Robert Griffin III's Return Lifts Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins Ground Game

Robert Griffin III's return boosted Alfred Morris and the Washington Redskins' ground game in Week 9. Despite losing on the road to the Minnesota Vikings, 29-26, the Redskins posted 130 rushing yards, including Morris' best game of the 2014 NFL season.

Benefiting from the threat Griffin poses as a runner, Morris stomped his way to 92 yards on 19 carries, including a 14-yard scoring scamper. That performance was due largely to the attention Griffin garnered from read-option and spread looks.

Head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay wisely played on that attention by utilizing Griffin on designed runs. He carried the ball seven times for 24 yards, many of those rushes coming on designed calls.

This is something very familiar to Redskins fans. In fact, it's what propelled the franchise to an NFC East title and a playoff berth in 2012.

ESPN.com Redskins reporter John Keim made reference to how Griffin and Morris turned the clock back in Minnesota:

Then it was Griffin's potential as a runner, along with Morris' workhorse tendencies that put defenses in a constant bind trying to guess exactly who had the ball. 

The Vikings certainly lost that guessing game on Morris' touchdown run. The play occurred during the second quarter and featured Griffin and Morris aligned together in a short-shotgun or "pistol" look:

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This is a familiar route to positive yards for Washington's Griffin and Morris-led ground attack. The key to it is making front-seven defenders pause at the snap and search for the ball.

Griffin certainly helped achieve that with a classic zone-read handoff, sticking the ball into Morris' belly and holding it there just for a split second.

Because Griffin is always a threat to escape around the edge, the Vikings couldn't ignore him. In fact, three Minnesota defenders were still looking Griffin's way when Morris started to run:

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Two of those defenders were players charged with containing the back side. But, along with middle 'backer Chad Greenway, who was also focused on Griffin, they weren't free to pursue Morris across the field. They were simply paying too much attention to a possible rush from Griffin.

From there, the principles of the read-option were packaged with excellent zone-based blocking. Right tackle Tom Compton initially combined for a double-team with guard Chris Chester on end Brian Robison.

In true zone fashion, once that block was secured, Compton released to the second level to absorb linebacker Greenway and clear Morris' path to the end zone:

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Mike Jones of The Washington Post immediately referenced the obvious confusion in the Vikings run defense:

This is what Washington's ground game is supposed to look like. It is predicated on creating confusion along a defensive front and getting Morris to the edges.

Those two things are much, much easier to achieve with a running quarterback under center. It's no coincidence that Morris' strong showing in Minnesota followed Week 8's solid performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

He rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown in the win in Texas. The presence of the deceptively mobile Colt McCoy at quarterback certainly helped.

But as capable as McCoy is at making plays with his feet, he can't match Griffin's initial quickness and athleticism, at least in the minds of defenders. That's what makes them stop and think instead of simply attacking downhill to corral Morris, as Keim noted:

Forcing a defense to play passive is the best way to create big gains. That's when Morris is at his most effective, when he's amassing yards in chunks.

Yes he can make the steady gains to keep the chains moving, but Morris really hurts defenses with quick-hitters that cover significant ground. They are the back-breaking plays that crush an opponent's spirit and create opportunities for a deadly play-action passing game.

Throughout Morris' three-year pro career, most of those big plays have come from read-option looks. That trend continued against the Vikings, per Keim:

All of this stems from Griffin's potential to make clutch gains and big plays as a runner, either on designed plays or fleeing the pocket. That he was given so many planned runs is a good sign for the future prospects of this season's running game.

Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan is in no doubt about how much good a scheme built for Griffin actually does for Morris:

Griffin and the read-option also create the coveted, and often elusive on Gruden's watch, run-pass balance. Against the Vikings, the Redskins ran the ball 29 times and threw 28 passes.

This pleasing symmetry is just one week removed from the 31 rushes and 30 passes called in Dallas. A balanced offense is usually a winning one, as well as being a developing quarterback's best friend.

Of course, even a boosted running game couldn't prevent Washington slipping to a sixth defeat of the season. Nor could it mask some of Griffin's glaring weaknesses, such as holding onto the ball for an eternity when in the pocket.

But that technical failing, along with a shaky O-line and a porous defense, simply wasted what was a very strong rushing effort, one undoubtedly inspired by Griffin's return.

This team has a better chance to win games if the running game clicks. If nothing else, having Griffin back will at least ensure it does more often this season.

All statistics via NFL.com.

All screen shots courtesy of Fox Sports and NFL.com Game Pass.