Aikman on RG3: I don't know if we'll ever see same guy

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CGI_Ram

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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23783582/aikman-on-rg3-i-dont-know-that-well-ever-same-the-same-guy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-foo ... e-same-guy</a>

Despite the numbers, which include 649 passing yards and five touchdowns, Robert Griffin III has looked nothing like the rookie phenom from a season ago. Yes, a god-awful defense has been a bigger issue for the 0-2 Redskins, but what happens if RG3 doesn't return to his 2012 form?

Yes, we know: He's eight months removed from a serious knee injury, and he didn't take a snap in the preseason. It's reasonable to think that Griffin is just rusty, and untrusting of a knee still healing. But Troy Aikman, a Hall of Fame quarterback who now serves as an color commentator for FOX Sports, fears that RG3 may not be the same player in 2013.

“Well, I think the knee's getting in the way, first and foremost,” Aikman said during a recent interview with the Sporting News (via Sports Bog). “I don't see how the knee could be healthy. I mean, he will tell you that he's 100 percent -- I don't know how that could possibly be true. How limited is he? It's hard to really say. As someone who wore a knee brace, I know how cumbersome that can be, and it's restrictive as far as your mobility. Even for someone like myself who really wasn't all that mobile, it still kept me from being able to do certain things.

“And now you consider the fact that RG3 is obviously a very athletic, mobile guy. We haven't seen the athleticism from him that we saw last year and that we were expecting," Aikman continued. "I don't think it's so much the knee brace; I just think the knee isn't completely healed. And I don't know -- I said it during our broadcast last week -- I don't know that we'll ever see the same guy that we saw last year. And if we don't, that's fine. He can still go on and be a great player, he's a guy that can certainly throw the football. But I think there's a lot of things that are affecting him right now, and probably way down that list is the knee brace.”

Of course, this would be less of an issue if the defense wasn't the sorriest unit in the league. According to FootballOutsiders, this group ranks 32nd overall, 31st against the pass and 32nd against the rush. And while RG3 hasn't returned to his 2012 form, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees couldn't have outscored the Eagles and Packers in the Redskns' first two games.

The point: Maybe 2013 Griffin will only be a shadow of his 2012 self, but unless Washington's defense decides to show up, Griffin will continue to be the least of this team's worries.
 

den-the-coach

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Got a love Jim Haslett, right guys? What always pissed me off about him as the Rams defensive coordinator was, if he was such a proponent of the 3-4 defense, why did the Rams not run it during his tenure?

Linehan gave him total autonomy, but and maybe it was just my perception Haslett seem to keep trying to upstage Linehan and I know that was easy, but Linehan was close to going in another direction on defense in his third year. However, Haslett wanted the Rams gig and got it and I'm glad he's no longer with the organization.

As to RGIII I hope he looses 14 more games this year and then I wish him well the rest of his career. It's not personal, it's strictly business!
 

Rambitious1

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CGI_Ram said:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23783582/aikman-on-rg3-i-dont-know-that-well-ever-same-the-same-guy

Despite the numbers, which include 649 passing yards and five touchdowns, Robert Griffin III has looked nothing like the rookie phenom from a season ago. Yes, a god-awful defense has been a bigger issue for the 0-2 Redskins, but what happens if RG3 doesn't return to his 2012 form?

Yes, we know: He's eight months removed from a serious knee injury, and he didn't take a snap in the preseason. It's reasonable to think that Griffin is just rusty, and untrusting of a knee still healing. But Troy Aikman, a Hall of Fame quarterback who now serves as an color commentator for FOX Sports, fears that RG3 may not be the same player in 2013.

“Well, I think the knee's getting in the way, first and foremost,” Aikman said during a recent interview with the Sporting News (via Sports Bog). “I don't see how the knee could be healthy. I mean, he will tell you that he's 100 percent -- I don't know how that could possibly be true. How limited is he? It's hard to really say. As someone who wore a knee brace, I know how cumbersome that can be, and it's restrictive as far as your mobility. Even for someone like myself who really wasn't all that mobile, it still kept me from being able to do certain things.

“And now you consider the fact that RG3 is obviously a very athletic, mobile guy. We haven't seen the athleticism from him that we saw last year and that we were expecting," Aikman continued. "I don't think it's so much the knee brace; I just think the knee isn't completely healed. And I don't know -- I said it during our broadcast last week -- I don't know that we'll ever see the same guy that we saw last year. And if we don't, that's fine. He can still go on and be a great player, he's a guy that can certainly throw the football. But I think there's a lot of things that are affecting him right now, and probably way down that list is the knee brace.”

Of course, this would be less of an issue if the defense wasn't the sorriest unit in the league. According to FootballOutsiders, this group ranks 32nd overall, 31st against the pass and 32nd against the rush. And while RG3 hasn't returned to his 2012 form, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees couldn't have outscored the Eagles and Packers in the Redskns' first two games.

The point: Maybe 2013 Griffin will only be a shadow of his 2012 self, but unless Washington's defense decides to show up, Griffin will continue to be the least of this team's worries.


I agree with this.

I'm not sure we will ever see the same guy. And that would be a shame, however I just don't think that knee is 100 percent healed and ready to go right now.

This injury and how he got it, to me, highlights one of the major flaws with having your QB specifically run -designed runs for the QB- on a consistent basis. Sooner or later they're going to get caught, hit and hurt. Maybe seriously.
 

CGI_Ram

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To me; it feels a little premature to suggest RG3 won't be the same again. Sure, this year... he's got some healing to do... But he's young enough to get back.

The question is; once he's back do you risk running him? To me; that's why he'll never be the same. They won't go all run-crazy with him again... or at least they shouldn't. He's not built to take hits.

In the meantime I'll sit back and root for the losses to pile up in DC!! GO DETROIT!
 

nighttrain

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den-the-coach said:
Got a love Jim Haslett, right guys? What always pissed me off about him as the Rams defensive coordinator was, if he was such a proponent of the 3-4 defense, why did the Rams not run it during his tenure?

Linehan gave him total autonomy, but and maybe it was just my perception Haslett seem to keep trying to upstage Linehan and I know that was easy, but Linehan was close to going in another direction on defense in his third year. However, Haslett wanted the Rams gig and got it and I'm glad he's no longer with the organization.

As to RGIII I hope he loses 14 more games this year and then I wish him well the rest of his career. It's not personal, it's strictly business!
:plus1: :loogit:
train :hehe: