The pistol offense and how it contributed to Robert Griffin's bleak future

Patrick McDermott

What will become of the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year's NFL career?

It was a long shot, but 23-year-old Robert Griffin III could have been an Indianapolis Colt.

The fans of professional football can argue about who was the better rookie quarterback in 2012, but regardless of who they choose, it’s clear the Colts and their fans will always be the “victors” of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The “victory,” and I use quotes because an injury is absolutely nothing to celebrate, should have been decided by individual achievement, accolades and most importantly, Super Bowl rings. Instead, it has come in the form of something much more simplistic: durability.

Even though Andrew Luck appeared to be the Colts choice well before the legendary Peyton Manning had even exited Indianapolis, there was a relative amount of push from the outside world to make former Baylor quarterback Griffin the No.1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Thankfully for Indianapolis, Colts' general manager Ryan Grigson didn’t fall for it, and why would he?

Luck and Griffin are both, without a doubt, phenomenal football specimens. That much was clear. But the risks were also hiding in plain sight. Griffin had already suffered a catastrophic knee injury in college, and if he was going to be a slam dunk in the NFL, his body would need to be protected; from himself, and from an offense that would force him to run.

While working on Draft profiles last year for my gig at StampedeBlue.com, I was given the task of profiling Griffin and examining the quarterback from every angle. After experiencing Griffin work the press room at the 2012 NFL Combine, firsthand, and watching hours upon hours of tape, I concluded my profile with the following assessment [emphasis mine]:

No matter how much film you watch, it's impossible to address every aspect of this guy's game. This is a player that could ultimately transform the position, as we know it. Andrew Luck is the more polished prospect (mechanics, awareness, offensive experience), but Griffin is just a totally different animal. And while both carry question marks, Griffin's carry more risk.

I am hardly a professional talent evaluator, and that's the point. I could recognize the risks involved when vesting a team's future in Griffin. They were obvious, so why ignore them?

Gimmick offenses come and go in the NFL.

The 2008 Miami Dolphins were supposed to “revolutionize” the NFL with their college-infused wildcat offense — it lasted for less than a full season. Some offenses are snuffed out because they cannot stay the course schematically, like the wildcat, but some just aren't suitable for the level of physicality in the NFL.

There are exceptions, but the pistol offense seems to be a prime example of the latter.

ESPN

Griffin (sleeve) prepares to take a snap while in the pistol formation.

To give people unfamiliar with the specifics of the pistol a quick recap, the pistol is an offensive formation where the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center (traditional shotgun formation is seven yards), allowing a mobile quarterback — like Griffin — to become more unpredictable and dangerous to opposing defenses. It is incredibly entertaining to watch and can be a huge advantage when correctly executed. However, when you inflict that type of constant punishment on an NFL quarterback, let alone a quarterback with Griffin’s injury history, it’s only a matter of time before they’re on the sidelines.

In his first season, Griffin suffered a concussion, knee sprain, and ultimately a torn ACL and LCL. Did all of these injuries happen as a result of Griffin running the pistol? No, and maybe that speaks to the simple fact that Griffin’s knee was the liability, with or without the aid of the pistol.

From a pure talent standpoint, Griffin is clearly the better athlete, while Luck is clearly the more complete football player. There’s a reason so much emphasis is put on the physical makeup (not just height) of quarterbacks when they are coming out of college. The standards when evaluating quarterback talent are very important.

When considering the physical makeup of Luck and Griffin, I come to a blunt assessment: Luck is built like a NFL linebacker. Griffin is built like a track athlete.

Al Bello/Getty

Griffin's knee collapses during his first playoff game in the NFL. 

It’s no one’s fault. That’s just the way it is.

Griffin should have been put into a situation where his health was the most important factor, like all quarterbacks. If you must scramble, do so in moderation and slide.

Russell Wilson, rookie quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, is a perfect example of how to properly utilize exceptional mobility. Wilson is undersized (5'11", 206 lbs), and let’s face it: any quarterback who goes up against a 260-310 lb defender is in danger. But when you practice, intelligent mobility, like Wilson, Luck and countless other quarterbacks, you can survive and more importantly, thrive.

In this supercharged, gladiator-like era of professional football, mobility should be used as a last resort. Period.

Now, the Redskins will be forced to wait and see how the man who they gave up three first round picks and a second for recovers. The estimate is 6-12 months, which means Griffin could be back in time for training camp, or he could miss the entire 2013 season.

For the sake of Griffin’s once amazingly bright future, I hope to see him return to have a MVP-caliber season. He's an incredible asset to the NFL, but if he's not protected, his career may end up being a sad story of "what could have been."

In next week’s BEYOND THE GRIDIRON column, we will head back to Washington D.C. to take a look at the controversy surrounding the hometown team's infamous name.