This weekend's Vikings-Lions game will not be without its fair share of subplots.
One involves some honest thoughts from the mind of Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who doesn't seem to have much respect for the work ethic of Detroit left tackle Greg Robinson.
"Quite honestly, [he looks] kind of lazy," Griffen said, via The Star Tribune. "He's lazy. He gets beat on the inside. I think the biggest thing is, he's got to compete more but yeah, he's pretty lazy. I feel like the rest of their offensive line, they do pretty well, but to me he's kind of lazy."
Mentioning the word lazy four different times in just a few sentences makes Griffen's stance on the matter pretty clear, though I feel like Robinson has developed into a convenient punching bag over the years. It was not his fault that the Rams took him with the No. 2 overall pick back in 2014 and dragged him through the tail end of the Jeff Fisher era. As we've seen with multiple young stars on this current roster, that atmosphere was not always conducive to maximizing talent.
Sure, part of that is on Robinson, but I tend to take up for him because it wasn't his fault where he was drafted to or when he was selected in the first round. His college tape, a reel of aggressive downhill hits and thunderous blocks, shows a player useful in certain situations and raw in others. Detroit chose him as an emergency option for the injured Taylor Decker knowing what his strengths and weaknesses are. They're trying to iron them out.
It would seem to be difficult to skate by in today's NFL as a player who isn't putting 100 percent into the craft. But the beauty of each Sunday is that players can start from zero again. Robinson is certainly the underdog against Griffen, who will most certainly get plenty of rushes in on the struggling tackle. Robinson also has the chance to prove Griffen wrong.
