RGIII has Steelers’ attention
PITTSBURGH – If the Steelers have any question as to what it’s like trying to chase Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III around the football field, they need only to ask defensive end Ziggy Hood. As a senior at Missouri in 2008, Hood and the Tigers faced a young Griffin, then a freshman at Baylor. Hood and the Tigers were fortunate to escape with a 31-28 victory in a game Griffin completed 26 of 35 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Griffin also ran for 33 yards and another score. “We snuck out with a win,” said Hood. “He was a young guy, but you could see he was destined for greatness. Three, four years later, look at him now.” That’s what the Steelers (3-3) have been doing this week as they prepare to face the Redskins (3-4) Sunday at Heinz Field. Just in case the Steelers had any questions about whether of not the hype surrounding Griffin was warranted, head coach Mike Tomlin showed the team a highlight reel of some of the young quarterback’s top plays in his first seven games. It certainly got everyone’s attention. “Normally, when we go against a rookie quarterback, I wouldn’t even be sweating,” said Steelers linebacker Larry Foote. “I would be like ‘piece of cake.’ This guy, he presents some challenges for us and we have to be ready for him. The highlights Mike Tomlin showed us kind of woke you up. You come in Wednesday dragging a little bit, and as soon as he popped those highlights in there everybody woke up and sat up.” What the Steelers saw on that tape was a quarterback running the option play and throwing the ball very well. Not only does Griffin have 468 rushing yards and six touchdowns, he has completed 70.4 percent of his passes – tops in the NFL – for 1,601 yards and seven more scores. His 101.8 passer rating ranks third in the NFL. The Steelers are 12-1 against rookie quarterbacks since Dick LeBeau began his second stint as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2004, but Griffin’s ability is unlike any of the quarterbacks they’ve faced. “He’s going to be quite the challenge,” said LeBeau. “He’s a great athlete. He can run. He’s a much better passer than those running-type quarterbacks. We will have our hands full.” The key, according to the Steelers, will be playing assignment football. “You have to stay square, making sure you stay in your gap, and whoever has the assignment has to stay to it,” said Hood. “Don’t try to do too much. When you try to do too much, that’s when you lose responsibility. That’s when you give up big runs.” Or big passes. Not only is Griffin an accurate passer, but opposing defenses have bit on play-action, allowing Washington receivers to run free through the secondary. “You have to stay in your rush lanes when rushing him,” said Steelers safety Ryan Clark. “You have to stay disciplined when you are chasing him. He has the designed runs – runs that we have calls for. We understand where we need to be. On pass plays, we have guys running down the field, and then you have this world-class athlete outside the pocket. For us, it’s extremely important to know where we fit and know where we are supposed to rush him and not let him break containment.” And if things work out, the Steelers will be as fortunate as Hood and Missouri were in 2008. “He’s doing a great job right now and it’s our job to try to frustrate him,” Hood said.
Running back Jonathan Dwyer (personal), safety Will Allen (ankle) and linebacker Jason Worilds (illness) each returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday. … Running back Isaac Redman (ankle), linebacker Adrian Robinson (concussion) and kicker Shaun Suisham (ankle) were limited. … Tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle), linebacker Brandon Johnson (hamstring), running back Rashard Mendenhall (Achilles) and safety Troy Polamalu (calf) did not practice.