Redskins Have Much More than an “RGIII Problem”

The issue has become more serious. For many, labeling RGIII the “problem” in Washington was the easy thing to do.

“He’s a bust!”

“He’s not a winner!”

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Bashing Griffin for the limited time he’s been on the field is the easy way out of frustration for fans in Washington. However, after watching last night’s pre-season debacle against the Detroit Lions, fans in the D.C. area can take a step back and face the healthy reality that has been there since the beginning — Robert Griffin III has never had a fair shot in the NFL.

If last night’s game didn’t prove just that, nothing ever will.

Eight drop-backs.

Six hits. Several of them, bone-jarring and quite frankly tough to watch.

If the offensive line can’t piece together a somewhat productive game by now, it’s no longer in the hands of the quarterback. It doesn’t matter if it’s Griffin, Cousins, McCoy or Tom Brady for all we’re concerned. Without a drastic improvement in the five up front, the Redskins won’t approach slightly having a quarterback who can march to the playoffs.

It’s not a “doom and gloom” mentality, merely a fact of football at any level.

You don’t have to dissect the tape very much to understand what happened last night is a major issue.

Blame Gruden? Maybe, but before that, possibly take a gander at the five players up front who allowed their quarterback to get mauled consistently. It’s not Gruden’s fault that he’s in a situation with players who consistently fail to get the job done. Blame the Redskins brass for putting him in a spot like that, but certainly don’t jump immediately to the head coach for his O-Line’s flaws.

That’s like faulting McDonald’s headquarters for one of their stores for forgetting cheese on your cheeseburger.

Blame Griffin? That’s pretty harsh and a difficult argument to make. There’s a reason certain quarterbacks don’t make it in the NFL, and many times it’s due to the situation they’re put in when they enter the league. From the start, RGIII has had a limited arsenal with an anemic offensive line. Don’t blame him for having to run for his life play after play.

It’s a miracle he’s lasted this long.

For the other 1/3 of you blaming the offensive line — bravo. You’ve passed through Football 101 and grasped the ugly, ugly situation in Washington. Maybe Brandon Scherff improves rapidly and provides a formidable presence on the inside, but he’s been thrown into the gauntlet more than any rookie should. Not every first-year player will be perform like Zack Martin in Dallas.

Bottom line, it’s not pretty. Throw out hot takes all you’d like, but they won’t mask the true issue existing with the Redskins.

Griffin’s injury simply throws the next unlucky contestant on “Whose Line is it Anyway: Redskins Editon” onto the main stage.