LANDOVER, Md. -- The meter shifts every time he takes the field, with every game a proclamation on his career. Sometimes it’s based on every throw. Robert Griffin III makes a pass from the pocket -- see, he’s worth developing. Griffin misses a target -- see, he’ll never get it.
It’s his football life right now, and until he proves over a period of time he’s one way or the other, it will continue. That’s the life the Washington Redskins have now, too. If you’re owner Dan Snyder, why would you unload Griffin after what he’s shown the past two weeks?
Oh, it’s not as if he’s suddenly playing at a Pro Bowl level, but Griffin played well enough in Saturday’s 27-24 upset of Philadelphia. There were plays his cynics can point to as evidence he won’t ever develop; there were plays his fans can point to just as fast.
We’ve already debated, quite a bit, the merits of bringing Griffin back next season and how the circus has a good chance of continuing and how the coaches aren’t sold on him long-term. I doubt one win will change anyone’s thinking. Give Griffin credit for what he did well, but the issues before this game were deep enough and the concern over his development real enough that coaches will need to see a lot more.
However, it was a win Griffin needed, and it was a win Washington needed. It’s Griffin’s most significant win since the Redskins beat Dallas to win the NFC East in the 2012 season finale because of what’s now riding on every game for him.
Even coach Jay Gruden, who hasn’t been shy at all when it comes to criticizing Griffin -- publicly or in front of the team -- said Saturday of his starting quarterback, “I thought he did a great job.”
Griffin didn’t throw a touchdown pass, and he badly underthrew DeSean Jackson on a third-down deep ball that was intercepted (serving, in essence, as a 37-yard punt), and a potential pick-six was dropped. However, Griffin also connected with Jackson on deep balls of 51 and 55 yards, both of which led to touchdown drives. Griffin did his part on those plays by maneuvering the safety with his eyes, starting on one side of the field and then turning his attention to Jackson. Jackson gave him plenty of room to throw and created good space. Maybe a better throw results in a touchdown, but Griffin did connect.
The Redskins only needed Griffin to pass 23 times, and he completed 16 for 220 yards. At times, he slid well in the pocket or hung in there more than he has in the past.
“He did an outstanding job of managing the game, not only in the passing game but he did a lot at the line in the running game, which is very, very important,” Gruden said. “We were just trying to get him comfortable, trying to get him an opportunity to get the ball out of his hands and make good, sound decisions like he did.”
Sometimes the difference in his game is two throws. On Saturday, those two throws to Jackson were completed. Against Tampa Bay in Week 11, Griffin failed to connect on two deep balls to Jackson, and the offense struggled; they scored seven points, and Griffin was benched a week later. Those big plays have a way of overshadowing a lot of negatives.
It should be pointed out just how important Jackson is to the offense, regardless of who is at quarterback. He draws attention, makes plays and can make any quarterback look good.
But for Gruden and Griffin, games such as this are why they will be together at least one more year, for better or worse. It’s up to Gruden to make it work with Griffin; they successfully used some zone-read play-action passes, in addition to a few regular play-action throws. That’s Griffin’s game -- and needs to be for a while. There will be more frustration; there will be more moments of head-scratching and more big plays.
It’s up to Griffin to keep making plays and trying to restore his reputation and building on this game. Perfect Saturday? No. Bad? No. A winning effort? Yes.
“A lot of guys in the locker room told me that everything I have personally been through this year, it was big for me to go out and play like I did and help lead this team to a victory,” Griffin said. “I would say to them, 'Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do it.'"
No, he would not, and that’s a change. Griffin needs to rely on others -- the run game, the protection, the wideouts -- more than in his rookie year, though even then a lot of elements helped him. If Griffin wants to keep the job beyond next Sunday’s finale against Dallas, it’s what he’ll have to keep doing.
Saturday was a good team win, and in the end, it was far from just about Griffin. That’s the way it should be. What Saturday did, however, was add another layer to the debate over his future. It’s one that will linger for a while.