So the Redskins score 10 points in every quarter to match the jersey number of the player who took all the expectation and turned it into execution.
Robert Griffin III was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 1. That’s right – the entire NFC. He is the first Redskins player to win the award since Clinton Portis in Week 5 of the 2008 season and the first Redskins rookie to receive the honor since Rod Gardner in Week 6 of the 2001 season.
Griffin’s 320 passing yards were the second-most by a rookie quarterback in Week 1 in NFL history, trailing only Carolina’s Cam Newton’s 422-yard performance last season. Of all the impressive stats complied by Griffin last Sunday, the one that excited me most about his first official NFL game was the zero times he turned the ball over. But let’s throw out some verbal bouquets to some other folks for the big opening week win in New Orleans.
Courtesy: John McDonnell/Washington Post
Alfred Morris: The sixth-round pick, maybe the find of the April NFL draft when it is all said and done, had 28 carries, 96 yards and two touchdowns. Those kind of numbers will translate well in late November and into December. This kid looks like an NFC East running back for sure.
Billy Cundiff: A perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and kickoffs into the end zone that kept the Saints X-factor Darren Sproles from becoming any factor.
Kyle Shanahan: Very good use of play calling. I loved going for it with a big pass play on fourth-and-inches in the first half. I appreciated how he set the Saints up with little pass after little pass and then unleashed Pierre Garcon for the team’s first touchdown. How refreshing it was to see a wide receiver pick up yards after the catch. The offensive line was decent in pass protection and in the running game. The offense gets commendable marks for sustaining drives and managing the clock. The Redskins held the ball 19 more minutes than the Saints.
Courtesy: ESPN
Jim Haslett: Defense set the tone for Week 1. Many knew the Saints would be out of sorts offensively without head coach Sean Payton, but Drew Brees looked uncomfortable an awful lot against the Redskins defense. The big guys up front held the Saints to a measly 32 yards rushing. Two interceptions for the secondary and the high-octane offense of the Saints only got into the red zone twice.
With that being said, it all changes now as the Redskins go on the road to another dome in St. Louis. As if they could before, the Redskins definitely can’t fly under the radar and teams now have actual game tape of schemes from both coordinators. Here’s hoping Shanahan and Haslett’s play-calling stays imaginative throughout the entire season.
What player or coach besides RGIII impressed you the most in the opening week win against the Saints?
*Also posted at http://www.masnsports.com/holder_on/2012/09/expectation-turning-into-execution.html*
