A glance at last Sunday's box score might suggest the Pittsburgh Steelers uncovered a way to slow down Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who completed just 16 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown in a 27-12 loss.
But a closer study of the game tape revealed at least nine drops by Redskins receivers. After the game, coach Mike Shanahan struggled to make sense of it.
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"It's been a long time since I've had a game like this, relative to that many opportunities that you didn't take advantage of when guys were open. I was disappointed," Shanahan said, via NFL.com and NFL Network's Jeff Darlington. "I don't care where the placement is. As long as it hits your hands, you had better catch it or else you won't be in the National Football League for very long."
Even a player as even-tempered as Griffin had to be frustrated by the missed opportunities. Still, he kept his cool with teammates.
"Even in the game, I was trying to figure out what to say to these guys," Griffin said. "These are some of the best at their profession in the world. If they drop a ball, they know they can't drop that ball. What am I going to say to them? It's tough in those situations.
"Throughout the game, they repeatedly came to me to tell me they would keep fighting for me, even through the drops. I had bad plays myself. So it was good to hear them say that, and I think they know that I have their back. And they have mine."
Washington's struggles in Pittsburgh act as a reminder of the lack of impact receivers Griffin is surrounded with on offense right now. Tight end Fred Davis is out for the season, while Pierre Garcon -- who was signed to be RG3's No. 1 target -- will miss his fourth straight game Sunday with a foot injury.
The likes of Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson and Josh Morgan will need to step up if the Redskins are to find their way into the NFC playoff picture.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
