The Washington Redskins are 0-2 and everyone has a belief of why. Add wide receiver Pierre Garcon.
Robert Griffin III has carried the football just nine times in the first two games, none of which came on a designed run or the zone-read option.
Head coach Mike Shanahan blamed the scoreboard for the lack of Griffin running but Garcon believes it is the quarterbacks knee brace.
“Robert obviously can’t run as fast as he did last year because of his knee brace and his knee,” Garcon told ESPN980 Radio on Tuesday. “But it’s the same offense, to be honest with you. It’s nothing different. It hasn’t changed at all.”
Griffin rushed 120 times for 815 yards in 2012 which accumulates to 7.5 rushes per game compared to the 4.5 he has done this season.
“Well, when you’re walking around with a knee brace or playing with a knee brace, obviously it’s slowing you down a little bit,” Garcon said. “It’s just natural. I don’t know how much it weighs, exactly, but you always think about it when you have it on there, and it’s a constant reminder.” said Garcon.
Defenses are sending five or more rushes 42 percent of the time against the Redskins, compared to just 21 percent last year.
Pointing at Robert Griffin’s knee as the source of the Redskins trouble is turning a blind eye the the real problem in Washington.
Griffin may be slowed by the knee brace but it is hard to tell how much it has impacted his game as the Redskins have been soundly behind by halftime in both of their first two games largely due to their lack of defense. The Redskins have given up 310 yards per game though the air and a NFL worst 201 on the ground.
