ES: First Cousins, Once RG3 is Removed

You don’t need to be a doctor to know that the knee of Robert Griffin III will not be 100% healed by Sunday.

You don’t need to see his MRI results to understand what common sense will tell you: when a 340-pound man named Haloti Ngata nearly whipsaws a patella joint, that’ll leave a mark. You’re lucky to be walking at all after something like that.

The Redskins and their fluid, flickery rookie quarterback should certainly feel lucky today. After that replay was queued up in slo-mo a dozen times and Rich Gannon uttered a long, guttural groan of “uuuugghhhhhh” upon seeing that collision, you might have been thinking any of the following: broken leg, torn ACL, ruptured patella, probably gonna miss the rest of the season. (INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE.)

No one would blame you for those thoughts. Because, uuuugghhhhhh, it did look ugly. Almost Theismann-esque.

But then something highly improbable happened, as it so often does when it comes to the growing legend of RG3. He came back in after one play, completed two huge passes with the game on the line, before exiting the game for good. If the NFL had its own version of the Purple Heart, Griffin would certainly own one this morning.

Then something even more improbable happened. Another rookie quarterback – a 4th rounder with exactly 20 minutes and 56 seconds of regular season NFL experience – came in the game, threw a TD pass with time winding down, and then tied the game on a 2-point conversion.

Want more improbability? How about yet another rookie, returning punts in the NFL for the first time in his life, taking a beautifully placed, 56-yard Sam Koch punt from against the sideline deep in his own territory and bringing it back 64 yards.

Need more improbable rookie heroics? Why not, we’re on a rookie roll! How about a rookie kicker, who had already made 48 & 49 yard field goals in the game to keep his streak of perfection alive, slamming home the game winner on a sloppy field as if he were Morton Anderson practicing in a dome.

All this against a first-place Baltimore Ravens football team.

Translation: The Redskins can win without Robert Griffin III. At least in theory. And they should put that theory to the test this Sunday at the Factory of Sadness, AKA Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Now I know what you’re thinking. It goes something like this:

DUDE UR SO STUPID. THE SKINS PROLLY NEED TO WIN EVERY GAME TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS YOU IDIOT. WE CAN’T TAKE CLEVELAND LIGHTLY, THEY’RE BETTER THAN YOU THINK, AND RG3 EVEN AT 80% IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WE HAVE AT QB. I’LL STOP READING NOW B/C YOUR WHOLE BASIS IS RIDIC.

Easy there, imaginary fella. Hear me out.

I could make a number of arguments as to why I think Kirk Cousins should get his first NFL start, six short days from now. They include opinions about getting reps with the 1st team offense, auditioning Cousins to increase his trade value, and not risking further injury to Robert Franchise.

Yet those are not strong enough arguments to sit a starting QB at such a crucial juncture in the season. The Redskins seem to be on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2007. This is what you play for. You need to bring your best guns to the fight.

And that’s just the thing. Kirk Cousins is the Redskins’ best weapon at quarterback right now. Yep, better than RG3, if only at this precise moment in time. There, I said it.

Wait – my imaginary critic is about to have a cranial aneurism. Let’s hear what he has to say this time.

OMG U CAN’T SERIOUS. ARE YOU A DOCTOR? DOES YOUR CRYSTAL BALL TELL U HOW RG3 WILL HEAL DURING THE WEEK? YOU HAVE NO ACTUAL INFORMATION. RG3 IS MADE OF MAGIC PIXIE DUST IF U HAVEN’T FIGURED THAT OUT. HE WILL PLAY AND THROW EVEVENTY TD’S AGAINST THE BROWNS.

No. No he won’t. He shouldn’t try to play, and here’s why.

At this stage in his career, he’s not RG3 unless he can outrun defenders who seemingly have him in his grasp. He’s not RG3 unless he can turn the corner against the opposition’s fastest linebacker who took a good angle. He’s not RG3 if he can’t run a read option, split two defenders and run like lightening for ten yards at a clip.

Without all those abilities, he’s simply not RG3.

There’s no way he can do his thing a week after getting his leg bent in a way that no human should ever get their leg bent by a man as big as Haloti Ngata.

One day, he will likely be able to overcome a situation like this. But for right now, as good as he’s been, RG3 is at a point where he needs to use his legs to be who he is.

He’s not a polished pocket passer yet. So much of his success in the passing game is predicated on his ability to threaten defenses with his legs, one way or another. If a defense doesn’t have to defend against a 100% healthy RG3, then they can expose his rawness in the traditional NFL pocket passing game.

That’s Kirk Cousin’s game. Let him play it, if only just this once.

DUDE UR SO STUPID. THE SKINS PROLLY NEED TO WIN EVERY GAME TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS YOU IDIOT. WE CAN’T TAKE CLEVELAND LIGHTLY, THEY’RE BETTER THAN YOU THINK, AND RG3 EVEN AT 80% IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WE HAVE AT QB. I’LL STOP READING NOW B/C YOUR WHOLE BASIS IS RIDIC.

Haha, just playin'. Good idea, but the week's early--let's just see how the week goes. I trust in Mike to make the appropriate decision come game day and I'm confident in our team with either Robert or Kirk behind center. I don't think Mike would jeopardize RG3's season by playing him if he's not ready. That being said, RG3 seems pretty determined to play Sunday if it's not that bad. I wouldn't put it past him--the man's a warrior.

We're playing great ball as a team and if we continue to do that Sunday, we should win. I guess as fans, it's our "job" to speculate and wonder all week, but all we can do is wait and see--we, as fans, have no bearing nor control on how Robert heals. Stay tuned!

nice write up even if I don't agree with most of it

A great read

Sorry I don't agree with "resting him." He'll had to adapt to being a pocket passer at some point. And while he is to an extent, he is still also very mobile. You mentioned that him not being able to run and maneuver doesn't make him RG3 - that is completely wrong - what makes him RG3 is that he has the ability to be a pocket passer along with the other things. Everyone says that he has the accuracy of the greats, the ability to go through progressions and read defenses like the greats, etc.

Well, here's his opportunity to finally show that he can succeed without the read option and ability to run. This is his chance to scare defenses even more as they haven't seen him be a strictly pocket passer.

He has many great facets and just because he can't run doesn't mean he isn't the best option.

Great post. I'm on the fence. This game doesn't mean as much to us as the last two - we still would like the padding of winning out (concerning our playoff hopes) but we can still win the division if we drop this one. Difficult decision to make and I do not envy Mike this week. I think we win this game regardless...our D should make them one dimensional if we can stop the run and Weeden may throw up some ducks if the pressure gets there like against the Ravens.

Again, great write up.

I'm almost starting to think that this game was meant for Robert to come out, be less mobile, and still dominate proving once and for all to all the idiots who claim otherwise that he's "just a mobile QB". Maybe it has to happen like this.

I honestly can see Robert sitting in the pocket and lighting it up. He's that good.

It's going to be a game day decision. If he can operate at 90% mobility on gameday and he wants to play, you play him. There needs to obviously be a wide range of tests before he is cleared. I completely expect to not know who is going to start until Saturday or Sunday though, there is no reason to not let Cleveland game plan for Cousins and Robert not knowing who is going to be in there so it's going to be a tense week.

We didn't draft him to run. We drafted him to throw.

RG3 is a better thrower then Kirk Cousins.

RG3 should start on Sunday, if he can go.

Anyone else think that picture looks like RG3 has just powered his foot through Ngata's body, with Ngata's insides flying off his cleats? I mean, that would have been brutal and disgusting, but would have probably improved our chances of seeing RG3 on the field next Sunday, as opposed to what actually happened.

IMO you aren't giving Griffin enough credit as a passer. I have complete confidence in him to be a traditional drop back passer and I still think if Griffin feels he is good enough to go in the game he will give us a better chance to win than Cousins will (not that I dislike Cousins).

I wouldn't play him this week if it's up to me. You want him to sit in the pocket and prove he can be a passer? He'll do that at some point (people should already know this considering the throws he has already made from the pocket but whatever) But don't forget, just because he's not out scrambling around the edge doesn't mean he's not going to get hit. Our O-line has looked good BECAUSE of his mobility. They are not very good keeping a traditional pocket. All it takes is one hit on his already strained knee, one lineman rolling into him, one blindside shot, and now we're talking about if he'll be able to recover from a serious injury in time to be ready for the start of next year. You don't take that risk with your franchise QB.

My opinion is to have Cousins start, but RG3 back up. That way if things get ugly, bring in RG3 if necessary.

Oh and for what it's worth for the upcoming game, why are folks talking up Cleveland's defense so much? Yes, they are improved....compared to previous Cleveland defenses. Their defense is ranked all of 1 spot ahead of Baltimore (Total defense) and we were just talking, last week, about how Baltimore's defense wasn't any good. They're 21st against the pass and 18th against the rush. As much as I worry about RG3, Cleveland doesn't have a Haloti Ngata on their line, though Phil Taylor isn't much smaller. In fact, looking at their defense, they have about three players I'd be worried about. Taylor, D'qwell Jackson, and Joe Haden. That's pretty much it.

Oh, and guess who's offense is worse than Baltimore's in all respects? Ding ding. It's Cleveland. They've won a few games recently (over a Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Kansas City) and have still managed to be outgained in a few of their recent games despite winning. Our last 20 years have caused us to expect the worst, but we should be in this game near the end no matter who is QB'ing for us, and if RG3 is in with even a hint of his full ability, we have no excuse for losing, not after beating the teams we have recently.

IF Griff can play and wants too, then he should play. If he can't, then he should sit.

Either way, we have an advantage in Cleveland. If it's Griff, well nothing else needs to be said. If it's Cousins, not a lot of tape on him. I really like both kids and think they are both going to be good NFL QB's for a long time.

If RG3 doesn't start, the only acceptable scenario (imho) is that we have him suited up and ready to step into the game and stop the bleeding if necessary. Each game from here on out is too critical for us to not give it a shot. This, of course, is assuming he could even play this week to begin with.

I have no doubt he can/will succeed as a pocket passer, but if he's unable to get out of the way of 300lb lineman, I dont want him out there being an even bigger "immobile" target.. His inline speed isn't my concern, but his ability to cut, shuffle, evade, pivot, etc. would be the factors I'd take into consideration, before making a decision on if he plays or not.. Even if it meant a 100% chance of losing to the Browns, Eagles, and Boy's, I still want a fresh/healthy RGIII next year, more than I want to gamble, this year..

DUDE UR SO STUPID. THE SKINS PROLLY NEED TO WIN EVERY GAME TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS YOU IDIOT. WE CAN’T TAKE CLEVELAND LIGHTLY' date=' THEY’RE BETTER THAN YOU THINK, AND RG3 EVEN AT 80% IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WE HAVE AT QB. I’LL STOP READING NOW B/C YOUR WHOLE BASIS IS RIDIC.

Haha, just playin'. Good idea, but the week's early--let's just see how the week goes. I trust in Mike to make the appropriate decision come game day and I'm confident in our team with either Robert or Kirk behind center. I don't think Mike would jeopardize RG3's season by playing him if he's not ready. That being said, RG3 seems pretty determined to play Sunday if it's not that bad. I wouldn't put it past him--the man's a warrior.

We're playing great ball as a team and if we continue to do that Sunday, we should win. I guess as fans, it's our "job" to speculate and wonder all week, but all we can do is wait and see--we, as fans, have no bearing nor control on how Robert heals. Stay tuned![/quote']

Are you really Kirk Cousins' cousin? LOL

Eh, I'd be fine with Cousins starting. He came off the bench cold in two games, and has done pretty well. He had 2 picks against the Falcons, but people forget that the Falcons have one of the best pass defenses in the league. A cold off the bench rookie couldn't be expected to perform amazing in that situation.

Give him a week working with Kyle and the first team, and I think he could do pretty well. He's got smarts, ice water in his veins, and decent enough accuracy. Also guts. You have to to execute that 2 pt. conversion at the end there.

That being said, RGIII could probably play without too much trouble. The key will be how Kyle changes the offense. We had a lot of 2 WR sets. I could see us going to 3 WR sets more, in an attempt to get people open more often quicker. Instruct RGIII to just throw it away more, etc. I'm sure he'll still attempt heroics, but I would love to see RGIII go in there and just command the game completely from the pocket. It would also help to silence a lot of those jokers out there that say RGIII isn't a "real" QB.

I hear ya on this.. Wouldn't hurt giving Cousins the start and let RG3 be fully healed to carry on the rest of the season at 100%. Cousins did help us with this amazing win. How i see it is if he shows to be impressive against Cleveland, its a win win for us being toward his trade value/experience and confidence in our rookie backup.

Regardless i have faith in Shanahan's decision making.

HAIL

Don't look now, but the Browns have won their last 3 in a row. If RG3 can play he's going to play. Skins have to win out for a good chance at the playoffs.

I also think his knee will be significantly better by the end of the week. That was 1 of those injuries that looks a lot worse than it is.

Nice write up though...

I have a lot of confidence in Cousins and these receivers and RB. This is a good offense and they are on a roll. What would it hurt to start Cousins and see how the game goes by halftime. If he plays good then awesome, if he doesn't and RG can go without further injuring himself, then make a switch. But Cousins has well over 100% completion ratio himself in college, and this kid could be another star on this team. I won't be scared if he gets his chance come Sunday, I think he wins his 1st start ever.

I think a lot of people are confusing the severity of this free floating hyper extension of the knee with the more common, more devastating "planted" or "weight-bearing" knee injuries found in football.

His knee was not hit. His entire leg had momentum, and Nagata hit his thigh. RG3's thigh stopped, but his lower leg kept going; this is what we saw. A floating hyper extension; rather minor at moderate or less speed. RG3's speed was the main culprit for the injury, and fortunately, he was not at full speed at that moment when his thigh was suddenly stopped.

This is significant because the injury will be minimized compared to if it were a different kind of knee injury. i.e. Adrian Peterson ACL - Foot was planted, direct hit to his knee... or Joe Theismann with his triple whammy planted, leveraged, and weight bearing leg injury.

Now with all that said, I like the idea of suiting up RG3, but planning for either QB to start. The unsung greatness of yesterdays game, is that it has surely given Kirk Cousins the confidence he would need to play. Cousins' mind would be elsewhere if he had thrown a pick 6 on that final drive instead of a TD.

Redskins will become a better team after this dilemma is overcome.

Great write-up and I agree with you 101%.

Rushing back from an injury can do more damage in the long run. If RGII isn't 90% or better, he should be the backup. After last night I have faith in Cousins and the offense as a whole.