

(By Nick Wass / AP)

The search for Robert Griffin III’s doubters turned up two positive matches this week: Ron Jaworski and Colin Cowherd. The ESPN analyst and ESPN Radio braying mechanical hyena discussed Washington’s third-year quarterback on Wednesday, and both agreed that all is not well.

“When you get to big-boy football, which is the NFL, there is a way to play the game,” Jaworski said, speaking generally. “There really is, for consistent play. And you have to play from the pocket. And I know when draft time comes around, the first thing you read about [many quarterbacks] is his running ability, his ability to extend the play, for all these mobile quarterbacks.

“And I think that’s about number six or seven down on the attribute priority list: The ability to make plays with your legs. Because you have to play from the pocket, you have to play smart. Bill Walsh said it best: You have to process information quickly, and that’s really what the position is about. You know, every year there’s hundreds of guys coming out that can throw the football. But the great ones can process information, throw it accurately, and with pinpoint accuracy, and velocity when necessary.”

“You know what, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson run, too,” Cowherd brayed. “But it just seems to me when I look at Andrew Luck and I look at Russell Wilson, they’re growing, they’re getting better. And I just think RGIII was a firework show, and I’m not seeing anything after it.”

“That’s a great term, because it’s probably appropriate to how he plays the game,” Jaworski said. “You know, it could be a spectacular play or it could be a dud, and that’s not what you want at the quarterback position. You want consistency, play in and play out. Consistency game in, game out. Consistency season in, season out. You’re not getting that from RGIII.

“Now, he’s still young,” Jaworski allowed. “He’s still developing. We’ll see what Jay Gruden and this new offensive staff can do for him. But clearly he’s got to learn to play from the pocket. His mechanics have regressed, by the way. They have regressed in the fundamental way of throwing the football: his throwing slot, his footwork, his inability to remain consistent in that. When you and I talk all the time, the word that comes up a lot in my mind is consistency. And we see a lot of players in this league, they make great throws. They can make a great play. But you have to do it on a consistent basis. That’s what separates the great players from the guys that have short careers.”

Are they haters? No, probably not. But are they doubters? Yeah, probably. Join the list.