The Washington Redskins haven't looked too promising during their 0-2 start to the season, and second-year quarterback Robert Griffin III has a simple solution to their current offensive woes: running the ball.
"I can run more," Griffin offered to ESPN as a possible solution to turn the team around.
Griffin ran the ball just nine times in Washington's first two losses, amassing just 25 yards without reaching the end zone. In his rookie season in 2012, Griffin, 23, carried for 815 yards on 120 attempts and scored seven touchdowns in 15 games. His legs helped carry the Redskins to the team's first division crown since 1999 and the team's first playoff game since 2007, albeit in a wildcard round loss to the Seattle Seahawks 35-14.
Griffin believes that his running could provide the team a much-needed lift like it did last year.
"I'll do whatever we have to do to win the game," he told ESPN. "That's always been my mindset. I'm the quarterback. If I have to create that energy, if I have to spit a rap line in the huddle, I'll do it. Whatever it takes to get that energy."
After losing to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles 33-27 in Week 1 and the Green Bay Packers 38-20 in Week 2, Washington will play host to the 1-1 Detroit Lions on Sunday, and Griffin is hoping that he can run the ball at the right times to lead the Redskins to their first victory of the season.
"It's not going out and running to prove other people wrong or prove other people right," Griffin said. "You have to do it when the time arises, and I haven't had those opportunities in those first two games. Hopefully I'll get that opportunity in this game and it will be a spark for our team."
Griffin had surgery last Jan. 9 to repair his knee after he injured it during the regular-season and re-aggravated it in the playoffs. The surgery has led to many people, including his father, hoping that he wouldn't run the ball anymore to risk further damage.
Washington head coach Mike Shanahan has said that running plays are still part of his team's offensive schemes, but they've been behind by so much in their first two games that they haven't had a chance to fully utilize that part of their game, which Griffin has understood.
"The plays are in, they're ready to run, and I'm ready to run them," Griffin said per ESPN. "We just haven't had a chance to do them because we've fallen behind too much."
As far as for throwing the ball, Griffin has a completion percentage of 62.9% after going 56-for-89 for 649 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions through the first two games. Last year, he had a completion percentage of 65.6% while going 258-for-393 for 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Griffin has also insisted that the knee brace he is wearing post-surgery hasn't hindered his speed or ability to run the ball, and Shanahan agreed that he looked good in practice but he can't just abandon their other offensive weapons, especially when they've been trailing by large margins.
"I've seen in practice that he's got some pretty good speed," Shanahan said, according to ESPN. "Is it the same speed it was before? I can't tell you that, but I do know it's a much different game when you get behind by 20, 30 points ... We're not going to abandon our offense. I know we haven't been very impressive, but we still have a lot of confidence in what we're doing."
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