USA Today.com: QB tutor: RG3 looks '100 percent healthy'

[amm0409]

Because you hear stuff like this ALL the time this time of year. Remember when RG3 was superhuman and going to be ready for week 1?

I get that, but theres so many but's…  I mean you could even see, he wasn't 100% on the field and still lead even then, I still thought he played pretty well.  So many other factors than just RG3, special teams, defense, OL etc…  In my eyes it was remarkable that the "ready for week 1" actually did happen, and thats a fact because he played week one which is Awesome, and he proved it!

[Nuwanda]

Sounds great, if Terry says it I'm all in. Very exciting to hear and Robert still has close to half a year until the season starts so he can make a lot more progress in that time as well. I'm convinced he will not only go back to his 2012 performance but actually take the next step with him getting older, studying defenses and all that. Plus the knee will be 110% by that time. I can't wait!

[bwattsup]

What I really want to know is if Griffin finally learned a proper slide?!?!?!? That awkward slide really needs to be replaced. It's by far his weakest fundamental.

[Koolblue13]

I perform better when I wear my knee brace. 12 was awesome for sure, but that style is not sustainable. I'm genuinely curious about Robert this year.

[TheGreek1973]

for RGIII to be successful this year 4 things must happen.

-He needs to do a much better job reading the defenses. If he grows in this area I think he will have the opportunity to hit some huge plays with the kind of weapons he has at his disposal.

-He needs to find that 2012 touch on his deep ball again. If he does D Jackson will have over 1500 yards this year, book it.

-He needs to understand pocket presents better. Say what you will about our OL, but more often than not he run into the sack.

-Last but not least I don't want him running for more than 400 yards. He needs to understand how to slide, avoid open field hits and get out before the D lays the wood on him.

If he improves in all these areas, with the weapons he has on D and the spread offense Gruden has, I see him passing 4,000 yards easily and us having a top 5 offense.

[Tarheel_Skin]

Of course he is. He is "Super Human"  #HAIL

[HTTRDynasty]

for RGIII to be successful this year 4 things must happen.

-He needs to do a much better job reading the defenses. If he grows in this area I think he will have the opportunity to hit some huge plays with the kind of weapons he has at his disposal.

-He needs to find that 2012 touch on his deep ball again. If he does D Jackson will have over 1500 yards this year, book it.

-He needs to understand pocket presents better. Say what you will about our OL, but more often than not he run into the sack.

-Last but not least I don't want him running for more than 400 yards. He needs to understand how to slide, avoid open field hits and get out before the D lays the wood on him.

If he improves in all these areas, with the weapons he has on D and the spread offense Gruden has, I see him passing 4,000 yards easily and us having a top 5 offense.

 

Presents?!?!  Where?!

 

Just playin'.  I think now that he has the chance to actually practice correcting the mistakes he's seeing on film, instead of trying to learn through mental reps, we'll see some noticeable improvement in all these areas this season.

[Skinsinparadise]

Some of us trashed Jaws when he said after watching RG3 warm up in the preseason that his footwork looks very off, and he didn't look right to him -- later he said his mechanics were almost perfect during his rookie year but no so this year. 

 

I recall early last season on twitter, Joe Thiesmann being asked whether RG3 will be the same this season as 2012, his answer "No".  He more or less said that having surgery on your plant leg is the worse because it doesn't feel right until a year later and the plant leg has the biggest impact on accuracy.    

 

I heard Terry Shea on the radio talk about how he can see the injury effecting RG3 in that he never had the flaw of balls sailing on him in the past but saw it happen a lot during the season -- he explained that if you don't fully plant on the leg that's what happens.

[dent19]

Coach Shea is a very respected QB coach. I've had a few times to meet him when at QB camps with my nephew. If he says he's looking good, then he really is looking good. Can't wait to seesome Skins action! HTTR!!!!!!

[newday]

Man, this is really good news! Footwork was an issue most of the former-QB-turned-TV commentators were pointing out too. Great that Robert sought some help in teh off season to work on this specific issue.

 

Now, can the O-line give him enough time to go vertical? If not, it's dink and dunk, screen plays, scrambles and greater injury-risk.  Robert still needs more reps to read defensive shifts and disguises. But the O-line REALLY needs to stand up.  Andy Reid fell in Philly trying to build one and finally did. Chip Kelly is enjoying the benefits of a great O-line there.

 

The Giants and Cowboys didn't have a great O-line last year and their QBs got punished. Our O-line was bad too and QBs took a beating.

 

Need a RT, RG scenario that feels really strong. And hope like hell that Lovau (sp?) works out too.

for RGIII to be successful this year 4 things must happen.

-He needs to do a much better job reading the defenses. If he grows in this area I think he will have the opportunity to hit some huge plays with the kind of weapons he has at his disposal.

-He needs to find that 2012 touch on his deep ball again. If he does D Jackson will have over 1500 yards this year, book it.

-He needs to understand pocket presents better. Say what you will about our OL, but more often than not he run into the sack.

-Last but not least I don't want him running for more than 400 yards. He needs to understand how to slide, avoid open field hits and get out before the D lays the wood on him.

If he improves in all these areas, with the weapons he has on D and the spread offense Gruden has, I see him passing 4,000 yards easily and us having a top 5 offense.

Great points!! Totally agree.

 

I'd add a few things the rest of the team needs to do to help RG3.

 

- Give him more time in the pocket with a better O-line that can cover the gaps, and pick up blitzes

 

- Morris developing better hands and learning to get open so RG can 'dump' it off to him quickly when pressured

 

- Reed learning to pass block better

 

That's just on the offense!

[TheFranchisePlayer]

for RGIII to be successful this year 4 things must happen.

-He needs to do a much better job reading the defenses. If he grows in this area I think he will have the opportunity to hit some huge plays with the kind of weapons he has at his disposal.

-He needs to find that 2012 touch on his deep ball again. If he does D Jackson will have over 1500 yards this year, book it.

-He needs to understand pocket presents better. Say what you will about our OL, but more often than not he run into the sack.

-Last but not least I don't want him running for more than 400 yards. He needs to understand how to slide, avoid open field hits and get out before the D lays the wood on him.

If he improves in all these areas, with the weapons he has on D and the spread offense Gruden has, I see him passing 4,000 yards easily and us having a top 5 offense.

I'll add onto this by saying the following,

-Oline needs to give him more time to go deep. Gotta hold your blocks.

-Receivers have to continue working after they complete their assigned route. Too many times when RGIII took off I saw guys just standing there. With a guy like Griffin who can scramble you have to help him out by continuing to try and get open. That's how big plays happen.

-Better pplaycalling. Little Shanny was rather bipolar when calling plays last year. Hopefully Gruden makes calls that will put RGIII and company in position to make plays.

[TheFranchisePlayer]

You all can take the wait and see approach if you want.

2012 proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to me that RGIII has all the tools and technique to be an elite NFL QB.

2013 was the result of a perfect storm of factors colliding at once. Terrible defense, huge early defecits, no off season, coming off of MAJOR knee surgery, terrible playcalling, poor play at all positions across the board, poor coaching, media induced drama, the list goes on.

RGIII is one of the most talented QBs to ever be drafted. He's smart enough to learn ANYTHING that will make him a better QB and has the drive and will to back it up.

RGIII will be much better this year. We will see glimpses in preseason so be ready for pure excitement.

[Vanguard]

This is very good news.

[skinsmania123]

This is an emotional game.  He had the "pocket passing" fundamentals at Baylor and in 2012 or the yards, the completions would not have been there.  Running alone would not have propelled him to Rookie of the Year honors.  What destroyed his 2013 was his mental and emotional working in tandem against him.  The guy was neither well nor ready for the season.  I think Shanahan was actually culpable of not standing up to him and saying so.  Just like he should have been benched as soon as he was injured against Seattle in that playoff game.

 

The guy was unprepared because he was not 100% physically, mentally AND most of all emotionally.   So the outcome revealed that.  Now he has 100% clearance from the injury sustained at the end of 2012.  No more brace.  He is thinking differently.  He is getting the off season practice in with receivers, coaches, etc. that every QB a few years into the NFL require to be successful. 

 

But to say he was not a pocket passer during his career at Baylor or his first year in the NFL is not accurate.  He was always a dual  but dual threat does not mean NO pocket passing,  Some of you really need to review the games in 2012 and during his time at Baylor.

 

The lapse in footwork was 100% mental/emotional last year.  I am sure Griffin quickly regained his 2012 form because he is now physically healthy, which means NO brace. Which removes the psychological or thinking "I am encumbered" which makes a player feel differently an able to perform at a past level. So we are going to get the same guy from 2012.

[TSO]

Guys, if we waited until we saw stuff to form opinions, ES would have more tumbleweeds blowin' through it than a Sergio Leone movie.

 

I like the taste of koolaid.  It is quite possible to get your expectations up and then not feel let down when the results fall short of those expectations.  

 

I personally think Griff is gonna rip people this year.  Bring it.

 

Exactly my thoughts... why not enjoy the thought of a totally healthy Robert who understands that his mechanics/footwork were off last year and is working on them to great effect? Even if it doesn't work out, did it kill you to have that hope?

 

I just re-watched the first Dallas game last season. He was good the first half of the game and then after the first drive in the 3rd quarter he was all over the place. It was incredible how many passes sailed on him or he just plain missed guys that were wide open. He doesn't do that, we win the game hands down. The plays were right there to be made. Having him completely healthy and back to his accurate self will be bigger than any one thing on this team; scheme or players.    

[Gamebreaker]

This is good news, nothing but good news. If people want to be critical they should have questions about whether the OL will be improved, or the defense, or the historically bad special teams. Not whether Griffin can get back to being the player he's been his entire career. 

[DC9]

Eh... say what you want about Bobby Triple.

 

I'm going to wait for an unbias opinion like Evan Silva before I buy into anything.

[Zazzaro703]

I'll believe it when I see it.

True this is the approach people should take, but everything about Roberts character and work ethic says he will get back to form. Personally I'm not worried at all, I'm more worried about injuries.

[SWFLSkins]

Some of us trashed Jaws when he said after watching RG3 warm up in the preseason that his footwork looks very off, and he didn't look right to him -- later he said his mechanics were almost perfect during his rookie year but no so this year. 

 

I recall early last season on twitter, Joe Thiesmann being asked whether RG3 will be the same this season as 2012, his answer "No".  He more or less said that having surgery on your plant leg is the worse because it doesn't feel right until a year later and the plant leg has the biggest impact on accuracy.    

 

I heard Terry Shea on the radio talk about how he can see the injury effecting RG3 in that he never had the flaw of balls sailing on him in the past but saw it happen a lot during the season -- he explained that if you don't fully plant on the leg that's what happens.

 

Good point, and admittedly I thought he was fine. I just really don't understand some things about the Shanny era, not pulling RG3 early in the Seattle game, pushing RGIII to start '12 right off, his proverbial doghouse and keeping Rocca as the punter. 

[elkabong82]

Eh... say what you want about Bobby Triple.

 

I'm going to wait for an unbias opinion like Evan Silva before I buy into anything.

 

lmao. I wonder how many will catch this.

[TSO]

The BIGGEST thing I want to see from Robert this year, outside of his mechanics/footwork improving to where they were in 2012 or better, is his ability to scramble properly BEHIND THE LOS and make plays.

 

It's an absolute travesty that this part of his game hasn't been properly developed. Remember the 4th down conversion against the Giants in 2012 where he made the entire Giants Dline look silly and then hit Paulsen for like 15 yards? We should have seen those type of plays at least once a game.

 

Instead, all we consistently saw was him take off to his right and get outside of the pocket (many times way too early), only for him to tuck the ball and run full speed towards the sidelines in a reckless manner. Sometimes the Oline was at fault because they simply didn't know how to react when the guy they were blocking suddenly took off towards Robert, other times the WRs didn't do much to help... but it just seemed more often than not like Robert wanted to make a play with his legs and wasn't looking down field at all.

 

It would totally make my offseason if I just heard Gruden or McVay talk about this, like it's a priority. Russel Wilson essentially ran his offense by getting outside the pocket and making plays behind the LOS. If I knew the coaches were working on this with him and the team (WRs and Oline learning the timing of it), I think I'd be as optimistic about this season as I've ever been about any, even with Haslett still running the D.   

[Zazzaro703]

You're right. All in for Week 1. I still remember saying to everybody that Cousins should've been playing to our bye week then see what happens. Although the biggest mistake in all of that was not letting RG3 play in preseason. That falls on the old lobster.

Cousins was hurt and not available. Everyone seems to forget this. It was Griffin or Grossman.

[SWFLSkins]

lmao. I wonder how many will catch this.

 

EJ Manuel is on board. 

[Skinsinparadise]

I just re-watched the first Dallas game last season. He was good the first half of the game and then after the first drive in the 3rd quarter he was all over the place. It was incredible how many passes sailed on him or he just plain missed guys that were wide open. He doesn't do that, we win the game hands down. The plays were right there to be made. Having him completely healthy and back to his accurate self will be bigger than any one thing on this team; scheme or players.    

 

As for the first Dallas game, heck even with RG3 being off, if we had a competent special teams, we'd have won that one.

[gholmesbm]

This is good news.

 

I hope that he is able to run like he did in his rookie year. I do not want to see a lot of the read option, designed running plays, but I do want to see an RGIII who terrorizes defenses with nan ability to make a big play through an awesome scramble if receivers are covered. This will help both the running and the passing game and make us very difficult to defend (again).

 

Until RGII, we have not really had that threat. I just remember having to deal with Staubach, Cunningham, Vick, etc. Robert is a better passer than they were and so I look forward to the pressure he can put on opposing defenses.