5 ways the Washington Redskins screwed RGIII
By Dani Bostick
4) Operation Reckless Disregard for RGIII the Sequel. ORDRGIII Part Two unfolded before a stunned audience during the August 23 preseason game against the Detroit Lions when coach Gruden left Griffin to flounder and have his sense literally knocked out of him after an entire quarter full of devastating blows. The offensive line was so ineffective, they could have all been on the sideline drinking Gatorade and high-fiving Gruden. That is how poor the protection was for Griffin.
The result of these inexplicable shenanigans? RGIII went down with a shoulder stinger and a concussion, which, according to neurologists will keep him out of Saturday’s preseason game and an additional 1-2 weeks. Mysteriously, RGIII was cleared to play earlier in the week before independent neurologists indicated he was not OK to play.
Big question: why did he clear Thurs w out speaking to them? https://t.co/M4kqIIDhoQ
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) August 29, 2015
5) How not to do PR 101. Because the ineptitude of owner Dan Snyder would require its own eight-part series, a final factor that has worked against RGIII has been the Redskins PR. Early in his career, RGIII was put on a pedestal. Now, every word and statement is examined under the microscope and then ridiculued. A few weeks ago, he was mocked for claiming to be the best quarterback in the league, a statement that was taken somewhat out of context. His main point was that he is a top competitor, and as such he needs to work towards lofty goals. “But I still view myself as the best because that’s what I work toward every single day,” he said in a part of his statement that was not widely covered, per CBS.
Meanwhile, PR foibles have not been limited to RGIII. Shanahan and Dr. Andrews shared conflicting narratives about the decisions leading up to RGIII’s ACL injury in 2013. And, more recently, Jay Gruden has shared comments with the media that have been astoundingly unsupportive of RGIII. With rumors leaked that the offensive line dislikes their own quarterback, infighting within the organization makes the rivalry between the Cowboys and Redskins seem amicable.
It is only the third week of the preseason and already the Redskins dysfunction has reached a fever pitch. The messy breakup between the organization and RGIII will likely continue to play out in the public eye, setting RGIII up for failure and the rest of the fan base for yet another disappointing season.