Robert Griffin III and Washington Redskins Offense Suffer Familiar Problems

Robert Griffin III did some good things on his return against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9, including throwing for 251 yards and a touchdown. In many ways though, it was same old, same old for the Washington Redskins and their supposed franchise quarterback.

Despite some very positive moments, the Redskins lost 29-26 on the road in Minnesota. While a neutered defense deserves some of the blame, the defeat was as much due to familiar problems suffered by Griffin and his offense.

At the root of those problems are some fundamental flaws in Griffin's game. The principal failing is Griffin's nasty habit of holding on to the ball for too long in the pocket.

That foible reared its ugly head again to help the Vikings register four of their five total sacks. Sadly, this is nothing fans of Washington haven't seen many, many times before.

Pausing for an eternity while pressure comes has been a career-long issue for Griffin. ESPN 980 host Chris Russell provided these sobering statistics about how much damage Griffin's ponderous streak causes:

Those numbers go some way to explaining how and why this offense so often breaks down. They also help shift some of the blame off an often-derided offensive line.

That's not to say the Washington offensive front doesn't have its problems. The group certainly does, particularly along the interior.

As so many before them have done, the Vikings simply toyed with Washington's guard-center combination. Shawn Lauvao, Kory Lichtensteiger and Chris Chester simply couldn't contain Minnesota defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Sharrif Floyd.

Put Griffin's unwillingness to part with the football together with a soft underbelly at the heart of the protection in front of him, and disaster is the inevitable result.

ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim put it in clear terms:

Again, if you had a sense of deja vu when watching Griffin swarmed on up the middle against the Vikings, you wouldn't have been the only one. Pressure up the gut of a line that was breached as if it were a crumbling dam was a common sight in 2013.

It wasn't just from a standard front-four rush either. Blitzing linebackers have enjoyed a second birthday every time they've faced the Redskins since the start of last season.

That theme has continued in 2014. The one Vikings sack that wasn't the result of Griffin taking a holiday from efficiency and sound decision-making came via an A-gap blitz.

In fact, it was the exact same blitz detailed in last week's game-plan article. The Vikings had used the pressure for a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and repeated the trick against Washington.

Blitzing middle 'backer Chad Greenway was the beneficiary of some pretty woeful blitz pickup, as detailed by CSN Washington reporter Rich Tandler:

Problems diagnosing the blitz and adjusting blocking to repel it cost Will Montgomery his job this offseason. New center Lichtensteiger is hardly faring better. Of course, few centers could when flanked by Lauvao and Chester.

But like a malevolent full circle, the wheel of the O-line's woes eventually spins back to Griffin and his attempts to make time stop in the pocket. As bad as this line is, no front five is good enough to protect a quarterback who wants the length of a short film to make up his mind before releasing the ball.

Consider the number of sacks taken by all of three Washington's quarterbacks this season:

Quarterback	Sacks Taken	Games	Games Started
Robert Griffin III	9	3	3
Kirk Cousins	8	6	5
Colt McCoy	5	2	1

It's clear this line, while weak, has greater problems holding up in protection when Griffin is on the field. Those problems are rooted in pocket awareness and decision-making.

They are basic and deep deficiencies in Griffin's game. He must solve these weaknesses if he's ever going to make the grade as a quality pro quarterback this team can consistently win with.

It's tough to provide a positive answer to that hugely significant question when so many of Griffin's problems are elementary. Sensing pressure and getting rid of the ball to protect the offense are basic staples of pro quarterback play.

So is quickly progressing through reads and choosing the right one more often than not. That's still not something Griffin ever appears comfortable with.

He often doesn't look past his first read, another reason he takes so many sacks. But just as troubling are Griffin's struggles picking the best option.

Mike Jones of The Washington Post highlighted one example during the second half against the Vikings:

Of course, not every quarterback is able to process his reads at the Internet-like speed of an all-time great like Joe Montana. But knowing what to do when his first read is taken, as well as identifying his best matchup, shouldn't be such a challenge for a quarterback drafted to win a Super Bowl.

This is the reality the Redskins have to face with Griffin. Molding him into a pro-ready passer is going to take a lot of work. A lot of work.

That's obvious when his problems extend beyond the intangibles to standard physical technique. In terms of stance, deliver and accuracy, Griffin is hardly a model example of an NFL quarterback.

Footwork has been a glaring problem. It certainly was when Griffin failed to connect with a wide-open Pierre Garcon to convert a fourth down and keep a possible game-winning drive alive in Minnesota:

Keim was quick to lament the recurrence of Griffin's technical failings:

Solving those failings is why Jay Gruden was hired as head coach. He's certainly paying a lot of attention to the things that frequently undermine Griffin's game, per NBC reporter Dianna Marie Russini:

But Gruden ought to be aware of the scope of his task. It's only natural that Griffin often struggles with basic mechanics. After all, he's barely needed them.

His dynamic athleticism has bailed him out of trouble since he first started playing the game. So he's never really had to learn about bypassing a primary read, or throwing it away to avoid a sack.

Why would you when your first read has usually been wide, wide open because eight defenders are in the box waiting for you to run? Why throw it away to avoid a sack when your legs can get you free of any pressure?

Of course, that's just how it was for Griffin during his rookie year in 2012. The trouble is that pro defenses don't stay fooled for long.

The step up in competition, plus declining physical skills eroded by multiple serious injuries, have taken away the edge that helped Griffin win. What's really worrying from Washington's perspective is how that thrilling debut season may be the peak of what this franchise gets from its investment in Griffin.

Because if you try to make Griffin into a pocket passer, you must first shatter the mold of what he's been since he first laced up a pair of cleats. That means starting from zero, something akin to putting a rookie under center again.

But despite his injuries and stop-start NFL career, Griffin is no rookie. He's in his third season and has 31 starts to his credit.

The question then becomes how long do the Redskins wait for Griffin to become the quarterback they hoped they were getting when they traded away the farm in 2012? His fifth season? His sixth?

Do owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen simply keep their fingers crossed for that one injury-free season and what it might bring?

Those are the questions that will always hover over this franchise while Griffin is under center. For now though, Washington's hierarchy needn't think so deep.

Now the question should be can Griffin hone his game enough not to waste a quartet of receivers as good as any other group in the NFL? A quarterback who gets to target Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts and Jordan Reed has little excuse for not getting it done.

That's not to say Griffin won't do it. He certainly can succeed this season, evidenced by the good things he did in Minnesota.

His positive impact on the running game, detailed here, should certainly engender optimism among the fanbase. Perhaps when Griffin has fully rid himself of the rust that naturally gathered during a seven-week injury layoff, he'll start fulfilling his potential.

But fans shouldn't kid themselves into believing Griffin's problems aren't much deeper than mere rust. The questions about his development aren't limited to the here and now. Their implications will impact the long-term future of this franchise, for better or worse.

If it's going to be the former, then the first baby step has to be fixing familiar woes in Griffin's decision-making and mechanics, as well as with the protection in front of him.

All statistics via NFL.com.