Robert Griffin III wants to make sure the Washington Redskins return to form during the 2015 season. The quarterback believes the entire team's mindset is focused on that goal, but that they also know work needs to be done first.
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III made it clear during his appearance on "Redskins Nation" Tuesday that the focus is on what's ahead.
"We learned our lessons and we want to move forward this year and be successful," Griffin III told Larry Michael, Voice of the Redskins. "We don't come to this offseason program and work as hard as we do to go out there and not succeed. I know the guys are going to come with a mindset, ready to go, take last year, move along from it."
After taking the league by storm during his rookie season, leading the Redskins to their first NFC East title in 13 seasons behind more than 4,000 yards of offense in the process, Griffin III has experienced both success and struggles over the last two seasons.
But with another offseason to get a better handle of head coach Jay Gruden's playbook, and most of the offense's weapons returning, Griffin III said it's all about having trust in teammates to get the job done.
"It's not about talking about it; It's about being about it," he said. "That's what my goal is this entire offseason. You got to talk small, play big, take care of the little things for the big things and everything will fall into place."
Last season, Griffin III appeared in nine games with seven starts.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was under center for the team's season-opening game against the Houston Texans, and then again the next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the first quarter of that game, though, on a throw few can make, Griffin III landed awkwardly on his right ankle, dislocating it in the process.
Over the next few months of the season, Griffin III would be in and out of the lineup.
Already named "the No. 1 guy" by Gruden in February, Griffin III said the two are "working together in a positive way to make sure this team is successful."
"Our focus isn't to win one more game, two more games," Griffin III told Michael. "We want to win a lot more games than we did last year. We're going to put the work in to make sure it happens."
Griffin III is among only a handful of NFL quarterbacks that has the ability to both throw a pinpoint pass deep and tuck it and run for huge chunks of yardage.
As he looks to fine-tune his skillset and ensure he's ready from day one to be the dual-threat quarterback he's known as, Griffin III said he's been focused on "doing the ordinary so I can be extraordinary."
"I look forward to making the offense more tailored to what I do well or what we do well as a team – offensive line, running backs and receivers," he said. "That's what it's supposed to be. It's supposed to complement what we do well. That's what we're going to get to -- find our identity and stick to that."
Griffin III Has Noticed The Offseason Moves
While the Redskins' activity during the first few weeks of free agency was primarily on the defensive side of the ball, that doesn't mean that Griffin III wasn't paying attention.
He believes the players brought in on that side of the ball will really help set the tempo during games.
"It's been awesome," Griffin III said of the moves. "These guys come in and I saw [Dashon Goldson's] letter to the fans, his message to the fans which was awesome. He's going to bring tenacity to the team that we really need on the defensive side. He believes 'defense wins championships,' and I'm all for it."
The defense will be anchored this season by Terrance Knighton, a player the Redskins signed as an unrestricted free agent in March.
He's also a player Griffin III met face-to-face in 2013, when Knighton took down the quarterback for a sack.
"I've met him on the field as well, and it did not feel good," Griffin III. "But I'm so happy he's on our team now."
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--Robert Griffin III 'Looking Forward To Fatherhood'
--Robert Griffin III: 'Stand Up For Somebody'
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