Mike Shanahan talks Kapernick, Griffin’s development
By Ryan Donoho
Coming into the season, Robert Griffin III and Colin Kapernick were collecting a lot of buzz, and some picked the two quarterbacks to take the league by storm–again.
It hasn’t exactly panned out that way, and there are a myriad of reasons why. Griffin is coming off of an injury, Kapernick is dealing with defenses adjusting, and overall this is a league that changes from year to year. Running quarterbacks who could operate in the pistol formation were a hot commodity last season, but this season is all about the traditional style QB. The key for guys like Griffin and Kapernick is to find a common ground with the two styles.
Mike Shanahan says it can happen, but it won’t be easy:
"“If you’re talking about Robert or if you’re talking about a guy like Kaepernick, everybody comes from different (college) systems and when you go to the National Football League and you’re working with a drop-back passing game and you haven’t done a lot of that, it takes some repetition,” Shanahan said on Wednesday morning via a conference call with Bay Area-based reporters. “Whoever has been in those shoes realizes that it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes practice, it takes repetition, going against different coverages, understanding the strength and weaknesses and just becoming more comfortable in passing situations.”"
Shanahan is right in this, and patience is the key when it comes to guys like them. Calling them the greatest quarter back to ever play–albeit potentially–was premature (ahem, Jaws), but calling them a bust is also premature. These two face off on Monday Night Football, and both teams need a win in different ways.