Rob Woodfork, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Tonight is the night. The trade has been made. Robert Griffin III has been signed, sealed and delivered. The hype has reached an overwhelming crescendo.
Now it’s time to see what he’s got. Or is it?
Thursday marks the first time we’ll see RG3 in full burgundy and gold. This will be the night he makes his first NFL snap, his first NFL throw and his first NFL impression.
But let’s not get carried away. Even if he’s been treated like the greatest thing to ever put on a pair of cleats, he’s still a rookie. A rookie playing behind an offensive line missing three of their five starters. A rookie who will have reserves lined up behind him at fullback and running back.
So if things look bad in Buffalo – yes, even as bad as the 23-0 Bills rout in Toronto last year – there’s no need to worry. He’s not a bust.
Conversely, if he goes in and lights the Bills up to the point that we forget the infamous preseason 50-burner over the Niners in Osaka, we’re not going to take his measurements for a yellow jacket in Canton.
Preseason games are glorified practices. There’s no game planning, the plays are vanilla and the starters make little more than a cameo early in the game. This isn’t a real game. This is an excuse to charge full price to see a scrimmage.
Former Redskins great Brian Mitchell said it best: tonight is a soft-open for RG3.
It’s about getting quick look to see how things go in live action, make the necessary improvements and ensure he’s ready for the grand opening week one against the Saints.
So if RG3 throws a touchdown, let’s not book tickets for New Orleans in February. Booking them for Sept. 9, though, is fine. And if he throws a pick six a la the “original RG3” (Rex Grossman is a “III” too, oddly enough)let’s refrain from booing the kid. If we don’t boo kids learning to read, it doesn’t make sense to boo when this kid learning to play pro football.
If all goes to plan, the day will come when Griffin’s game will match the RG3 hype.
Just don’t expect that day to be Aug. 9 in Buffalo.
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