RG3's Performance vs. Giants Not Enough to Ensure Future in Washington

Robert Griffin III didn't perform badly Sunday against the New York Giants, but simply completing 18 of 27 passes in a loss to a bad team doesn't even come close to delivering redemption for the maligned quarterback. 

Griffin's problems—poor pocket presence, shoddy mechanics and a habit of making bad decisions—can't be fixed in a day or even a three-week stretch. And his relationship with the Washington Redskins is beyond repair anyway. His presence is toxic, and that won't change unless he starts playing the way he did as a superstar rookie in 2012. 

It's too late for that to happen now.

Wins can make everything all right, but the Redskins continue to lose. And in a losing effort Sunday, Griffin was far from special anyway. He did complete 67 percent of his passes in relief of Colt McCoy, who was injured early, and he didn't throw any interceptions. But the kid could only lead the Washington offense on a single touchdown drive against the NFL's 23rd-ranked defense.

RG3 did make what at first appeared to be a superhero-caliber play when running for an eight-yard touchdown with no time left on the first-half clock. But even that was spoiled by a tough-to-swallow ruling that he lost control and fumbled a nanosecond before crossing the goal line. It was an admirable effort which shouldn't be held against him, but it did cost Washington three points. 

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

He did run well, picking up 46 yards on five scrambles and options, but he was sacked a ridiculous seven times on 39 dropbacks. His pass protection might not be great, but that can't happen regardless. It was another indication that his benching didn't cause a light bulb to switch on.

On several of those sacks, Griffin's internal clock just didn't kick in, and it cost his team. He only had to cover eight yards on that final play of the first half because he was sacked while holding on to the ball in the pocket for over three seconds on 1st-and-goal from the 4-yard line on the previous play.

He also held on for about three seconds before fumbling on a fourth-down sack in the third quarter, and he had another fumble on a fourth-quarter sack, although both of those were recovered by teammates. 

This is why head coach Jay Gruden sat him in the first place. The offense no longer benefits enough from his play to justify the distractions created by keeping him around. The Redskins have scored 13 points or fewer in five of the seven games Griffin's appeared in this season, and the future of the franchise will continue to be stunted so long as the Redskins cling to hope that he can change. 

Smartly, Gruden still won't commit to Griffin as his short-term starter, let alone his franchise quarterback. After Sunday's game, Gruden said, via The Washington Post: 

"

Obviously he’s in the mix, he’s on the roster. We just gotta look at the film and see where we stand. See what the deal is with Colt’s neck, that’s the priority. He’s gotta get that thing checked out and make sure he’s right before he attempts to come back again. But Robert’s definitely in the mix. He came out here, he competed, which I liked. He made some great throws, made some great plays with his legs, but from a consistency standpoint like I said the production on third down, that’s what I have to look at. And the lack of production in the second half is concerning, but it’s just total play-calling, offensive line, whatever it is. I have to look at the film before I judge that.

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And that lack of production is why Griffin should be traded in the offseason, regardless of what happens over the final two weeks. Unless the guy pulls a 180 and starts lighting up defenses with his arm and legs while eliminating his bad habits, the marriage between the Redskins and RG3 should be as good as over. 

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

Follow @Brad_Gagnon