Hazard's Huddle: Robert Griffin III vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2nd Half)

Continuing where we left off........

1. I'll say it again: This is EXACTLY the type of look you want from a QB stand point. You have a Cover 2 zone beater while Tampa Bay is in a Cover 2 zone. Gruden even brings the receivers tight to the formation to give even MORE room to fit the ball in on the corner route or in case it's Cover 2 man, room to run away from CB. The speed outs are designed to hold the flat CB and open up the corner routes.

The amount of room Griffin has in the pocket may only be exceeded by the amount of room each corner route is running into. Throw the ball. Neither is a risky pass.

Instead, Griffin tries rolling out and gets hit as he throws it to Niles Paul who isn't looking.

2. Griffin gets the same look as the last sail route that he didn't throw. DeSean Jackson on a sail route while Tampa Bay is in Cover 1 man.

Again, Griffin has a pocket, the safety is in the middle of the field and Jackson beats his man quickly.

At least this time Griffin threw the ball but overthrows Jackson for a 2nd time in the game. Probably another 7 points off the board.

3. Griffin gets NEARLY the same look again as Tampa Bay has one safety deep. Except this time, there isn't a defender directly over Andre Roberts. This would be a hint to zone coverage which it is because Tampa drops into a Cover 3 here. That means the CB lined up directly over DeSean Jackson (middle top) is going to go right into the flat.

The play call is All Verts so you can see how the Cover 3 play call from Tampa works in our favor (At least you would if you've seen any of the seam routes vs. Cover 3 in my defensive film breakdowns).

Right after the snap, the slot CB jumps into the flat and Jackson is wide open off the line of scrimmage, waving his hand and calling for the ball. The outside fly holds the CB and Roberts seam holds the LB. The ball should already be out.

Griffin instead locks on to Roberts, who is open here, but because Roberts hasn't turned his head yet (had to go around the LB), Griffin doesn't throw it and instead takes a sack.

4. If you read the last breakdown, you saw the RG3 "comfort call." Here is another one. Kyle Shanahan staple. They run the play-action with the fake reverse and two routes going down field; the skinny post and the deep crosser.

Although there is initial pressure at first, the O-line does a good job pushing it past Griffin and Griffin does a good job moving up in the pocket to avoid it.

But instead of keeping his eyes downfield where Jordan Reed is running into a huge hole in the defense on the deep crosser, he throws a lateral to DeSean Jackson.

5. Tampa Bay has one safety deep and the CBs are playing far off which should give Griffin an indication of Cover 3. Which means if the CB bails and the LB drops into the flat, there should be an open window to hit DeSean Jackson on the slant route at the top of the screen. (And even if ended up being Cover 1, which it isn't, Griffin should know he can hit that slant route with that size cushion.)

Griffin looks right first, then to his left where there is a gaping hole that Jackson is about to run into. Griffin has a clean pocket and should be delivering the ball now. He doesn't.

As Jackson comes open, RG3 pulls the ball down and runs all the way to the sideline before throwing the ball away.

6. If this is man coverage, you have a natural rub or pick route, if it's zone, should expect the in route to sit in an open hole. It's zone.

Even though it's zone, the LB ends up carrying the slot receiver too far inside while Pierre Garcon is running free on the in route. Griffin is looking in that direction but doesn't throw the ball.

Garcon is even more open before Griffin tries to run and gets pulled down for a sack. Not trusting his eyes.

7. This is late in the game before the onslaught of RB dump off passes. Tampa Bay had been playing soft coverage. Just by look you have to assume one of these out routes are going to be open.

Griffin hits the top of his drop and both Roberts and Paul are sitting down and making their break on the out route. No matter which one Griffin is looking at, the ball should be coming out now. It doesn't.

Both out routes are open but Griffin is dragged down for a sack.

I'm not trying to pile on the guy because everyone has come out of the woodwork this week to share their opinion but this is probably the worst performance I can remember breaking down. No matter what goes on in the locker room, no matter what rumors leak, no matter what is said in press conferences, the real story is what is put on the field. Right now, it's not very good.