Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III got hit way too much against the Vikings in last Thursday’s loss.
Griffin was hit 18 times over the course of the game and the blame for those hits can be spread out in several directions. The offensive line needs to block better, receivers need to win more battles with defensive backs and Griffin has to know when to get rid of the ball or slide to avoid a big hit from the defense. That’s been the case in other games this season and Griffin said that the number of hits has to drop regardless of the reason why they’re happening.
“Bottom line, I can’t take those amount of hits,” Griffin said, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “You don’t want to be hit that much. A lot of great quarterbacks don’t get hit that much. It’s not just me, it’s a lot of things that go into that. We just have to get better.”
Outside of the hits, last week’s performance was one of the best of the season for Griffin. He completed 24-of-37 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns and running for 44 more yards, numbers that the Redskins will need most weeks if they want to make another late season run at a playoff spot. They can’t get them if Griffin is sidelined, of course, so cutting the hits down to a more manageable level should be a big focus in the weeks to come.