Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III said he might need to change the way he conducts himself as a leader. It's not a surprise that coach Mike Shanahan said to do no such thing. Their comments haven't always intersected for the past several months, and then some. This was no different.
After Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Griffin said one Redskin told him he needed to be more stern with his teammates. Griffin has said he likes to encourage with positive words, not by being, as he said, "an a-hole."
“Not necessarily change who I am, but if they want me to be hard on them I’ll be hard on them,” Griffin said after the game. “I’m just not an a-hole. I believe in positive reinforcement. If something happens, I know he’ll make up for it the next time he has that chance. If they want me to do that I’m fine with doing that. If that’s what we need to get over this hump to move forward and start winning games, then I’m definitely going to do it.”
That's not what the Redskins need, however. You remain true to who you are and, when you're 0-2, the trick to digging out is not by changing how you handle teammates, it's by doing your job on the field better. Griffin has more to worry about than altering his leadership style. Not everything is his fault, but he's certainly not playing as he did in 2012 for a variety of reasons.
"What people have to do, you can't worry about other people, you worry about yourself," Shanahan said. "Once you play the perfect game, then you can start to worry about other people. That's what I tell everybody, whether you're an offensive lineman or quarterback or tight end. You have to concentrate on your job. If everyone concentrates on their job and they do it perfectly, then you have a chance for good things to happen."