The usually honest and gregarious version of Robert Griffin III was nowhere to be found Wednesday morning at Redskins Park. The quarterback who stepped to the podium instead was terse and guarded, clinging to the same four-word mantra over and over and over again.
“Focused on San Francisco,” Griffin said.
It was a phrase he repeated nine times in response to 24 questions over more than seven minutes. Questions about how he would like to improve, about coach Jay Gruden’s criticism of him in a press conference Monday, and everything in between were all met with the same response.
Only one question was actually about San Francisco.
Griffin knew exactly what he was doing. The third-year quarterback made a concerted effort to change his approach with reporters after his postgame comments Sunday were trimmed and twisted, making both local and national headlines. When asked if it was difficult for him to not be his normal self at the podium, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey, it is what it is,” he said. “You get what you ask for.”
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On Monday, Gruden was brutally honest when asked about both Griffin’s performance in Washington’s 27-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his comments afterwards. The coach said his quarterback showed significant mechanical flaws, then later said Griffin should have only talked about himself, not the team’s collective need for improvement, after the game.
“It’s not his place,” Gruden said then. “His place is to talk about himself and he knows that.”
On Wednesday, Gruden was nearly as cautious in his remarks as his quarterback. He said he regretted being so open in his criticism of Griffin and called his comments Monday “a mistake on my part.”
“I just answered it [with the] first thing that came to my mind. And sometimes the first thing that comes to your mind isn’t the smartest thing,” Gruden said. “It wasn’t the right thing to do on my part. Corrections should be made in-house with everybody involved. The play speaks for itself. The production on the field spoke for itself.”
When asked specifically about his coach’s criticism, Griffin only said: “Jay wants me to play better. I want to play better.” Later, he was asked to characterize his relationship with Gruden.
“Great,” Griffin answered.
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In his nearly three years in Washington, Griffin has been something of a lightning rod for the media. His development as a quarterback has been a continuous storyline and he has been the subject of numerous anonymously sourced reports, most recently a Nov. 2 report that he had “alienated” himself in the Redskins locker room.
After Sunday’s game, Griffin was asked about the differences between this season and 2012, a season in which he led the Redskins to the playoffs and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He pointed to Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning and said “those guys don’t play well if their guys don’t play well.”
Griffin has since clarified his comments in a Facebook post and two tweets. He also addressed the team at Redskins Park on Monday, he said.
The constant scrutiny surrounding Griffin has spilled into the locker room, where his teammates are frequently asked about the franchise quarterback and his relationship with them.
“That’s what you guys get paid to do. You come up with catchy stories, controversial stories that captures viewers. Not all of it’s true,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “I don’t look into it. I don’t really concern myself with it.”
Griffin has scaled back his presence in the media this season, whether it’s been by his choice or the team’s. After rehabilitating a dislocated left ankle and returning to practice earlier this season, he was not permitted to speak to reporters for more than two weeks.
On Wednesday, Griffin made it clear he was determined to say nothing of note. When asked about ways he can improve, he said, “Everything, man.” When asked about ways in which he has improved, he said, “Yeah, like I said, focused on San Francisco, man.”
At one point, Griffin was even asked the same question a second time in hopes of receiving a better response.
“Your answer was focusing on San Francisco, but that didn’t really answer the question,” the reporter said before repeating his question.
“Just preparing for San Francisco, man,” Griffin answered with a wide grin. “That’s all I can do.”
One of the numerous questions Griffin deflected was in response to comments made by Steve Young, a Hall of Fame quarterback who now works for ESPN. In a recent interview with ESPN New York, Young said Griffin’s former coaches have told him Griffin does not “put the time in” off the field.
When asked about Young’s comments, Gruden said Griffin works hard and spends a lot of time studying at home. He will often return to practice in the morning with ideas for the offense, Gruden said, or exchange e-mails with offensive coordinator Sean McVay.
“He does what he’s supposed to do,” Gruden said. “He could do more, probably. But, you know, with this day and age, with the iPads that you have and the ability to take things home, I feel like he does a lot at home.”
It was the kind of careful, calculated response that filled the afternoon, a shared effort by Gruden and Griffin to squash any future headlines.
Gruden maintained that everything he has said publicly, about Griffin or any player, is first discussed with that player individually. And from his perspective, Griffin has been responsive to that criticism.
“We want it done the right way, and we’re going to coach it the right way,” Gruden said. “And if you do it the wrong way, you’re going to be told about it. And if you can’t handle that, then you can’t handle being a pro. But [Griffin] is a pro, and he can handle the criticism. He can handle getting coached.”
As for Griffin’s long-term future with the Redskins?
“Honestly,” Gruden said. “We are planning on San Francisco right now.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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