RGIII Set to Start: What are His Season Prop Bets?

To no one’s surprise, it was announced this weekend that RGIII will be the Week 1 starter for the Washington Redskins.

“If we didn’t feel Robert was full-go and ready to play and do all the things you ask a guy to do, he would not be playing in this game,” head coach Mike Shanahan said. “If that’s sprinting out, if it’s running the option, if it’s drop back, he can do all those things because he proved it to us in practice.”

There were concerns that Griffin wouldn’t start, because Dr. James Andrews, the renowned surgeon who had worked with Griffin during his knee recovery, had expressed worries about his playing football to the Redskins. However, Shanahan said that it was not a discussion.

“He said he never said that, and he surely never said that to me,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think a doctor would ever say anything like that. I’m not sure a doctor would ever say anything that had to do with football. You’ll have to trust us that the doctor feels good about it regardless of what those concerns were. I’m trying to be honest with you. [There are] certain conversations that stay between a doctor and a player or a coach and a player, this is one of those conversations.”

“I told you from day one Robert was gonna be our starter unless there was a setback,” Shanahan said. “I told you that for the last month, so I don’t know why it’s a surprise that Robert’s our starter. All I said was I talked to Dr. Andrews, who gave him a physical and there were a couple concerns, and I shared that with Robert when he was in my office, and I told [the media] that after the game. So I don’t think there’s any big surprise that Robert is a starter.”

Though they had a good season last year, the Redskins could be poised to be even better this year after returning many of their starters. Their roster and coaching staff will experience year to year cohesion for the first time in a while, and the benefits could be reaped on the field.

“I was impressed with our football team. We did a bunch of positive things. I was impressed with our [offensive] line and backs,” Shanahan said the team’s final preseason game on Saturday. “There’s cohesion now. They know each other, and that familiarity is a key to running-game success. You could see it today — continuity, knowing what to expect from each other.”

“It’s a lot easier when you have guys who already know the system and you aren’t bringing in new people. It definitely helps,” said last year’s rookie sensation running back, Alfred Morris. “We only lost Lorenzo [Alexander, a Pro Bowler on special teams,] off the whole [starting] team. We don’t need to reteach. The retention is there. We’ve passed the learning curve.”

The team’s general manager, Bruce Allen, even compared the NFC East to the SEC in college football, and said his team has what it takes to win it.

“There’s so many changes in the playoff teams each year — I think half of them change each year anyway,” said Redskins’ GM Bruce Allen. “And in our division, you know, we’re in the SEC of the NFL. This is the big leagues. I think when the Giants last won the Super Bowl, they won it with a 9-7 record. So we have to keep competing in our division, and that’s what our focus is.”

Here are the team prop bets for the Washington Redskins along with the individual prop bets for RGIII. All betting lines come courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Will the Washington Redskins make the playoffs?          

• Yes                  +140
• No                    -170

Washington Redskins – 2013 Regular Season Win Total     

• Over                            8½ (EVEN)
• Under                          8½ (-130)

Robert Griffin III – Total Passing Yards in the 2013 Regular Season    

• Over/Under                               3400

Robert Griffin III – Total TD Passes in the 2013 Regular Season          

• Over/Under                               22½

Robert Griffin III – Total Interceptions in the 2013 Regular Season      

• Over/Under                               10

Robert Griffin III – Total Rushing Yards in the 2013 Regular Season   

• Over/Under                               575½

Robert Griffin III – Total Rushing Touchdowns in the 2013 Regular Season    

• Over/Under                               5

Robert Griffin III – Total Starts in the 2013 Regular Season      

• Over/Under                               14½