NY Giants WR Victor Cruz Is Not Particularly Perspicacious

Just sayin'.

If you see him, and have a couple hours, feel free to explain.

RG3's Brilliant Play—no, not that one

Fans of the Washington Redskins have seen the 76-yard, game clinching Robert Griffin III touchdown gallop against the Vikings last Sunday dozens of times by now. And that is as it should be—the play is already ingrained in Redskins lore.

Here, enjoy it again.

What I want to call attention to, before the team rides that wave off to New York for a chance to measure themselves against the defending champion Giants, is a play that many watching the game, if not most, will have barely noticed at the time. And that I'd wager many of those who did notice have already relegated to the cerebral archives given what happened later that day.

If I might set the stage...

It's the middle of the second quarter. The Redskins have been taking punches since the opening kickoff and trail Minnesota 9-3. It could be much worse. The Vikings offense has been moving the ball at will but thus far been unable to punch it into the endzone, having to settle for three field goals. Good thing too, because at 21-3, or even 17-3, the game has an entirely different feel at this point.

The Redskins offense has finally gotten off the schneid, putting together a drive in their previous possession but having been forced to settle for three points of their own on a 50-yard field goal by new kicker (and budding legend) Kai Forbath.

They get a defensive stop and get the ball back deep in their own end. The Redskins are penalized for holding on an apparent first down completion from Griffin to TE Fred Davis out over the 20, and face a 2nd-and-13 from their own 7-yard line.

Griffin drops back from under center, briefly turning his back on the line of scrimmage. Behind him, Viking DE Jared Allen comes clean and bears down on Griffin as he starts to come around. As the rookie turns back to face the field, he's one yard deep in his own end zone.  Allen is two paces away to his left and charging.

Freeze frame.

This is where the Redskins of the past generation stumble. Or worse. They get sacked for a safety ... sacked for a fumble and defensive touchdown ... throw wildly and get intercepted ... get called for intentional grounding. You know, something not good. You can see it quite readily in your minds eye, if you're the masochistic sort. 

Instead, the young quarterback, still on his heels, spots RB Alfred Morris at the 5-yard line and snaps off a sidearm bullet that hits Morris between the numbers. Morris catches the pass and bulls forward to the 16. Griffin takes a pop from Allen a split second after delivering the ball and gets dumped on his arse.

He sits up, shakes it off, rises and walks calmly to the huddle.

No turnover, no penalty, no incompletion. Just cold execution. And instead of facing 3rd-and-potential disaster, the Redskins face a makeable 3rd-and-five, well out from under the shadow of their goal posts.

On the next play RG3 calmly stands in a collapsing pocket and finds WR Santana Moss between two defenders for a six yard gain and a first down. The Redskins proceed from there on an 11-play, 90 yard touchdown drive to take the lead and turn the game around.

No, I haven't put a stopwatch on the play, but it's not about however many tenths of a second it took for him to make that play. It's about a Read/React/Execute Algorithm that is simply off the charts. Particularly if those charts happen to track quarterback play in the nation's capital. Think about it. Rex Grossman sure doesn't make that play. Neither do Jason Campbell, Mark Brunnel, Patrick Ramsey, Brad Johnson or any other of the loooong list of names who have started at quarterback for this team over the last 20 years.

But Griffin makes the play. Not only does he not make a negative play, he turns it into a positive that, arguably, is the turning point in a game the Redskins were in danger of seeing get out of hand early, not unlike what happened to them against the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this season. And he makes it looks so routine announcer Dick Stockton's voice doesn't even change making the call.

The 76-yard heroic touchdown sprint to ice the game later that evening will live on in NFL Films glory forever. But for this one longtime fan of the burgundy and gold, the seemingly routine play much earlier in the day, a play that turned potential disaster (and potential 2-4 start) into a chance for the team to find its legs, right itself and roar off to a feel-good win and 3-3 start ... is not one I shall soon forget.

Only a very special player makes that play, and makes it look that routine, all of six games into his NFL career.

Kid is the real thing.

Week 4 Storylines: RG3, Haslett and Redskins Embattled Defense

In Tampa Bay this week, where the Buccaneers are preparing to host the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, the talk is about "containing RG3." As it should be. From the outside looking in, the most intriguing thing about the Redskins is their suddenly dangerous offense, led by dynamic rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The phrase "highest scoring offense in the NFL" has a certain cachet, after all. It gets attention. It's also a legitimate concern to opposing teams. The Redskins are scoring a crisp 33 points per game, which projects out over the course of the season to 528 points. Clearly, preparing to play Washington had better involve crafting a plan designed to keep the hotshot rookie from "going off" and dominating Sunday night's Sportscenter highlights.

What the Bucs are not saying publicly, however, but what Redskins fans and observers know all too well they are probably thinking, is that to beat the Redskins these days what you really need to do is throw the damn ball. Like, throw it a lot. All day, all over. Deep, short, left, right, middle, whatever--just throw it.

Because the Redskins defense, statistically sound enough against the run (9th overall), has been performing so abysmally against the pass (31st) that the team is giving up 33.7 points per game. To put that number in perspective, the Redskins are on pace to set the all-time NFL record for points allowed (539) in a 16-game regular season. That infamous distinction currently belongs to the 1981 Baltimore Colts, who rolled over to the tune of 533.  

So rather than reveling in the surprisingly prolific training-wheel phase of their young franchise quarterback's career, and enjoying realistic discussions about Washington competing for a playoff spot (rarely a realistic expectation behind a rookie quarterback), Redskins fans face each successive week more convinced that the defense is simply incapable of stopping anybody, or of holding any lead.

The Redskins face the first real crossroads game of 2012 on Sunday. With a win, they can finish the first quarter of the season 2-2, with both wins against NFC opponents. A 2-2 September would bring another few weeks of playoff relevance in a season that, in the long view, is more realistically the launching pad to a new era.

With a third consecutive loss, however, and a fall to 1-3 in the deeply competitive NFC East, the 2012 season almost certainly will become an extended test lab for 2013 and beyond. That would not be the end of the world, obviously--not in view of the dawning reality that this franchise fellow is the real deal--but still a huge disappointment given the unexpected early success of the offense.

At 1-2 the Redskins are on the edge. It didn't have to be that way. Consider:

1-0 Redskins Raise the Bar

Last week I predicted that the Redskins would make a game of it Sunday in New Orleans, but in the end their defense would not be able to control the quick-release and savvy of Saints QB Drew Brees. Nothing beats being loud wrong than being loud wrong about losing.

Mr. Haslett? Well done, sir.

Some Kid Named Bob

Millions of words have been written this week about the sparkling debut of Robert Griffin, III, the Redskins instant-star rookie quarterback. "Obviously," as head coach Mike Shanahan might say, "any time a rookie quarterback makes his first NFL start, on the road against a playoff contender, and plays smart and as well as Robert did and has the best debut of any rookie quarterback in league history, you have to be happy."

By and large, talk from the media and fans alike have reflected that fuzziness. And of course there were a few obligatory "yeah but" contributions. That's what we have writers like Sally Jenkins for. Hard to tell if she really believed the football world needed reminding it was just one game, or simply drew the short straw when they were handing out assignments Monday at the Washington Post.

So, rather than try to find a fresh way of saying "wow," let me simply single out a piece that stood out for me. The last paragrash, in particular, succinctly puts into words my own takeaway from week one, heading into the nascent RGIII era. From Chris Brown at Grantland:

Griffin’s advantage is that he adds an element to Shanahan's pro-style offense that can't be understated. It cannot be emphasized enough that all those supposedly "easy" passes Griffin threw early on were decisions he had to make based on how the defense played. That may be the most exciting thing about his debut. Unlike many NFL coaches whose egos and lack of creativity won't allow them to utilize their players’ strengths and weaknesses, Shanahan is evolving his offense into a reflection of his young quarterback. Robert Griffin III is not a "running quarterback," but rather a quarterback who can also run; Shanahan's Redskins offense is not a college-style spread offense, but a blend of a pro-style system that also incorporates some of college football’s newest and best ideas. Griffin certainly has a long way to go, but his development — and the development of this offense — will be fun to watch, unless, that is, you're the one trying to stop it.

Coaching – Gameplan Edition

Mike Shanahan and Jim Haslett had months to prepare for New Orleans. And Shanahan's NFL opening day record (15-4) speaks for itself. Week two is different. Week two settles into the "normal" preparation cycle with current game tape to study for both his own team and the upcoming opponent. St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fischer is no slouch–you can rest assured he will have his team ready to play, fundamentally sound, and will throw looks at the Redskins that they will not have seen before.

This will be a good early test of the 2012 Redskins' brain trust. Will their game plans prove as on-target and effective with one week to prepare? Will they succeed in keeping the young Redskins from suffering a classic "letdown" game after the emotional upset win against the Saints?

One thing about the NFL–last week is always a long time ago.

Coaching – In-Game Edition

If the Redskins succeed in building a two- or even three-possession second half lead again, will they, unlike last week, feel comfortable enough to let their rookie quarterback step on the proverbial snake's neck and finish the Rams off? Because last week, it says here, they did not.

The Saints game should never have come down to a 40-yard Drew Brees lob into the endzone from possible overtime. It should never have been that close; not with as dominant as the Redskins had been in building a 16-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Saints hadn't stopped the Redskins all day, nor had much luck moving the ball againt them. It all seemed to change then, in a way that felt eerily foreboding.

Judge for yourself...