Poll: Do you agree with shutting down RG3?

[Spear]

If Shanahan was your face, some of you would cut off your own nose to spite him. You have to put that crap aside and look at the situation in isolation.

 

Robert has played 80% of the season. In terms of attempts, he has 456 already vs 393 playing 15 games last year. Players needing reps is true in a general sense, but it's more accurately "quality" reps. If you are doing something incorrectly over and over, you're not going to magically get it right. You're just putting the bad technique into muscle memory.

 

Robert stands to benefit from an offseason more than any player has benefited from one. He will gain perspective on his play and better understand and address his flaws. He will be able to focus in on the footwork required to operate out of the pocket and be consistently accurate. He'll get better at protecting himself. And he'll further distance himself from the knee injuries that make his situation unique from almost any player in history.

 

In the mean time, I think Cousins gives us a better chance to win these last 3 games. If Kirk can operate on a higher level, then that's only going to help Griffin isolate where he needs to improve. It also might help us better evaluate our team as a whole going into a likely new regime.

 

Yes, Shanahan probably believes that Cousins can salvage both him and his sons' reputation. He doesn't need to play games to get the $7 million left on his contract -- it's Snyder's burden to prove that he has cause to fire him in order to keep that money. And he's right -- if he was doing this to get fired, he wouldn't have even asked Dan or Bruce before benching Robert. He would have just done it. He still wants to work in this league and pulling a stunt to extort money isn't going to win him much trust from other organization -- especially when he doesn't HAVE to extort it. It's pretty much guaranteed to him unless he does something foolish, like trying to intentionally get fired.

[FrFan]

I certainly agree with your third sentence. Why would Shanahan want the team to perform poorly? He is auditioning over the next three games for a head coaching position whether it is here or somewhere else.

If fired, he won't have any suitor for his services, retirement is looming.

[TexasSkinsFan]

Yes I agree with this decision, I've wanted this to happen since before the season even started. This years been sunk since Game one because Griffin was played too soon. If Griffin had sat on the 6 week pup the season may not be over yet. Since it is the best thing for Griffin is to sit the rest of these games out and learn in the offseason and come on like Superman in 2014

[RandyHolt]

No. Hail no.

 

Sure, if Mike wants to see Cousins before the end of the year, one could understand that. Give him a game, half, or mop up duty.

 

But deactivating him completely with 3 weeks to go is just mind boggling. He may be injury prone, but he has held up fine this year.

 

Mike basically put him on (pre) injured reserve, PIR

 

I have never heard of such a thing. I don't care about any rationale mike can come up with, I do not believe his self serving lies. Repeating the lies will not get me to buy in.

 

I will stick to my guns and say if Kyle could call the plays that have worked best to close out the year, for more than 1 series each game, that will do more for Robert's development then could happen in all the OTAs.

 

It comes down to Kyle. Is he showing up next year for OTAs ft. the read option and all the same plays that failed this year? I bet he does.

 

IF RG3 needs to learn anything but cannot learn now from Mike and Kyle week to week, what is going to be different in spring? 

[London Kev]

I voted No just because of the reason given by Shanahan. You don't bench a healthy starter just because they are taking too many hits. You use your coaching knowledge and experience to prevent or reduce it happening.

 

So why is RG3 taking so many hits? Shanahan said in his presser that "it doesn't matter if it's because of the OL, QB or receivers, he's taking too many hits so I'm shutting him down". I think that this is wrong. Of course it matters why. Find out why it's happening and rectify it, that's your job, you're the coach. Whether that means calling different plays, a different scheme or player changes, then do it.

 

Now by benching Griffin is Shanahan implying that he thinks the QB himself is to blame for the excessive hits (poor pocket awareness for example), and that he has attempted to rectify it? It will be interesting to note just how many times Cousins gets hit over the next three games.

 

I think he's going to get hit too much as well, and what if he gets injured, RG3 backing up Sexy Rexy? But what if he hardly gets hit at all, would it then turn out to be a good coaching decision? 

 

To be honest I'm just about ready to turn in my Shanafan badge. There's something wrong with this team. It's suffering from acute suckyness. I'm tired of having my hopes raised, only for us to find a new sucky way to lose. It starts and ends with the coach, maybe it's time for a new one.

[Rockarollr]

I, personally, would like to look at this more like... benching him for his own good in the last three meaningless games instead of "shutting him down". I think the wording on this poll was a little off.

[darrelgreenie]

lol the players can't express outrage because (1) they still have games to play (2) they've seen what they've done to/with Fred (3) they can see what's being done to the franchise QB if they can do it to Robert then they can bet there butt it will can happen to them

[s0crates]

Griffin needs to spend an offseason working on his footwork, film, reading defenses, accuracy, progressions, protections, etc. He needs the offseason work in a bad way.

The worst thing that could happen is him missing another offseason due to injury. Shutting him down insures that won't happen. It is in the best interest of him and the franchise to do this.

Shanny has earned the negative press with this abysmal season, but that doesn't mean this is not in the best interest of the player and the team.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

lol the players can't express outrage because (1) they still have games to play (2) they've seen what they've done to/with Fred (3) they can see what's being done to the franchise QB if they can do it to Robert then they can bet there butt it will can happen to them

 

And (4) it would be career suicide to openly speak up and turn against the HC. It just marks you down as an agitator in the locker room for either the next Coach to get you the first out of there; or your new suiter's to have little interest in you. 

 

The best way they can show it is on the actual field of play. As they have done culminating in glorious quitting technicolour last Sunday. 

 

Hail. 

[RandyHolt]

One thing I am sure has been touched on in Mike's "I know what is best for Robert" plan, Cousins dominates in these 3 games. Rest assured Kyle is going to call a great game on Sunday. Book it, his best all year.

 

Is the off season blindly going to be better for RG3 finding himself in the middle of a QB controversy heading into next season, not even mandating a few bad throws first?

 

Mike and Kyle long gone, laughing as they leave the mess they left behind.

 

QB Controversy

OL needs to be rebuilt.

Defense near the league worst, in shambles, the move to a 3-4 a total failure. .

Special Teams the leagues worst, maybe in a decade.

No 1st, No 1st.

 

This is the healthy environment for RG3 to dominate in OTAs and learn. Rah.

 

Not all health, is physical by the way. Sure RG3 may welcome love and adore a full on QB controversy.  But I tend to think dealing with competition may get a bit annoying and is a potential distraction. Looking over his shoulder, worried about every mistake.

 

Yes competition may push him to be better but I would wager RG3 does not need competition to be very good.

[HuhWHATdefense]

At this point, it's best for him to sit because of the circumstances. Had he not suffered the injury, he would still be playing, I have no doubt.. But it would be devastating for him to injure himself again in a pointless game and miss another offseason. He has no time and minimum protection so that's factored into it as well. I ask people, "what's the benefit of him staying in at this point?" The only thing someone can say is "he can get valuable reps" but that's horsecrap, because at this point reps aren't more important than making sure he's healthy and ready for next season. Let's be serious, if the packers weren't still in contention for a playoff spot, I'm pretty sure they would shut Rodgers down for the year.

Also, there's no difference than a team who has the playoffs locked up and they sit their qb. You don't want to expose your qb to unnecessary risk, especially when they're coming off a serious injury. Franchise qb's don't grow in trees, so you protect your asset.

[MustangSteve]

Sit him for 2 reasons, first is to save him from injury because of how terrible our O-line is, and because this season as well as the coaches are over, so lets give Cousins experience and see what he can do. 

[HuhWHATdefense]

Also, I think it's good to play Cousins and see if maybe he can get the skins a draft pick or two in return if he plays well. I just see it benefitting the team more by doing this, and if Robert was playing well( & the rest of our team) I don't believe we would even be in this situation. This defense and special teams is atrocious and arent our pass catchers leading the league in drops? The talent around you makes a big difference. Just look at Tom Brady the first 8 weeks of this season when he had no one. This team just lack harmony and chemistry

[skinsmarydu]

This team just lack harmony and chemistry

And this is basically the same personnel as last season's "harmony and chemistry"...

Facepalm.

[HogNose]

And this is basically the same personnel as last season's "harmony and chemistry"...

Facepalm.

There really wasn't harmony and chemistry last year. The problems were just sugar coated with an improbable and amazing winning streak and fun highlight plays with the read option.  The **** was still bubbling under the surface.  The culture will only change when Snyder is history. 

[HuhWHATdefense]

There really wasn't harmony and chemistry last year. The problems were just sugar coated with an improbable and amazing winning streak and fun highlight plays with the read option. The **** was still bubbling under the surface. The culture will only change when Snyder is history.

Exactly... People seem to forget wayy too easily that we had to win out just to make the playoffs. It just so happened our division is terrible and we won it on the last game of the season. A team with good chemistry and harmony doesn't start out 3-6. And if not for our backup qb, we wouldn't have won anything. Though I don't hate Snyder, and believe he's finally learned(the hard way) it does suck us as fans have had to grow through his growing pains as an owner. He's made some decisions that have made my head spin.

He's an easy target, and I get that... That's what happens when a young, rich fan ends up with a team.. I believe Snyder will get it right in his lifetime as the owner.