Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III's Debut Mirrors Career
Mirroring his career in Washington, Robert Griffin III’s debut with the Cleveland Browns started well and had a few highlights, but ended poorly with Griffin hurt and no reason to believe he’s Browns’ long term solution at quarterback.
Robert Griffin III signed with the Cleveland Browns with an opportunity to rehab his career, be it for the Browns or another team. The front office of the Browns is publicly saying that Griffin is not merely a bridge quarterback, but his contract and their stockpile of draft assets suggests otherwise.
Certainly, if Griffin can show he’s healthy and able to capitalize on the limitless potential that had Washington trade up for him with a haul of draft picks in 2012, the Browns will keep him. But they have kept their options open.
The Browns decided there was no long term solution for the quarterback position in the 2016 NFL Draft and did nothing to improve the position there. (No, Cody Kessler didn’t improve anything.) Thus, 2016 is Griffin’s to lose. They then have a boatload of draft picks to use to get their franchise guy in 2017. That is, of course, If Griffin is unable to secure the job for himself or there is someone they deem too good not to select.
RG3’s debut began pretty well, being decisive and accurate with the football out of the gate. He wasn’t helped as Gary Barnidge and Corey Coleman dropped three passes between them. Moreover, the running game was ineffective, so the offense stalled in the first quarter. Griffin and the Browns got through it, though.
Cleveland finally picked up a first down in the second quarter and were able to get more from there. Griffin was able to complete passes to Terrelle Pryor and Duke Johnson for first downs. He then went deep to Pryor for 44 yards down the left sideline, getting the Browns in the red zone.
The team needed a generous pass interference call on third down to extend the drive to get them in the end zone on an Isaiah Crowell run. But the drive was successful as was Griffin running it.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Browns appear poised to take control of the game. Once again, Griffin found Pryor and Johnson for first downs, before he made a big play himself. Griffin dropped back only to find no one open and a ton of green in front of him. So he pulled the ball down and ran with it for 20 yards before going out of bounds, showing all the athleticism he displayed both at Baylor in college and with Washington as a rookie before his injuries. Best of all, he did it without getting hit.
After a five-yard run to the 28-yard line of the Eagles, Griffin dropped back to pass with an open Coleman working up the middle of the field. Unfortunately, Griffin’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Jordan Hicks and then intercepted by Rodney McLeod. The Eagles would drive down for a field goal, taking a 13-7 lead into the half.
The first half was clunky and had some problems, but showed some promise with the potential to go into the half with the lead. Unfortunately, the second half was a disaster for the Browns offense in general—but Griffin specifically.
Coming out to start the second half, the drive was the most productive for the Browns, but was a complete fluke. On the first play, Griffin dropped back and threw up a prayer into triple coverage that Corey Coleman managed to bring down for a 58-yard gain; his first career reception. The Browns wouldn’t gain another yard for the next three plays and the drive stalled.
After needing to use a timeout on third down on said drive came the worst part, though. Andrew Hawkins ran a wheel route to the back left corner of the end zone and was wide-open only to have Griffin be unable to complet what should have been a pretty routine touchdown. The Browns would have tied the game at 13-13 with an extra point pending. Instead,a Patrick Murray field goal and a great Hue Jackson play call wasted.
The Browns would have six more offensive possessions the rest of the game. In addition to an airmailed Cam Erving snap that resulted in a safety, the Browns would gain just 12 yards and get one first down for five of those drives. The sixth was when the game was no longer in doubt and they got two first downs and gained 40 yards.
Not having a running game allowed the Eagles to focus entirely on the pass rush. Despite excellent protection most of the game, RG3 took a few sacks. The one by Fletcher Cox was unavoidable, but Griffin took a pair of others he could and should have avoided, if he had any pocket awareness.
The hits appeared to take their toll as Griffin’s accuracy and decision making appeared to deteriorate. And ultimately, he suffered a sprained shoulder. He finished the game and said he will be fine for the Baltimore Ravens next week. However, no official determination has been made to this point.
Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) at the line of scrimmage against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Browns, 29-10. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Griffin’s final stat line was 12-26 for 190 yards passing, the interception, and five carries for 37 yards. Putrid when compared to Carson Wentz in his first-ever NFL game after an injury-shotrended preseason. Even more salt in the wound for this season: the Browns passed on Wentz, believing he wouldn’t be a top-20 quarterback in the NFL.
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Lastly, the fact that Robert Griffin III left the game hurt, even if he finished it, looks bad. Griffin has dealt with injuries his entire NFL career and there’s a perception that he’s injury prone. This won’t help. A bad game is a bad game, but a bad game and leaving the game with injury questions after just one week is extremely problematic for both Griffin and the Browns.
There’s no question Griffin can play better. There were throws and plays he missed in this game that he’s capable of making. But for all the talent Griffin has, he is not good enough to carry a team on his back. Few are. The nonexistent running game for the Browns was again a problem against the Eagles. Drops early in the game worked to stall a couple of drives before they got started, as well.
Obviously, it’s only one game and much can change in the coming weeks and months. But this is what Griffin has been his entire career. He shows tremendous flashes of talent and ability to make plays. However, that’s only until the mistakes add up and he ends up injured.
Of course, if the Browns had Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Josh McCown or—heaven forbid—Cody Kessler, those problems don’t go away.
Despite all of it, the Browns still had chances to win this game. For as bad as the defense was and will be, it did enough to win. Robert Griffin III and the offense were simply not up to the task. There is plenty of room for improvement both by Griffin and the offense as a whole. The challenge is they have to improve while the defense is facing increasingly steep competition.
Robert Griffin III wasn’t good in his debut and he knows it as well as anyone. Obviously, getting hurt the first week forces people to revisit questions about his durability, possibly including himself. Nothing that happened today suggests that Browns shouldn’t be in the market for a quarterback going into 2017. That might change as the season progresses, but it’s unlikely.
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