Robert Griffin III's Best Chance to Return to Stardom Lies Outside of Washington

This is what happens when one player becomes larger than his team, at least when that player isn't yet good enough to handle that type of ascension. We should have seen it coming, because Robert Griffin III has been owner Dan Snyder's golden child from the day he was drafted second overall by these Washington Redskins, and by all appearances he beat now-former head coach Mike Shanahan in a "him or me" challenge.

Griffin knew then that the franchise was far too deeply invested to favor anyone over him, including the head coach. He was Teflon. Now he has a first-year head coach in Jay Gruden who is rightfully determined not be walked all over.

Gruden might be a newbie, and Griffin might be a prodigy with his own brand, but the coach has clearly lost his patience. That became obvious even before ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Tuesday night that backup Colt McCoy will start in Griffin's place Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. 

After Griffin made comments that appeared to throw his teammates under the bus following a Week 11 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gruden publicly admonished the so-called franchise quarterback, telling him to "worry about himself."

Then, he went a step further with a quasi-unprecedented public criticism of Griffin's game: 

"

Just from Robert’s perspective—you take everybody else out of the picture—Robert had some fundamental flaws. He did. His footwork was below average. He took three-step drops when he should have taken five. He took a one-step drop when he should have taken three on a couple of occasions. That can’t happen. He stepped up when he didn’t have to step up, stepped into pressure, he read the wrong side of the field a couple of times. So, from his basic performance just critiquing Robert, it was not even close to being good enough to what we expect from that quarterback position.

"

And while Gruden did backpedal by stating he made a "mistake" by being so candid, that doesn't change the fact he was spot on. 

Griffin's mechanics are tragically flawed—something he got away with as a rookie while taking the league by storm but was never sustainable without improvements. He's injury-prone, makes horrendous decisions, takes too many sacks and exposes himself to too many hits. By not correcting any of these problems and improving in any respect since the end of his 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, he appears to be regressing. 

That shouldn't shock anyone. Steve Young suggested to Michael Kay—via Pro Football Talk—that "he doesn't put in the time." Opposing defensive coordinators do. The league has caught up with him. 

Since returning from an ankle injury in Week 9, he has two touchdown passes, three interceptions, a yards-per-attempt average of 7.1 and a passer rating of 79.3. Those are mediocre-at-best numbers, which explains why the Redskins have lost all three of his starts during that stretch. 

He hasn't scored a rushing touchdown since his rookie season and hardly runs nowadays anyway. When he does take off, he's less explosive. His numbers as both a passer and a rusher have plummeted in startlingly consistent fashion, despite the fact the rest of the offense has actually gained more talent than it has lost. 

Stat	Rookie season	Ever since
Record	9-6	4-14
Comp.%	65.6	62.1
TD-INT	20-5	18-15
YPA	8.1	7.1
Rating	102.4	82.9
Carries/game	8.0	6.0
Yards/carry	6.8	5.5
Rush TD	7	0

Blame the offensive line all you want, but that doesn't explain why Griffin has been sacked significantly more frequently than McCoy and Kirk Cousins, both of whom have dealt with the same pass protection problems.

Redskins QB	Sacks allowed	Sack rate	Pressure %
Robert Griffin III	20	14.4	51.4
Kirk Cousins	8	3.8	28.0
Colt McCoy	5	10.6	24.9

He has enough protection to get by and more than enough weapons, especially with new top receiver DeSean Jackson on board. But he just isn't cutting it, which is why—even before his reported benching—Gruden had endorsed Griffin as his starter in such lukewarm fashion.

Right now, Griffin isn't even close to resembling a franchise quarterback, let alone the superstar he was supposed to be when the Redskins sacrificed three first-round picks to crown him prince of the Washington football world less than three years ago. 

Leading up to this, though, he still had that ego and probably even the impression that he'd continue to get his way. Schefter also reported that Griffin "still appears to be a significant part of the Redskins' long-term plan," but that's becoming difficult to buy into.

Snyder has to be running short on patience and must see that fans are beginning to revolt. That original dynamic may have already poisoned the well.

Gruden can still recover, mainly because he has refused to be a lap dog. It's impressive, actually. He clearly believes he can win a head-butting contest with Griffin. And at this stage, he might be right.

One recent reader comment in The Washington Post mailbag seems to summarize how conflicted fans are feeling right about now:

Washington Post

Notice how Gruden remains unscathed? That's often been the case during this ordeal. 

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported before word of the benching that there was "a very serious divide" within the organization regarding whether or not Griffin was running out of rope. 

"The Redskins...can’t afford to risk wasting more time on a player who, in less than three seasons, appears to have forgotten everything he has learned about playing the game’s most important position," wrote Jason Reid of The Washington Post while arguing this week that Gruden should stay and Griffin should go.  

"Getting it figured out at quarterback is the key to finally getting the Redskins pointed in the right direction," added Reid. "Until the Redskins move away from Griffin, they can’t begin to move forward."

And until Griffin moves away from the Redskins, he can't begin to move forward either. The franchise and the player are holding each other back. 

Rarely has it been suggested that the Redskins keep Griffin rather than Gruden, even though that wouldn't be completely outlandish considering recent history. Don't forget that Snyder fired Marty Schottenheimer after just one season in 2001. 

But calls for a second year for both Gruden and Griffin have also seemingly become less frequent with each passing, unbearable week. And if indeed McCoy starts in place of a healthy Griffin Sunday, that could be the final straw. 

Ultimately, what seems like an inevitable split could be better for all parties, including Griffin. We know from his off-the-charts rookie campaign that he has the ability, but this is no longer the right environment for him. In order to begin improving on his flaws and take the next step from a standpoint of professional development, he needs a fresh start in a new setting with no baggage. 

And it does seem as though the only way Gruden can excel as head coach of this team is if he's given a clean slate at quarterback. Otherwise, a healthy hierarchy can't be achieved, and the organization will inevitably continue to suffer from this recurring nightmare.

Retired linebacker London Fletcher, who just a year ago was a captain on this roster, stated on CBS Sports Network recently that the organization "has lost itself and doesn't know how to find its way back." And it's hard to argue against that.

On the field, the Redskins have lost 22 of their last 28 games and are likely to finish dead last in the NFC East this season for the sixth time in seven years.

Off the field, former players like Fletcher and Chris Cooley have become derisive critics, while veteran receiver Santana Moss isn't even waiting for his employment with the team to end before throwing darts. When the players aren't smiling and laughing in the dressing room after losses, they're reportedly deliberately shouting to sabotage Griffin's media sessions, according to ESPN.com.

"It’s not an environment that’s really conducive to winning for a sustained period of time," added Fletcher, "from top to bottom."

It isn't a healthy situation, and if a choice has to be made between one G or another to begin the healing process, the front office has to realize that the cure likely isn't a third head coach in as many seasons.

Consider the common denominator. Griffin has been at the center of the majority of the many controversies plaguing this team the last couple of years, nickname fuss notwithstanding. He might still have a successful NFL career, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to envision that happening in Washington. 

In fact, Gruden and Griffin both could have successful futures. Just not together. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.