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SBNation is working with GMC and Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk to ask a series of questions throughout the season. Faulk returns for Week 2 to ask the following question:
Wow. Many surprises in Wk 1. @SBNation: on your team, who is now facing the pressure to perform? ... http://t.co/fez0V7D33a
— Marshall Faulk (@marshallfaulk) September 10, 2014
Robert Griffin III has been discussed ad nauseam on Hogs Haven following the Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans with articles written about bringing back the read option, asking what kind of QB we want RGIII to be, and grading the QB and the rest of the team. We all know there is pressure on Griffin to perform in a new offense, to perform better than he did last year when he was returning from injury, and to perform well enough to justify the trade and his draft position. Trent Dilfer said that RGIII's development is the single most interesting story of the offseason.
I'm going to take a different angle on the question and go with the person who is guiding Griffin's development, and shaping the team going forward. First time Head Coach Jay Gruden has an enormous amount of pressure to perform this week and this season. The Redskins lost a very winnable game last week due to mental errors, and some poor play. People will immediately question the play calling of a new head coach after a loss and that's what has happened. When pressed, Gruden admitted that he would have liked to use Alfred Morris and the running game more vs the Texans last Sunday. The team didn't use any designed runs for Griffin, and that will get picked apart from both sides.
Jay Gruden had some strong supporters when he was considered a candidate for a head coaching job, but when you're coaching a team like the Washington Redskins, support can fade quickly. It's very early in his time here, but the best solution is to win a game, and that's what he needs to do this week. The sane people will tell you it's only two games, but if the team goes 0-2, a lot of sanity goes out the window.
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