There's nothing to gain from piling on Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. The San Francisco 49ers did plenty of that during their 17-13 victory over Washington in Week 12. The five sacks Griffin absorbed Sunday came after Redskins coach Jay Gruden hit him hard with comments sure to reverberate this offseason.
Gruden was on point when he said Griffin needed to take responsibility for his performances without shifting focus onto teammates. Gruden was likewise correct in his blunt assertion that "the clock is ticking" for his third-year quarterback. That clock ticks a little faster after Griffin finished the San Francisco game with a 7.9 Total QBR score (third worst of his career) while averaging 3.3 yards per dropback (fourth worst) and passing for 106 yards (fifth worst). A quarterback change before season's end would shock no one.
Griffin had little chance against the 49ers for reasons both related and unrelated to him. The same is true for Griffin's prospects with the Redskins in the bigger picture. Griffin is not yet finished in Washington, but it's looking like only a matter of time -- and it's not all his fault.
We'll run through some of the reasons and implications here, with a look at what the future holds for Griffin. It's the first of 10 NFL takeaways from Week 12.
1. Griffin is not yet finished in Washington, but it's looking like only a matter of time -- and that's not all his fault.
It's unrealistic to expect anyone in Griffin's position to overhaul how he projects himself off the field while simultaneously solving a scheme that is foreign to what he has done previously. That is what the Redskins need Griffin to do. It's a long shot.