Amid the heady expectations surrounding Robert Griffin III's arrival in Washington, one group has been overlooked: the 52 other Redskins.
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Tight end Chris Cooley warned a fawning public that no matter how special the team's rookie quarterback might be, this year's Redskins are in hot water if the rest of the roster doesn't support him.
"The biggest thing as far as the line and skill positions is to be right," Cooley told The Washington Post on Thursday. "There are specific rules in our offense, and there are specific ways plays are run, and we've been unsuccessful over the last couple years because you can look back at plays and you can say, 'This is great except for one or two guys.' We can't be wrong."
Cooley has played with seven different starting quarterbacks in Washington. He's seen a lot of mind-numbing football. If RG3 can guide Washington to the playoffs, it would be only the third time Cooley's reached the postseason.
We're all waiting to see what RG3 will mean to this offense. The anticipation is tied to a perception that he will find a way to rescue the Redskins out of tight situations with his athleticism and creativity. Sounds nice on paper, but Cooley warned against dipping too heavily into backyard tactics.
"Yes, the idea of an off-schedule play is always a key in the NFL," Cooley said. "But that's something that frustrates a lot of coaches and will sometimes frustrate players. You'll scheme this whole game and then all a sudden the quarterback or someone makes an off-schedule play that shouldn't happen. Robert's the kind of guy that can do those things. But for us to be a team that consistently wins, we have to have him doing the things we want him to do."
