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Shanahan Gives Off-Season Surgeries & Injuries Update

2013-05-23T22:24:43Z

#Redskins CB Josh Wilson, BTW, did have shoulder surgery. Labrum and pec were repaired. #RedskinsTalk
— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikCSN) May 23, 2013

Looking at injury reports, Josh Wilson must have torn the labrum in his left shoulder in mid-Oct. That's 8-9 games with the injury.
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 23, 2013

No foot surgery. RT @davispond: @rich_campbell How about Garcon's foot that bothered him all year?Any surgery on that?
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

Josh LeRibeus & Maurice Hurt were both out with what Shanahan said were groin injuries. Shanny motioned to his shoulder about Garcon surgery
— Chris Russell (@Russellmania980) May 23, 2013

To clarify, Pierre Garcon had minor labrum surgery in January. He's healthy now. Not participating in team drills as a precaution. #Redskins
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

Roy Helu said his toe feels well since having an offseason procedure. Original tests didn't find damaged cartilage, slowing his recovery.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) May 23, 2013

Brian Orakpo has had "no setbacks" & Shanny says he is much better than last year. Carriker was at rehab. Josh Wilson pec surgery. #Redskins
— Chris Russell (@Russellmania980) May 23, 2013

RG3: My right lateral collateral ligament was not completely torn.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

#Redskins' Shanahan said Garcon's rehab has "really been unbelievable."
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 23, 2013

Shanahan said Fred Davis (Achilles) and Garçon (toe) are about 90 percent.
— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) May 23, 2013

Shanahan on keeping the zone read in the offense: The zone read gave Robert more time in the pocket than he would have had dropping back.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

Shanahan: RG3 would not play in a regular season game without practicing first.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

Mike Shanahan on Griffin: "we're hoping he's ready for training camp. ... He's working really hard."
— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) May 23, 2013

RG3 wasn't the only Redskins player to hit the weights hard this offseason. @hanktime85 grew some guns! twitter.com/NFLSkins/statu…
— Ed Sheahin (@NFLSkins) May 23, 2013

Robert Griffin III: Redskins Quarterback Hopes to be Ready for Training Camp

2013-05-23T20:14:54Z

During the Redskins OTA's on Thursday, Robert Griffin III clarified a lot about the status of his injury with his actions, but especially his words.

The second-year phenom, who underwent knee surgery on Jan. 8, said he hopes to be ready in time for training camp, which begins July 25. He also said that there aren't many phases left for his recovery.

"There's two phases left. Explosive sprinting and cutting," Griffin said in a press conference on Thursday. "You know I was running out there obviously, but as for the explosive sprinting, [the timetable is] next couple of weeks. Cutting, a couple weeks after that. So, I'm not really worried about those phases. They'll come when they come."

A 'couple of weeks' isn't very specific, and though there's only two phases left in his rehabilitation, they aren't insignificant ones. But it's reasonable to think "a couple of weeks" followed by another "couple of weeks" would still be before the team's opener on Sept. 9.

During OTA's, Griffin ran a few light drills with other recovering teammates Fred Davis, Pierre Garcon, Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson. He was able to run, jog, throw, run bootlegs and practice handoffs.

It's with good reason he feels optimistic that the timetable will be shorter than initially perceived, but Griffin reiterated that he is not going to rush or force anything despite having his eye on an early return to action.

"My goal is to be out there for training camp. I know everyone's seen the commercials, the statement of ‘All In For Week 1,' and I stand behind that," Griffin said. "As soon as I woke up out of surgery, I put the first game in my phone. That's always been the goal, but once again I'm not going to risk my career to play in one game. I'm definitely all-in for week one, but I'm also all-in for my career."

Robert Griffin III Was in Tears After Knee Surgery

2013-05-23T19:01:01Z

Robert Griffin III surprised onlookers today by throwing and running with other recovering teammates during OTA's on Thursday.

But even though he is just four and a half months removed from ACL surgery, maybe this doesn't come as a surprise. What was, however, was him emotionally recounting the details of his surgery during a press conference after showcasing his progress. When asked about the most difficult part of the healing process, he recalled the very beginning:

"The tough part about it honestly, was going into surgery not knowing what was wrong. I know I was going to have to get my LCL repaired, and looking at the MRIs and everything, we couldn’t really tell if my ACL needed to be repaired. I’ve been through this before so I know if you have a patellar tendon graft on the same knee, you can't get it from the same knee. So I knew when I got put to sleep if I woke up and felt my left knee, that I had surgery on my ACL.

So I woke up, the nurse didn’t know I was up, and I felt my left leg and I went back to sleep because I didn’t want to deal with it at that time. And it’s tough for me to talk about it. It’s one of the things I get emotional about because it was tough at that time.

I woke back up, I told everyone who was in that room with me, and it’s tough. Yeah, I cried, real men cry, it doesn’t matter. And I moved on. As soon as we finished our little cry festival, I put the date of the first week into my phone and that was my goal.

Since then, the doctors have tried to keep me down and keep me from doing so many things, and I appreciate that from them because that’s what they're supposed to do, while at the same time I’m supposed to push through it because that’s what you have to do with an injury like this."

It's clear that Griffin is motivated to get back onto the field, and while that shouldn't come as a surprise, it still somehow does.

Despite commercials that flash "All In For Week One" and proclamations of returning as a better player than ever before, this strikes me as the most glaring evidence of how determined Griffin is from returning better than ever.

Think about it for a second. First, imagine facing the arduous task of rehabilitating a torn ACL twice before your 23rd birthday, in addition to having the backbreaking weight of a franchise on your shoulders.

Then, envision having world-class speed one day, and then the next having to need assistance moving around. All of that would be plenty enough to discourage the average person to the point of putting him or her for the count.

And still, the first thing Griffin did upon coming to terms with his situation was put a star next to opening weekend in his calendar and motivate himself that. To be running around and throwing at this point, just shy of five months after his surgery, shows that "motivated" may be too weak of a word to describe him.

Trivia Thursday: How Many Redskins Can You Name that Wore #10 Before RGIII?

2013-05-23T16:00:06Z

I decided to do this in the Sporcle format. The answers are provided in a link below the table. This is by no means the entire list, but it includes all of the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Let's keep the answers out of the comments section...at least for the first couple hours. None of the 80 greatest Redskins wore #10, in fact, probably a few of these guys would make the 80 worst Redskins.

Year	Player
2012	Robert Griffin III
2011
2009-2010
2003-2006
2002
2001
1995-1998
1990-1992
1984-1987

Here is the link to the answers. How many did you get right? If I missed any players, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Grainy Pics and Video of RGIII Throwing Footballs at OTAs

2013-05-23T15:24:29Z

Quick note, RGIII will be addressing the media after 12pm, which will be radio streamed on ESPN980.

Griffin is throwing during the ota session.Dropbacks.Plant and throw at times.Sometimes more off front foot. #Redskins
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 23, 2013

Very impressed with how Robert Griffin and Fred Davis are moving, both coming off serious 2012 injuries. #Redskins
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) May 23, 2013

I count 13 rebabbing #Redskins not wearing jerseys. #RG3 Meriweather Davis LeRibeus Morgan among others.
— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) May 23, 2013

So... this is ESPN's "live look-in" at RGIII's workout. Great job guys. #Redskins twitter.com/_JakeRussell/s…
— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) May 23, 2013

Video: RGIII is the dot in the middle wearing the black shirt.

Redskins Offensive Improvements: Will Montgomery

2013-05-23T14:30:05Z

2012 Stats

Started all 16 games

1056 snaps (2nd most on the Redskins offense)

3 Penalties (NFL Average for starting Centers = ~3)

1 QB Sack Against (NFL Average for starting Centers = ~2)

2 QB Hits Against (NFL Average for starting Centers = ~3)

9 QB Hurries Against (NFL Average for starting Centers = ~10)

Overview

Any discussion about a player on the Redskins 2012 starting offensive line should begin with the fact that the unit opened up rushing lanes for the #1 rushing team in the NFL. Take away all QB scrambles and the Redskins still rank #2 in the NFL in rushing yards. The unit paved the way for RB Alfred Morris to be the #2 rusher in the NFL and the Redskins new record holder for rushing yards in a single season, all in just his rookie year. Both figuratively and literally, Monty was at the center of this success.

Even though WIll Montgomery started 16 games for the first time in his career in 2011, he and RG Chris Chester had sub-par seasons to say the least. The Redskins drafted Josh LeRibeus as a G/C backup in 2012 to reassure those positions. However, Shanahan still believed enough in Montgomery to re-sign him to a four year deal. And it payed off. Montgomery played in all but 6 snaps the entire year en route to finishing season as the #5 rated Center in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Oh and by the way, he started the last two regular season games and the playoff game against Seattle with a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

Believe it or not, Alfred Morris made his money running up the Middle-Right A-Gap between Montgomery and Chester. The Redskins elected to run him there most often (56 carries) and did it with the greatest success (317 yards). Montgomery has the "snap and go" lateral quickness along with the ability to locate and engage defenders at the second level that Shanahan values in offensive lineman. He fits the mold perfectly.

Improvements for 2013

Snapping!: Looking back at Griffin's major injuries from the past year, there were bad Montgomery snaps at the center of both plays. Think back to the Baltimore game. Griffin gets his leg whip-lashed after a collision with Haloti Ngata. He drives the team down to Red Zone when Montgomery snaps prematurely and low. Griffin is forced to pick up the ball quickly and throw it in the back of the End Zone resulting in an Intentional Grounding penalty. He's immediately taken out of the game after the injury worsened.

Now consider the infamous day in Seattle. Lost among the "blame game" contestants is Will Montgomery. People blame Griffin for forcing it, Shanahan for "wrecking the Ferrari," and Dan Snyder for not investing enough money into maintaining FedEx field's grass. However, it was Will Montgomery's poor snap at Griffin's feet that forced him to go down awkwardly to get the ball. If that snap hits him in the hands, who knows what we would be talking about right now.

It may seem like this is making a mountain out of a mole hill but snapping the football is an essential art good centers have mastered. You'd think that with the shorter distance between the quarterback and center in the Pistol formation Montgomery would be able to put more pace and accuracy on his snaps but I still recall plays where Griffin one-handed some snaps away from his body or went down low to get them. Also, Montgomery has the luxury of not being the one responsible for reading Griffin's silent count signals. That is Chris Chester's job. Chester looks back over his shoulder for the signal and then relays the signal to Montgomery with a tap, making Montgomery's job much easier. Improving this aspect of his game will go a long way in allowing the offense to move with a fluid tempo.

Bottom Line:

Will Montgomery is a lock to be the starting center for your Washington Redskins. His 2012 season warrants his relatively unopposed status. Some are hoping recently acquired G/C Kevin Matthews out of Tennessee can provide some competition there but if Kevin got cut by his own father (Legendary O-Lineman and current Titan's O-Line coach, Bruce Matthews) in Tennessee then I wouldn't count on him making any other team. If Monty picks up right where he left off last year the Redskins will be in good shape at the center position. However, with an upcoming off-season where he will be snapping more to Kirk Cousins than Robert Griffin, Montgomery will have to be sure to work with them both to adapt to and master both of their cadences.

Daily Slop: Redskins Media Links Roundup

2013-05-23T13:49:59Z

Five areas to monitor during Thursday’s Redskins OTA session
Thursday’s session will be open to the media. Now, it’s mostly a glorified walk-through, but there are times when the offense and defense will go at one another in these non-contact practices. There will be some nuggets to be gleaned from the day for sure.

Biggers At Home In Redskins Secondary
Washington Redskins CB E.J. Biggers may be a new face in the secondary but says he already feels at home with his coaches, teammates and the new 3-4 system.

Need to Know: What we'll watch for in OTA's - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Here is what you need to know on this Wednesday, May 22, 64 days before Redskins start training camp. Today’s the day Today for the first time since their playoff loss to Seattle on Jan. 6, we will see the Redskins on a football field running football plays. Today is the first of six OTA and minicamp practice sessions scheduled to be open to the media. It won’t be the same as January, of course. No pads are allowed; they...

Point-Counterpoint: Should RGIII Start the Season if He Can't Play in the Preseason? | Fanspeak Washington Redskins Blog
Discussing whether or not Robert Griffin III should start the season if he can't play in preseason

Robert Griffin III’s father says he’d like to see ‘a lot’ of passing in Redskins’ offense - The Washington Post
The father of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III said Wednesday that he hopes the team’s attack evolves in 2013 into more of a passing offense and one that relies less on his son’s legs.

How will doctors know when RG3 is ready? | Comcast SportsNet Washington
"No. 1, he’s got to be pain-free," Shaffer said. "No. 2, normal gait. No. 3, no swelling. No. 4, normal motion. No. 5, excellent stability. No. 6, no tenderness. And No. 7, a well-developed muscle envelop."

Ranking the top 50 Fantasy Running backs for 2013 | Fanspeak.com

Ranking the 50 best running backs for 2013 based on standard scoring.

RG3 Featured in EA Sports IGNITE Engine Promo (Video)

Ask Adam Carriker: Game Day Meals, Washington Redskins Draft, Nebraska | 4th & Pain
Our 'Ask Adam' segment, where our listeners can ask Washington Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker anything, has become one of the premier segments here on 4th & Pain.

Redskins Tweetbag: Who will surprise? - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Running the Tweetbag a day early because of the OTA's media availability.

Jordan Reed: "It's a Dream Come True to Just put These Colors on"

The Redskins Blog | 2012 Rewind: Sweep Of NFC East Rival

NFC East stars in fantasy rankings - NFC East Blog - ESPN
No, of course it's never too early to talk fantasy football. I mean, sure, if you're like me, you're working on buy-low targets to try and make up poi

Work remains to be done in NFL’s bid to revamp offseason calendar

Washington Redskins 2012 Stats: Turnover Differential

2013-05-23T11:34:46Z

Offhand, do you have any idea what the equation below represents? (And no coaching from the math majors in the group.)

Me neither. Or at least I didn’t have until I tried to make sense of this article, which attempts to quantify in numeric terms what common sense should already tell you — that the team that turns the ball over the fewest number of times in the course of a game or season tends to win more often than its more generous opponent.

According to the authors of this cheery little tome, “the correlation between winning percentage and turnover differential is equal to 0.646 (3SF). This suggests a strong positive correlation between turnover differential and win percentage.”

Having it expressed in such a manner may be only slightly less odious than having John Madden bellow it at the top of his lungs, complete with grunting noises and wild arm waving. Still, you get the point — that Redskin defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was definitely onto something when he put turnovers at the top of his priority list when he took the job and again this spring when the team drafted a trio of defensive backs whose distinguishing characteristic is their ability to produce interceptions.

Altogether, the Redskins intercepted 21 passes in 2012 while having only eight of their own picked off. Likewise, Haslett’s forces recovered 10 fumbles while the offense was losing only six. The result was a turnover differential of +17 for the season, which ranked third in the NFL after New England (+25) and Chicago (+20).

Not surprisingly, that translated to success on the field for all three teams. The Patriots went 12-4 and won their division, while the Bears missed the playoffs but still turned in a 10-6 record — identical to the Redskins’ mark. In all, five of the NFC’s top seven teams in turnover differential made the playoffs, while in the AFC, it was six of seven.

Going back to the article referenced above, the authors make it clear they are only measuring statistical probability, not causality. In other words, it isn’t clear from the numbers whether teams win because they generate turnovers or because the excellent players who happen to populate good teams just happen to be more likely to produce interceptions and fumbles than the less-talented players on losing teams.

In the case of the Redskins, I’ll go out on a limb here and suggest it’s more likely to be the latter — and specifically the almost unprecedented ability of RGIII to avoid throwing picks — that ranks them among the elite in terms of differential. Indeed, while the Redskins’ total of 21 interceptions was tied for the second-most in the NFL in that category (the Bears led the league with 24 and the Giants also picked off 21), they only managed to recover 10 fumbles — putting them 10th in the NFC.

Statistically speaking, while the Redskin defense was pretty solid in terms of taking the ball away from its opponents, the key to the team’s +17 turnover differential was RGIII only throwing five interceptions all season long in 393 attempts, which translates to one interception every 78.6 attempts.

To put that in perspective, only Tom Brady was better, throwing eight interceptions in 637 attempts, for a rate of 1 to 79.6. Among other notable quarterbacks:

• Aaron Rodgers — eight interceptions in 552 attempts, or 1 to 69;
• Colin Kaepernick — three INT in 218 attempts, or 1 to 72;
• Peyton Manning — 11 INT in 400 attempts, or 1 to 53;
• Ben Roethlisberger — eight INT in 449 attempts, or 1 to 56.1; and,
• Russell Wilson — 10 INT in 393 attempts (exactly the same number as RGIII, coincidentally), or 1 to 39.3.

So what have we learned, class? First, we’ve learned that reading scholarly articles can leave you with a throbbing headache. But beyond that, we’ve learned that the numbers reinforce what our eyes saw. RGIII, by any measure, had a phenomenal season and the key to repeating that success is to keep him out of the fracture ward. And assuming he either can’t stay entirely healthy or regresses to something approaching the statistical mean in his sophomore season, the Redskins had better hope all the ball-hawking secondary members they recruited in the off-season are as good as advertised.