Robert Griffin III: 6 Games That Willl Challenge Redskins Rookie

Robert Griffin III is coming into the NFL as a highly-touted, exciting quarterback. His amazing athletic ability possibly overshadows a great arm, but it really shouldn't.

This year will be an interesting one for Griffin, especially because of the expectations put on rookie quarterbacks by Cam Newton's amazing play last season.

Despite that, Robert Griffin III will perform well this season. He may not be able to put up the numbers that Newton did last season, but he will no doubt show why the Redskins were willing to give up so much to get him.

Still, Griffin will inevitably struggle during a few games this season. This article will go through six of the games in which Robert is most likely to struggle.

1. Redskins at Saints, Week 1

Okay, so the Saints are just a run-of-the-mill defense in the NFL. They ranked 13th in points allowed per game, gave up the ninth-most yards of any team and allowed the third-most passing yards in the NFL.

Still, this will be Robert Griffin III's first real game in the NFL, and it comes in the deafening Superdome.

Drew Brees will surely be at his best slinging the ball, which will force Griffin to attempt to keep up with him through the air.

Robert Griffin may have a solid game, but he will no doubt struggle a little bit under the pressure.

2. Redskins vs. Bengals, Week 3

The Bengals have a stout defense, which is likely the result of playing in the same division as the Ravens and Steelers.

They gave up the seventh-fewest yards of any team last year, were ninth-best against the pass and allowed an average of five yards per play to the opposing offense.

Because of that defense, Robbert Griffin III will struggle. While he will not have to attempt to keep up with Andy Dalton quite like with Drew Brees, this defense will still cause problems for Griffin. The team is also slightly worse against the rush than the pass, which will probably lead to the Redskins rushing the ball considerably more.

Griffin could very well put up big numbers against the Bengals, as he is a threat to do so on any given day. Still, he will probably struggle a good deal against the first really tough defense he will face.

3. Redskins at Giants, Week 7

Week 7 will be the first of two matchups that Robert Griffin III has with last season's Super Bowl champions.

It will also be one of the games in which Griffin struggles the most during his rookie season for a few simple reasons.

First, it will be probably the best defensive line he will face all year, and they will give him serious trouble. Even having faced Jared Allen the game before, the Giants defensive front presents a huge problem because it has so many talented players.

Last season, the Giants were third in the league after getting 48 sacks. While they ended up being fourth-worst in the league in passing yards given up, their pass rushers should be able to get to the inexperienced RG3 with ease.

The Giants also tied for sixth in the league last season in interceptions, which is something that could prove to be problematic for Griffin.

Finally, this game doesn't come until Week 7, so the Giants should be able to adequately scout Robert Griffin III before the meeting. For all of those reasons, Griffin will likely struggle in his first meeting with the division rival, although he will bounce back with a good game in their second matchup.

4. Redskins at Steelers, Week 8

Unfortunately for RG3, he has to face another top defense just a week after meeting with the Giants.

In Week 8, Griffin will have to meet with the Steelers, who gave up the lowest amount of passing yards last season while only allowing 5.6 yards per passing play.

Once again, Griffin will have to face an impressive defensive line. This time, however, he will also have to contend with the confusing schemes that Pittsburgh runs as well as their scary linebacker corps.

Like the Giants, the Steelers will have had ample time to scout Robert Griffin III, and that will come to their advantage.

While he could potentially break out with a great game against the Steelers, it will be no surprise when he struggles against one of the most consistently good defenses in the NFL.

5. Redskins at Cowboys, Week 12

This season, the Redskins will have to contend with a much improved Dallas Cowboys defense, and in the first matchup, Robert Griffin III will struggle.

Last season, the Cowboys were ranked a meager 23rd in yards given up to the pass while getting 42 sacks and 15 interceptions.

This year, however, those statistics will look much different, as the Cowboys have improved their pass defense with two key players. First, the Cowboys signed free agent Brandon Carr, who is one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Dallas also managed to move up in the draft to grab LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, who was easily the top defensive back in the draft.

Combine those two potentially dangerous defensive backs with DE DeMarcus Ware, who managed to get 19.5 sacks last season, and the Cowboys are an intimidating defense for opposing quarterbacks.

If both cornerbacks end up working out well, they will be the first scary defensive back tandem that RG3 will have to face, and he will struggle because of that in his first meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.

6. Redskins vs. Ravens, Week 14

Unfortunately for Robert Griffin III, he has to face the Bengals, Steelers and Ravens all in his rookie season. As he will in his other two matchups with AFC North teams, RG3 will struggle mightily against the Ravens.

The Ravens gave up the fourth-lowest amount of passing yards, grabbed 15 interceptions and had 48 sacks last season. While they may not have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, the team is still always scary on defense.

RG3 will likely struggle against the Ravens, who will no doubt be looking to lock up a playoff spot around the time of the season that their matchup happens.

Baltimore only gave up 11 touchdowns total to opposing quarterbacks last season, clearing the second-place NY Jets by four touchdowns.

They are also experienced enough to not allow RG3 to create plays with his feet, especially with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis sitting behind the line.

This game will be another struggle for the rookie quarterback, but all of these are learning experiences that will no doubt lead to a successful career.