John Matthews
WMAL.com
LARGO, MD — (WMAL) RGIII never had a chance Thursday night to prove he’s the best quarterback in the league, and now it’s unclear when he’ll have that opportunity.
Playing behind a first team offensive line that was without its anchor at left tackle, Robert Griffin III was constantly harassed by a swarming Detroit Lions defense that held him to just two completions in five attempts, sacked him three times and – in the end – literally beat him into submission.
Griffin left the game (which the Redskins eventually won, 21 – 17) in the second quarter after fumbling the ball for a second time and receiving a concussion in a pileup while trying to retrieve the ball. Griffin spent several minutes on the ground before getting up ans slowly walking to the locker room, never to return. With the NFL’s concussion protocol in place, Griffin will be throroughly evaluated and tested before he’ll be allowed to return to practice, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to play again.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” coach Jay Gruden said. “I would imagine, depending on how long he is out, he is still going to be our starter. We have to wait and go through the whole process and see how he recovers, see how fast he recovers. I have no idea as far as third preseason game, fourth one, right now.”
Griffin has had trouble getting rid of the ball on pass plays and exposing himself to sacks in the past, but he was not to blame for much of the trouble Thursday night. The Redskins kept starting tackle Trent Williams on the bench to rest a sore knee, and the team’s revamped right side of the offensive line – top draft pick Brandon Scherff and 2nd year tackle Morgan Moses – were outmatched from the start.
Things did get better after RGIII left the game. After spotting the Lions a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, Colt McCoy led the Redskins offense on a comeback drive, behind big runs by backup running backs Matt Jones and Chris Thompson, leading to a one-yard touchdown plunge by Jones. In the third quarter, McCoy led a nine-play, 90-yard touchdown drive capped by an 18-yard strike to receiver Reggie Bell. McCoy finished the night 5 for 6 with 80 yards passing.
Kirk Cousins only further muddled the team’s quarterback picture by having a second straight excellent night, bringing the Redskins from behind with what proved to be the winning drive, a 14-play stand that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Ross.
The Redskins ended up dominating the night, racking up 341 yards of offense – a hundred more than the Lions, but the evening proved to be costly. Aside from Griffin’s injuries, linebacker Adam Heyward suffered a knee injury – a possible anterior cruciate ligament tear that would end his season.
The Redskins next face the Ravens in Baltimore a week from Saturday. The third preseason game is usually the final tuneup for starting players, who usually sit out the preseason finale to avoid risking injury. It’s unlear at this point whether the Redskins offense will be able to afford that luxury this summer.
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