The soap opera that has become Washington’s season will continue in the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The Redskins season has turned messy in a hurry, and they will be going with a new figure under center following their home thrashing at the hands of K.C. last week.
There are a ton of rumors/theories surfacing surrounding the benching of Robert Griffin III. While it’s true that this organization wants to keep him safe and they are probably hoping to also gauge the trade interest in Kirk Cousins, the change has to also come for one massive reason above any other: Griffin’s play.
The 2012 Rookie of the Year has looked brutal at times. Some of it has to do with the defense behind him. They can’t tackle up front and probably have one of the worst secondaries in the league. At the same time, the inability for Griffin to utilize his explosive speed as much as he did a year ago following knee surgery has also played a role in his struggles.
But the great quarterbacks in this league find a way to get it done, and Griffin hasn’t. I think this season was a revelation of the limited talent around him more so than anything else, but it still has to have fans upset.
As for this game, it’s a pretty interesting dynamic regarding Cousins being the starter. Herm Edwards wrote an article for ESPN Insider earlier in the week indicating that this move could really disrupt the locker room given that it appears many players could view this as Washington holding Griffin in higher esteem than any other roster piece.
But does Mike Shannahan have anything to lose with this locker room at this time? He just witnessed his defense give up 45 points to a mediocre offense. His offensive line play has been sluggish to say the least and Griffin’s weapons on the perimeter have been basically nonexistent.
Washington has a multitude of troubles, and so Griffin being removed from the lineup can be played as a calling card for other players to step up and play for their jobs. No matter what these players think about Griffin and his perception within the organization, their awful play has to be a consideration in having added motivation this week.
Cousins is a capable quarterback and he’ll be going up against a bad defense in Atlanta. the Falcons have shown a bit more promise in recent weeks and they seem to have righted the ship enough to quiet any potential rumors of Mike Smith losing his job. They have an offense that should be able to throw all over Washington here, and Matt Ryan has been solid at home throughout his career.
It’s difficult to back Washington on the road in this scenario especially with all the unknowns regarding their current locker room mindset. I don’t tinted to play them despite their getting a full TD here, but this game should be interesting in terms of what is says about the Redskins as a club.
Mike Shannahan has never really lost a team during his career and I didn’t expect it to happen this season until I watched the Chiefs game. Still, Cousin’s insertion into the lineup could change their overall style and make it more run oriented. I just don’t trust their defense enough to consider backing them in this spot at all.
