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Robert Griffin III suffered what has been termed a "dislocated ankle" in Sunday's Washington Redskins' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. How long he will be out will be determined after an MRI that might be happening as you read this.
How unfortunate is that for the Washington cause? We wonder about that, and so should WagerHome.com customers.
Griffin got his injury as he sprinted to his right to throw a pass, and he planted and landed at a very bad angle. He might be out for the season, and at the very least, judging from the initial reaction, he will be facing some rehabilitation.
The Redskins are in much better shape than most NFL teams in that they can turn to a very capable backup quarterback, and indeed, Kirk Cousins came into a scoreless game and guided the 'Skins to 41 points, with 250 yards and two touchdowns through the air. All told, Washington outgained Jacksonville by a 449-148 margin and had a bloated 32-8 edge in first downs. So they weren't hurting as much as their star quarterback was.
Some pro football betting observers and Redskin fans have, for some time, believed that Cousins was much better suited to run this particular offense. New coach Jay Gruden reportedly thinks he is a better "fit," style-wise, for the West Coast attack. Deep down, Mike Shanahan thought that way too. But Griffin was going to stay right where he was because he was the "franchise," and, it goes without saying, a special favorite of owner Daniel Synder.
There is a certain kind of baggage the Snyder-Griffin relationship brings with it, as Shanahan found out. Some WagerHome.com patrons may have been curious as to how this was going to play out with Gruden, whose scheme was designed to prevent Griffin from performing the kind of improvisations that might leave him open to injury. But that is what Griffin did best, wasn't it? And if that part of his game gets taken away from him, then what kind of quarterback IS he?
Many guys who like to scramble around don't like the West Coast offense because it requires more discipline on the part of the passer; particularly the ability to make a short drop and get rid of the ball quickly. It is a timing offense, more than others, and it isn't forgiving to QB's who like to make it up as they go along. If the Redskins were going to continue along this path, there was not going to be a guarantee that Griffin was going to have happy results with it.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Cousins is going to play like a starting quarterback from this point forward, as opponents will be better prepared for him - that is, if he has to take the reins for a while. If Cousins really turns out to be ideal for Gruden's game plans, that will create material for a quarterback controversy that does not have to be manufactured by the press, that's for sure.
Did anybody out there in the PPH audience at WagerHome.com notice that the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks both failed to cover the pointspread as favorites on Sunday? We bet you did. They may have been caught up in the classic "look-ahead" situation, and in this case, there is an awful lot to look ahead to, as they face each other next Sunday at 4:25 PM ET at CenturyLink Field, with Seattle a five-point favorite in the pro football betting lines.
The Broncos, you'd think, would be the team with more of a "snarl" after the 43-8 beatdown in the Super Bowl, but that was until Seattle suffered a defeat at San Diego on Sunday. Maybe they just don't play as well on grass, but they had covered seven of their previous nine road games against the NFL odds.
As of Monday, these teams remain the two favorites to win the Super Bowl at WagerHome.com, with Denver now the top choice at +300, while Seattle is +400. The Seahawks get to test a Bronco defense that is said to be improved, although this team has had to experience rather anxious second halves in the first two games. And the crowd noise in Seattle will not make it very easy for Peyton Manning to call plays at the line of scrimmage.
But one thing about Sunday's action that may have informed Manning a little is that Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers did not shy away from throwing in Richard Sherman's direction, as Aaron Rodgers had in the first week. Any little thing would be helpful, as Manning went through a house of horrors in the last meeting, averaging just 5.7 yards an attempt and throwing two interceptions.
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- Charles Jay, Gambling911.com
