good to watch him. I can help him out as much as I can because I’ve been around a great quarterback and have been in the league for in a little bit, so I can try to give him a little bit of knowledge. We communicate and help each other. It’s great to see him come into his own.”
Get used to it now, because Griffin to Garçon could be an explosive hookup for the long haul.
Comcast Sports Net felt the “RGIII effect” in their ratings for broadcasting the Redskins vs Bills game exclusively in HD. The Redskins announced Friday that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s live coverage of the Washington Redskins’ preseason game at Buffalo was the highest-rated program in network history (since April 2001). Comcast SportsNet’s coverage posted a peak household rating of 10.75 in the Washington market during the game’s first quarter, which equates to approximately 254,000 households and 402,000 viewers. Combined with the Baltimore television market, approximately 470,000 Washington/Baltimore-area viewers watched Comcast SportsNet during the first quarter.
So, RGIII’s presence was felt in more ways than one. This guy is special. The Washington Redskins finally have someone to depend on and lead them back to the glory days.
By Emmanual Benton