If the first preseason game is an indication, Robert Griffin III has some future with the Washington Redskins. The rookie quarterback from Baylor handled the offense with aplomb and inspired even more confidence in what he can become.
Griffin played three series in the Redskins’ 7-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills, engineering a scoring drive in his last opportunity.
“It was fun,” Griffin said. “ . . . The first one’s always the toughest. But to get it out of the way and have a successful outing and get a touchdown on that drive to cap off our day really set the tone for the year.”
The third of Griffin’s three drives transformed his night into an unmitigated success, giving diehard Redskins fans a glimpse of his potential.
Starting at the Washington 20-yard line, Griffin spearheaded an 80-yard drive over eight plays – including three quality throws while looking poised in the pocket – that was capped off by a 20-yard catch-and-run by Pierre Garson for a touchdown.
“Coach was happy” with that play, Griffin said with a smile. “He told me, ‘Good job’ after that one.”
“You couldn’t ask for much more,” Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said.
His composure was particularly noticeable – in the huddle and in the pocket.
“Practice is a lot harder than the games,” Griffin said with a smile. “It’s kind of the same in college, but even more so in the pros. . . . You come out to the game, and you can see all the reads a lot clearer . . . The holes were a lot bigger. I felt I was able to read things a lot cleaner and get the ball out of my hands.”
Said outside linebacker Brian Orakpo: “RGIII knows that the defensive pressure, and the outside linebackers we have, you’re not going to find that often around the league.”
