If you thought it was odd seeing Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III checking a wristband on his left arm in between plays during Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles, you were correct. For the first time as a pro, RGIII wore a wristband with a number of plays written on it during a game.
RG3 wears wristband for first time as pro quarterback
RGIII wore a play-calling wristband on his left arm for the first time as a pro against the Eagles on Sunday.
Coach Jay Gruden said the coaching staff specifically asked Griffin to wear the wristband, which featured a flip-top, to help speed up the play-calling process. Griffin said it was the first time he used a device like that since high school.
He admitted that the wristband helped increase the tempo of the offense and he had no issues with the attachment, though he used it sparingly against the Eagles:
“That’s in house stuff,” Griffin said. “Everybody wears a wristband around the league mostly. It can really help speed up the communication process between the coaches and quarterback. And get you in a better tempo as an offense. It’s something they wanted to experiment with. We used it a couple of times and there was no problem.”
According to a report in the Washington Post, the team had been limited in its game-planning with Griffin under center because he wouldn’t run certain plays, and the plays that he did call, he didn’t learn them. As such, this pampering of the third-year quarterback led to internal strife within the locker room, and was apparently part of the reason for Gruden’s benching of Griffin.
Washington has been continually hobbled in its game-planning because there were things he refused to run, and what he did want to run, he hadn’t learned. This indulgence and coddling had internal repercussions that only players can know, but 24 losses suggest the level of resentment and apathy. Every player on the roster has lost valuable time, and chunks of his earning power, to this fantasy nonsense. It’s why so many people have been so very hard on Griffin. It’s why Steve Young said he didn’t work hard enough in the film room, why Fran Tarkenton called him a “pontificator,” why DeSean Jackson tweeted that you can’t do great things “with basic people,” and why Gruden benched him. Griffin was either going to get it, have some sort of epiphany, or be a bust.
Griffin did show some improvement in his decision-making and fundamentals against the Eagles, but he still has a ton of work to do to regain the full confidence of the coaching staff. Griffin completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 220 yards with only one turnover, and his Total QBR of 76.2 was his best in any complete game since Week 7 of last season against the Chicago Bears (91.8).
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