Why all the angst about not seeing much of Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III in the preseason?
I’ve seen a lot of him. I’ve watched him jump over hurdles to eat a Subway sandwich. I’ve seen him throw footballs and toss truck tires in a Gatorade commercial. And I’ve seen him show off his ability to escape defenders with the help of Adidas shoes.
And now you can see him getting a tour of the “Heisman House” in a Nissan advertisement.
“That’s the only way I’m getting in touch with him,” his former Baylor coach, Art Briles, told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “I’m saying hello to him in front of my TV. It’s all good.”
So what has Redskins coach Mike Shanahan been hiding? What does he know that Madison Avenue doesn’t?
Is Shanahan hiding his fear that RGIII may not be able to handle the challenge of even preseason NFL football?
Is he scared that his prized rookie quarterback could be damaged behind a makeshift offensive line?
Or does Shanahan believe he has a weapon that is going to shock and awe the league this season and doesn’t want to give anyone a look at him until it counts?
I’ll take door No. 3 — shock and awe. Well, at least that RGIII will do a Jerry Lee Lewis impression in the NFL — knocking down windows and tearing out doors.
The Redskins open the RGIII era Sunday in New Orleans against the NFL mob crew known as the Saints, and there’s some thought the cons will play as if they’re facing a life sentence following Bountygate and take it out on the Redskins.
What people aren’t expecting to see is an already weak defense, hit hard by suspensions, struggling to stop a playmaker it has never seen before.
RGIII is coming into the NFL at the best time possible for a player with his skills. He’s a blazing fast runner with a strong arm, smarts and composure in an era when the league is doing all it can to make sure defenses can’t stop quarterbacks.
It has never been easier for a rookie quarterback to make the transition from college to the pro game, something evident in recent years with guys like Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.
And despite all the worry about the offensive line, the ragtag bunch that played last season protected a statue like Rex Grossman as well as the Packers, Steelers and 49ers did their quarterbacks in 2011.
Add in a strong front seven defensively and a solid running game, and you have the ingredients for a surprising season for the Washington Redskins.
How about 9-7?
Give me another Subway sandwich, baby.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
