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Tag: Robert Griffin III

  • Colt McCoy to Face Former Team Monday Night

    ESPN’s Monday Night Preseason Football game tonight will feature two teams historically not in the national limelight (at least not for the right reasons) – the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. However, recent acquisitions made by both teams have brought much needed intrigue to both squads. The Browns have found a renewed vigor through their drafting of Johnny Manziel, former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Texas A&M. On the other-hand, the Redskins find themselves hoping to recapture the spirit that led them to the playoffs in 2012 while being led by rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. RG3 set rookie records during his first year in the NFL, but an injury late in his first season negatively impacted his performance in his sophomore stint, leading many to question his abilities. With the Redskins hiring offensive guru Jay Gruden from the Cincinnati Bengals, however, things may be on their way up for the Redskins.

    With Monday still being preseason football, however, it will be a story of back-up quarterbacks and second and third string players fighting to preserve a spot on the 53 man roster. Perhaps no one will be more excited to write that story than former Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

    McCoy was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 85th pick in the 2010 NFL draft. During his college days at the University of Texas, McCoy earned quite a reputation for himself by essentially breaking all of the university’s quarterback and offensive player records while also amassing the second-highest winning total for any quarterback in NCAA Division 1 history. McCoy’s collegiate success would not translate into NFL success, however, as McCoy would lead Cleveland to a 6-15 record in his 21 starts and would soon find himself without a starting position.

    Now, McCoy finds himself as a back-up to RG3, one of the most hyped quarterbacks of all time. His current position, along with his weak past history as an NFL quarterback, led Chris Cooley, ESPN 980 host and Washington radio analyst, to state, “We signed Colt McCoy for one reason: To be the backup quarterback for the Washington Redskins for an extended period of time behind Robert Griffin III.”

    McCoy most likely knows that a majority of people share the same sentiment as Cooley. After all, McCoy had his chance and washed-up. Despite that realization, however, McCoy continues to chug along, indifferent to others’ opinions of his NFL fate: “I’m playing well and just want to go out there and compete, do my best with the reps that I get and help the guys around me play their best. You never know what will happen.”

    McCoy’s “you never know what will happen” resulted in him leading Washington to a victory in its first preseason game against the New England Patriots, with McCoy completing eight of nine passes for 102 yards, a touchdown, and a quarterback rating of 150.9.

    With Robert Griffin III proving to be injury-prone, and with the second-string quarterback being none-other than Kirk Cousins, McCoy could find himself in the starting quarterback position, and redemption-land, sooner than later.

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  • Kyle Shanahan Might Be Done With The Redskins

    And the soap opera in Washington D.C. continues.

    In just the last week or so, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan benched quarterback Robert Griffin III for the season, gave an uncharacteristic press conference on the matter and was accused of not being completely honest with fans and the public.

    And all of this is going on under a shameful winning record of 3 and 11. I mean, can things get any worse for coach Shanahan and the rest of the team?

    The answer is yes, as Mike Shanahan’s son Kyle Shanahan reportedly wants to step down from his position as offensive coordinator, which some have deemed another strategic move in the ongoing battle between the Shanahans and the team’s owner Daniel Snyder.

    Up until this point, much of the blame for this season’s disappointing record has fallen on the lap of the head coach, but now, some within the organization are blaming Kyle and accusing him of not only being inexperienced, but also having a poor relationship with Griffin and the rest of the players.

    According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a source within the organization said the following: “It is no longer worth it to work with his father.” Another source within the team was more blunt and said the younger Shanahan has received way too much power from his father, according to reporter Jason La Canfora.

    “Kyle is the head coach, it’s just that no one knows he is,” said the source. “He gets whatever he wants and he has no relationship at all [with Griffin]. So how could it work?” And it’s not only Kyle that seems to be in over his head, other members of the coaching staff seem to be as well.

    “What Mike has allowed to happen there, with that staff, there is no excuse for,” said another source who worked with Kyle in the past. “There are guys on that staff who are just not qualified, and it shows up. Have you seen the quarterback develop? Look at [Brian] Orakpo and [Ryan] Kerrigan,” who are defensive ends for the team. “Are they progressing or regressing?”

    It’ll be interesting to see if the Shanahans, Snyder and Griffin all kiss an make up during the off season, because if not, things could look incredibly different for the burgundy and gold next season.

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  • Robert Griffin III Benched For The Season: How Come?

    With a bad knee injury, poor personal play and having a dismal 3 and 10 record, it’s been a tough season for Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Heisman Trophy winner, head coach Mike Shanahan just benched him for the remainder of the season and will play back-up QB Kirk Cousins instead.

    Benching a franchise quarterback to avoid further injury usually wouldn’t be all that strange, but since there’s been rumors of a power struggle between coach Shanahan and Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, some believe Shanahan is benching Griffin to assert his power within the organization and to let Snyder know who’s really calling the shots on the field.

    Both sports experts and fans alike have accused Snyder of giving Griffin too much say on whether he plays or not, since the two have an incredibly close relationship. But according to Shanahan the only reason he benched Griffin is because he wants him healthy during the off-season, unlike last year.

    The controversy started to brew on Dec.11, when a usually reserved Shanahan spoke passionately about why he benched Griffin, and based on the over-explanation he gave, along with the rumors that have been circulating, many are accusing the coach of not being 100% honest. But Shanahan firmly states the only reason Griffin has been placed on third string–behind Cousins and second reserve quarterback Rex Grossman–has everything to do with keeping him healthy and nothing else.

    “I’m sure everybody knows by now that coach decided to shut me down for the rest of the season,” explained Griffin in the press conference. “I expressed my desire to play [but] at the end of the day, coach’s decision is what we go with. That’s the way it’s always been. It’s my job to help Kirk win.”

    In recent months Griffin has been taking a beating in the press for seeming to shrug off responsibility for the team’s bad record and his poor personal performance, but he seemed to be sincere during the latest press conference when he spoke about supporting Cousins, which many believe is a good change.

    Some might say what Griffin is going through is part of the usual growing process that many quarterbacks face, similar to what Carolina Panther’s Cam Newton experienced. Newton also had a tough second year but is now performing pretty well, but for Griffin, his growing process will include completing passes in the pocket instead of relying solely on his running speed. Plus, he’ll have to get better at taking all of the responsibility for a loss and giving the credit to his teammates when the Redskins win, which is really the right thing to do as a quarterback.

    But will the battle between Shanahan and Snyder be resolved before next season, or will Shanahan be let go so the team can start fresh? Some believe that Shanahan is benching Griffin in defiance and really wants to get himself fired, but time will tell. It’ll sure be an interesting off-season next year, that’s one thing for sure.

    Image via YouTube

  • Robert Griffin III is Done for the Season

    Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III will not take another snap under center this season. Starting in place of the former number one draft pick will be Kirk Cousins. It hasn’t been a good year for the 2011 Heisman Winner, or the Redskins, who now sit in last place in a very mediocre NFC East.

    Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network was reportedly told by an unnamed Redskins player that the team is just publicly saying Griffin is sitting due to injury concerns. However, rumors are running rampant that the second year QB is being benched because of his poor on field performance and that head coach Mike Shanahan is using spin to protect Griffin.

    RG3’s stellar rookie season in which he threw 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions did not end well when the quarterback re-injured his surgically repaired right knee. Mike Shanahan fell under fire for allowing Griffin to stay in the game against the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs last season when it was evident to anyone watching that Griffin’s knee was seriously injured. Many critics condemned Shanahan for jeopardizing the career of a franchise-type quarter for what would amount in the grand scheme of things as just a single game.

    Many pundits and NFL fans don’t think that Shanahan will be back to coach the Redskins next season.

    Backlash against Coach Shanahan is at an all-time high. Redskin fans are especially fed up after a promising 2013 season.

    It is clear that Griffin is not the same player as he was last season. His statistics in every major offensive category have dipped dramatically. What made him such a special QB was his ability to move around the pocket and run wild on defenses. We haven’t seen that same kind of mobility after Griffin went under the knife last winter to repair two ligaments in his troublesome right knee. Typically the recovery time for ACL surgery is about one year, Griffin had about half that time to get ready for the 2013 season.

    The Redskins will travel to Atlanta next Sunday. The Falcons are another team that has been a monumental disappointment after making the playoffs last year. Both teams are just 3-10 and are in last place in their respective divisions.

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  • Robert Griffin III Will Be Benched, Kirk Cousins Gets To Play

    With all of the troubles that the Washington Redskins have had this year, it has finally become time to bench Robert Griffin III. While Robert Griffin III seemed to leap to stardom, and had an impressive first season in the NFL, this season has been very lackluster for the second-year quarterback, and the Washington Redksins who have had trobule winning throughout the season.

    Robert Griffin III will be benched for the final few games of the season, and his future in Washington is to be determined after a very disappointing season for the quarterback and his team.

    It has also been said that part of the reason for him being benched is for his own safety since all NFL fans remember the gruesome injury that he suffered last year, causing him to get reconstructive knee surgery.

    A source who is aware of coach Mike Shanahan’s plans reported that it is expected for Robert Griffin III to be deactivated for the rest of the season, allowing the Redskins to evaluate their quarterback situation, and what to do moving forward.

    He has been sacked repeatedly in recent games, and Mike Shanahan does not wanting anything serious to happen to him again. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Robert Griffin III when he was injured last season and part of the season, will be the one starting on Sunday and likely for the rest of the season.

    Mike Shanahan explained the team’s decision for benching Robert Griffin III when saying “We’re doing it because he’s a franchise quarterback and we want him to be able to go into the offseason and get full preparation and be ready for next year rather than playing one of the next three games and all of a sudden he sets himself back with a possible injury, whatever that may be.”

    With Cousins in the starting position and Griffin III being deactivated, the veteran Rex Grossman would move into the second-string position. Thee are only three games left in the season, and with a record of 3-10, the team has no chance of making the playoffs.

    With a chance at the starting position, it will give Kirk Cousins a good chance to show his skills, and possibly earn him the starting position in the 2014 season. They are also in last place in the NFC East, the worst division in the league.

    With Robert Griffin III on the bench, Kirk Cousins, the former quarterback for the Michigan State Spartans will start in his place. He will lead a struggling Redskins team in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, who have also had a disappointing season, on Sunday.

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  • 49ers Defeat Redskins In Dissapointing Monday Night Football Game

    This week’s Monday Night Football game was certainly nothing like the one that played out last week. This week featured the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins, in a game that would have been exciting last year, but not last night.

    However, this season Robert Griffin III and the Redskins have been struggling all season, and the team was not even able to score a touchdown on the 49ers, who handled them easily.

    The game was not exciting to watch, and in a disappointing game that was aired for a nationally televised audience, the 49ers won the game with a final score of 27-6. This was a vast contrast to last Monday night, in which the Panthers defeated the Patriots with a very exciting finish.

    Despite their easy win, the 49ers have not been looking good throughout this season either, and while Griffin III and Kaepernick were outstanding upon entering the NFL, they are still playing with a college style, and being unsuccessful with it for the most part.

    The Redskins are in last place of the NFC East division, with a record of only 3-8. This puts them in the company of the Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants, none of which are having good seasons, and only two of them have a record above .500, each by one game.

    After a successful season last year with his young quarterback, coach Mike Shanahan knew this was an important game, and it hurts him to say “I was disappointed we didn’t get in the end zone and get more points. I knew it was going to be one of those tough games where we couldn’t turn the football over. We had to take advantage of some opportunities. They took advantage of those opportunities. We didn’t.”

    It also seems that the Redskins are simply incapable of handling the pressure of big games, since after last night, they are 0-4 during nationally televised games. They started the season with a disappointing loss to the Eagles on Monday Night Football. Of course, it is not just the national stage that hinders their performance, otherwise their record would be better than 3-8.

    Meanwhile, the 49ers, who lost the Super Bowl last year, are tied for second place in their division with the Arizona Cardinals, and have a record of 7-4, following their win last night.

    The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Washington Redskins in order to not completely embarrass themselves, but if they want to be able to contend with the rest of the top teams in the league as they did last year, they will certainly need to show some improvements in the coming weeks.

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  • Denver Broncos Rally To Win, Despite Slow Start

    The Denver Broncos finally lost last week after seeming to be unstoppable, and it seemed as if they were going to face a similar fate this week. Peyton Manning charged in with all his power and led the Broncos to victory, by scoring 38 points in a row in order to beat the Redskins at home.

    Although the Broncos lost last week, they started the season off 6-0 with very impressive wins, giving Peyton Manning the best start for any quarterback in the history of the NFL. They have clearly come to win this season, and while some fans may have been fearing for their hopes of doing so during the game yesterday, Manning made sure it happened and completely controlled the end of the game.

    This game was also an important one for the Denver Broncos as well as the Redskins since it marked Redskins coach Mike Shanahan’s return to Denver, where he spent 14 seasons coaching the team with great success. Even though the Redskins led 21-7, the defense of the Broncos truly stepped up, preventing them from scoring again.

    Broncos coach John Fox said of the defensive stance, “I think without a doubt that was our best defensive outing. The Washington Redskins came in here with the No. 4 offense in the National Football League, so I thought [the defense] responded great.”

    While Peyton Manning and the offense of Denver Broncos have been the story all year, the defense really showed up during this game and completely shut down the Redskins after they put up their 21 points early in the game.

    The defense even knocked down Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III 15 times, including one that forced him to leave the game with a knee injury. He gave many fans a scare after leaving in the fourth quarter, when he was replaced by Kirk Cousins, who proceeded to throw two more interceptions.

    Despite the impressive start by the Denver Broncos, these last two games have proved that they are capable of at least giving their fans a scare. The Broncos currently have a record of 7-1, due largely to the outstanding play of Manning, and will face off against the San Diego Chargers in week 10.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UinmAoe7elU


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  • Denver Broncos Rally to Beat Washington Redskins

    On October 27, 2013, Redskins’ coach Michael Shanahan returned to Denver for the first time in approximately four years. During his fourteen years as Broncos’ head coach, Shanahan led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl championship victories. He was also honored in a pre-game video tribute during Sunday’s game.

    Peyton Manning spoiled Shanahan’s homecoming, by taking the Broncos on a rally of thirty-eight unanswered points to yet another victory. Manning did throw two interceptions though, which led to Washington’s lead of 21-7 early in the third quarter. Washington scored two touchdowns in only nine seconds due to the turnovers. In the first turnover, defensive lineman Ryan Kerrigan strip-sacked Manning, where Brian Orakpo recovered the loose ball on the Bronco’s 19-yard line. Alfred Morris then had three consecutive carries, scoring a 1-yard touchdown on his last run. The second turnover was an interception by DeAngelo Hall, who ran for a 26-yard touchdown return.

    Not long afterwards, Denver’s offense and defense exploded, starting with the first play of the fourth quarter. A short touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen tied the score and Washington’s errors opened up the door for the Broncos to take the lead. Sav Rocca shanked a punt to the Redskins’ 35-yard line, and on the next play, Knowshon Moreno took a screen pass from Manning for the touchdown. Soon after, the Broncos increased their productivity even more. Von Miller, who was playing in his second game since returning from a six-game suspension, sacked Robert Griffin III and forced a fumble. The fumble was recovered by Derek Wolfe at Washington’s 24-yard line, which eventually led to Matt Prater’s 19-yard field goal. Another one of Washington’s errors led to a touchdown for Denver. Chris Harris made a diving interception on Washington’s 25-yard line. After a holding call set the Broncos back, Manning threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas and extended their lead by seventeen points. The Broncos set a team record for a total of thirty-one fourth quarter points. The team also set an NFL record for the most points, 343 of them, in eight games.

    Manning threw four touchdown passes, three of which were in the second half. He also threw for 354 passing yards, had three interceptions, and completed 30 of his 44 attempts. Most importantly, he assisted the Broncos (7-1) toward another win, after losing last week in his old town of Indianapolis. Manning threw for a total of 2,919 yards so far this season, which is the most through eight games in NFL history. Griffin completed 15 of 30 passes for 132 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions, and a fumble for the Redskins (2-5). He also left the game with about four minutes remaining after being hit by 335-pound defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who came down on Griffin’s left knee. The team announced that he was being held out of the game for precautionary measures.

    Denver’s next game is on November 10th, where they travel to San Diego to face the Chargers.

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  • RGIII to Marry Rebecca Liddicoat This Summer

    Robert Griffin III is well-known for his skill as the Washington Redskins’ quarterback and for winning the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Now, though, RGII (as he’s sometimes known) is about to experience a great milestone in his personal life.

    RGIII’s mother, Jackie Griffin, sat down with DC TV news station Fox 5 this week and revealed that Griffin will be getting married this summer. He will be marrying his long-time girlfriend Rebecca Liddicoat, though no specific date was revealed.

    The couple are reported to have met while they were still students at Baylor. Griffin proposed in October 2011 after a game against Kansas State.

    Griffin was born in Okinawa, Japan and grew up in a military family, moving throughout the U.S. during his childhood. He attended Baylor University, where he racked up 110 touchdowns and over 10,000 passing yards as the Bears’ quarterback. In addition to winning the Heisman, he was the second draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the cover athlete for EA’s NCAA Football 13 video game.

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  • RG3 Knee Injury Had Surgeon Nervous Ahead Of Seattle Game

    Robert Griffin III, otherwise known as RG3, reinjured his knee in Sunday’s playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. He initially sprained his right knee in a game against the Baltimore Ravens in week 14. It was his third game since the initial injury.

    According to ESPN, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said an MRI was scheduled to determine the extent of Griffin’s injury.

    Griffin is quoted as saying, “I think I did put myself at more risk by being out there, but every time you get on the field, you’re putting yourself on the line.”

    Before Sunday’s Seattle game, USA Today reported that that surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who was on the sideline for the initial injury in the Baltimore game, says he never cleared RG3 to go back into that game because he never examined him, contrary to post game remarks from Shanahan, who had said he let Griffin back in the game because Andrews had given his blessing.

    According to that report, Andrews “remained worried about Griffin’s health” going into the Seattle game. The report quotes Andrews:

    “I’m the one that shut him down that day, finally,” Andrews said. “I’ve been a nervous wreck letting him come back as quick as he has. He’s doing a lot better this week, but he’s still recovering and I’m holding my breath because of it.

    “He passed all the tests and all the functional things we do, but it’s been a trying moment for me, to be honest with you.”

    The Redskins lost their playoff game after the injury. Questions remain as to how soon RG3 will be healthy again.

    The Seahawks will go to the Georgia Dome to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday for a chance to go to the NFC Championship.

  • Rob Parker Tweets Apology About RG3 Comments

    ESPN analyst Rob Parker made some controversial statements about Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) last week in a rare conversation on the show First Take that did not center around the New York Jets or Tim Tebow.

    Here’s a clip of Parker’s comments:

    ESPN suspended Parker, and has reportedly been mulling over whether or not it should fire him.

    Nearly a week later, Parker has now tweeted out an apology:

    I blew it and I’m sincerely sorry. I completely understand how the issue of race in sports is a sensitive one and needs to be handled with great care. This past Thursday I failed to do that. I believe the intended topic is a worthy one. Robert’s thoughts about being an African-American quarterback and the impact of his phenomenal success have been discussed in other media outlets, as well as among sports fans, particularly those in the African-American community. The failure was in how I chose to discuss it on First Take, and in doing so, turned a productive conversation into a negative one. I regrettably introduced some points that I never should have and I completely understand the strong response to them, including ESPN’s reaction. Perhaps most importantly, the attention my words have brought to one of the best and brightest stars in all of sports is an unintended and troubling result. Robert Griffin III is a talented athlete who not only can do great things on the field, but off the field handles himself in a way we are all taught – with dignity, respect and pride. I’ve contacted his agent with hopes of apologizing to Robert directly. As I reflect on this and move forward, I will take the time to consider how I can continue to tackle difficult, important topics in a much more thoughtful manner.

    As ESPN weighs the potential outcomes of its decision, the apology, albeit pretty late, shouldn’t do much to hurt his chances of remaining with the network.

    This isn’t the first time the First Take crew has taken some heat over racially-tinged comments in recent memory.

  • RGIII, Superman Socks, and the Power of Social Media

    Last Saturday night, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, aka, RGIII, won the Heisman trophy, the most prestigious individual award one can win in relation to college football. During the hour-long presentation, ESPN caught glimpses of RG3’s choice of socks, and once the social media world — ie, Twitter — a new trend was born. This one, however, extended beyond the typical, “OMG, did you see that?” tweets.

    No, people wanted (and still want) to acquire RGIII’s kick-ass Superman socks. As seen here:

    RGIII Socks

    RGIII Socks


    There’s one problem, however: The demand was so high, they’ve become a member of the “endangered species” list, in other words, the demand exceeded the supply, at least according to the company responsible for the socks, a company called Bioworld Merch.

    While Bioworld was keen to show off RGIII in their socks, they link to a Geek Alerts post discussing the lack of availability of the socks everyone so desperate wants. The thing is, as Geek Alert points out, the socks sold out shortly after they were first made available, back in October.

    However, the Twitter demand for these socks was so high, apparently, Bioworld is planning a second run, albeit, limited edition run. From CNBC:

    The good news is that the company has committed to producing another run of the item and is currently doing so; the bad news is that it will be a limited edition stock refill and will be distributed to their retailers on January 10 (shipping to customers on January 15).

    Over at Bioworld’s page about RGIII’s Heisman presentation, they have a “Buy Now!!!” link, which goes to an eBay auction featuring the Superman socks.

    The high bid for the auction in question is currently at $227.50, and there are, at this time, 36 bids. Clearly, the demand hasn’t wained. Twitter is a good example of that, as well:

    @baylor_bears
    Joy and Lady    Hard buying a Christmas gift for my sis, Joy. She wants #RG3 superman socks–but I think her ankles are too big. Should I tell her? 6 hours ago via Tweetlogix · powered by @socialditto

    @BobbyBowtie
    Tie Tailor    If someone will get me a pair of the Superman socks that RG3 wore during the Heisman ceremony I’d appreciate it. 4 minutes ago via Plume   · powered by @socialditto

    @MrSaveNoHoe
    BU Kid    RG3 put spencers Superman socks on the MAP glad i got me some before the hype 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    It should be noted these socks are apparently available in women’s sizes over at 80tees.com, and they too have no qualm about referencing RGIII wearing Superman socks at the Heisman presentation. From their description:

    Immediately claim the nickname Calves of Steel with these Superman Caped Knee High Socks! These are the Superman socks worn by Robert Griffin III, or RG3 as we cool people call him!

    Who knew the 2012 Heisman trophy winner would be more famous for his choice in socks than for the fact he won one of the most prestigious amateur trophies an individual can win? Behold, the power of instant media age.