Washington, D.C. may be the nation’s capital, but it’s also a
city that has come to define failure and disappointment in the
public consciousness. Even Barack Obama, the idol of those who with
a misplaced faith in government, has conceded as much.
“You can’t change Washington from the inside,” Obama said. “You
can only change it from the outside.” If he really meant that, he
would heed Samuel Johnson: “How small, of all that human hearts
endure,/ That part which laws or kings can
cause or cure!”
Instead Obama asked for four more years of vast political power,
claiming to be able to cure much of what human hearts endure.
That’s part of what makes Robert Griffin III’s success with the
Washington Redskins so refreshing. “Can anything good come from
Nazareth?” Nathanael asked Philip. If he had asked about the
Beltway, even Philip would have had to say no.
Griffin has been good, despite coming from a Washington sports
team that has often seemed doomed to perpetual mediocrity due to
its owner’s micromanagement, poor player recruitment, and just bad
luck. The Senate has passed a budget more recently than the
Redskins have appeared in a playoff game.
That drought will soon be over. Griffin has thrown for 3,200
yards in his rookie season, tossing 20 touchdown passes to just
five interceptions. He has run for 815 yards and seven more
touchdowns.
Griffin wasn’t quite as hot in the game that clinched the NFC
East title for the Redskins. Playing with a knee that obviously
wasn’t 100 percent, he attempted just 18 passes and completely only
half of them. He didn’t throw a touchdown, although he did run six
times for 63 yards and a score. That averages out to 10.5 yards per
carry.
Instead Griffin fed the ball to a fellow rookie, running back
Alfred Morris. Morris ran for 200 yards on 33 attempts and three
touchdowns, a 6.1 yard per carry rushing attack. This helped the
quarterback do some masterful ball-handling with play-action fakes
and other trickery that repeatedly fooled the Dallas Cowboys’ best
defensive players.
In addition to proving a skillful signal-caller and nimble
runner, Griffin has been a classy leader for the beleaguered
Redskins franchise. He has put the team on his back coming out of
Baylor. Even his personal critics are left making dumb racially
charged jokes that end up paying inadvertent tribute to his
decency.
Like everything else in Washington, there is a little bit of
gimmickry in Griffin’s game. He runs too much, which has already
gotten him hurt. How far can the option offense take you in the
pros? Surely, the Redskins must pass more to keep up with the very
best in the league. There won’t always be Tony Romo to cough up
three ill-timed interceptions.
But unlike most other things that happen in Washington, there’s
always a possibility that an investment in the future will pay off.
The team could be rebuilt around RG III, with better wide receivers
and (at long last) a bolstered offensive line. Griffin could
continue to grow in the game.
All that remains to be seen. For now, there is joy in Mudville,
or at least the Swamp City. Veterans like London Fletcher and Chris
Cooley will get to taste the postseason. A team that been denied
for five years will get a chance.
Even Griffin’s rookie backup quarterback, Kirk Cousins, has had
an opportunity to shine this season. Don’t be surprised if he is
courted by other teams this summer, perhaps even given an
opportunity to start somewhere. The Redskins could use the draft
picks.
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s name will be mentioned
frequently during the offseason as well, as disappointed teams
start to rebuild. A lot of coaches will be fired in the coming
days.
Some will ask what difference it all makes, with the country’s
finances in increasingly dire shape and a political class that
doesn’t seem up to the challenge. The voters are always looking for
an RG III, but instead winding up with Romo.
It’s a good question, given all the important things going
wrong. Chuck Pagano, a cancer survivor who coaches the Indianapolis
Colts, another playoff-bound team led by an impressive rookie
quarterback, Andrew Luck, gave a good answer.
People derive joy from sports, Pagano reminded his team.
“There’s people out there that are fighting right now and they’re
struggling and they’ve got circumstances,” he said. “Right now,
they’re sitting there with a big smile on their face.”
There’s hope in the nation’s capital. And maybe, with a little
luck, some change.
