Putting the RGIII Injury to Rest: Shanahan Played Situation Correctly in Heat of Battle

Okay, here's the deal: We get that there are some Washington fans that are upset about rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III's knee injury towards the end of the Skins' first round playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That's understandable.

But calling for Griffin to have been benched before the re-occurring injury happened in the fourth quarter? Now that's where you're wrong.

Yes, Griffin appeared to tweak his sprained knee early in the game and came up limping afterwards. Luckily for the Skins, however, he didn't have to miss a play. It was a failed third down conversion and RGIII went directly to the bench after the play to get it taped up. The next drive he came back out ready to get back to work.

Then, there was a play halfway through the fourth quarter in which Griffin collapsed after once again hurting his knee. Down 21-14, Griffin and the Washington offense started the drive at its own 24-yard line. Griffin was sacked by fellow rookie Bruce Irvin for a 12-yard loss on the first play and, facing 2nd & long, fumbled the shotgun snap on the following play. In an attempt to recover his fumble, Griffin tweaked his injured knee and awkwardly collapsed, unable to get up as the Seahawks recovered the ball at Washington's 5-yard line.

It was at this point that Griffin couldn't get up on his own and needed assistance to get to the sidelines. With Dr. James Andrews on the Washington sidelines, Griffin and the Washington trainers/coaching staff made the decision to take RGIII out of the game. Which was the right move.

Seattle went on to score three more points with a 22-yard Steven Hauschka field goal four plays later. The Skins' second-string quarterback and rookie Kirk Cousins came into the game for the final two drives to attempt the comeback, but failed. Cousins finished 3-for-10 for 31 yards, failing on two fourth down conversions, as the Seahawks pulled away with the 24-14 victory.

Here's where the "controversy" comes in. Should Robert Griffin have been taken out of the game when he came up limping in the first half?

For some reason fans and a select few so-called experts seem to think that head coach Mike Shanahan and Dr. James Andrews handled the situation incorrectly and caused further damage to Griffin's knee injury.

Following the game Griffin stated that he told his coach he was good to go, and that's where another question mark pops up: should the decision to play or sit be put in the athletes' hands? Most say no, but I think this entire conversation is pointless.

If there was a big enough concern on Dr. Andrews' part, the coaching staff likely would have forced him to sit. Watching the game, you could see he was ready to go despite the limp. This is a playoff game, and the only reason that fans have a problem with this is because the Redskins lost the game. If they had ended up completing the comeback in the second half, there would be no concern over his knee and he would be branded a "hero" and/or "beast" by some.

This is ridiculous. You have to respect what Griffin III has done this season, and with his playing-style he will be taking hits and playing injured his entire career. Just look at guys like Brett Favre, Steve Young, Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, etc. They played (or still are playing) injured on most occasions because of their respective playing styles. Favre and Young loved scrambling around for as long as possible and making risky throws on the run. Roethlisberger holds on to the ball as long as his line will allow him, waiting for a receiver to break-free from coverage. Vick, well, he's a lot like Griffin. Loves to take off with the ball himself and doesn't usually run out of bounds.

Fans love seeing players play through the pain and the knee injury clearly had effected his mobility in the previous two weeks yet there wasn't any concern from fans. Why? Because the Redskins won. Seattle outplayed the Redskins in the final three quarters of play and played mistake-free football. The better team that day came out on top, and the D.C. area seems to be making excuses for the loss and throwing their own coach under the bus.

There was no way you were peeling Griffin off the field (until the tweak late in the game that left Griffin unable to move). Also, take note that the injury was a freak accident. Without a bad snap Griffin would have been perfectly okay, but because his momentum took him one way while the ball went another, an awkward fall took place. There was no contact from any defenders.

So, while you guys continue to look for a way out of a third consecutive playoff exit at the hands of Seattle (last two playoff appearances ended at the hands of the 'Hawks), I will continue to believe that Griffin belonged in that game and that Kirk Cousins was not going to bail out the Redskins against Seattle's No. 1 defense.

I expect to see RGIII a bit more cautious when taking off with the ball once next season rolls around. If not, he will continue to play injured, whether you like it or not.

All this being said, for a young guy such as Griffin, he surely handles himself well and deals with the press as well as anyone in the league. We here at All-Out Blitz wish him a speedy recovery.

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By the way, more reaction from this past weekend's games, in addition to a preview of this weekend's Divisional match-ups, will be on the way in the next couple of days. Stick around for it!

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Cousins Impresses with 264-yard, 3 TD performance; Skins' Comeback Attempt Falls Short

Wherever the Washington Redskins travel this season, rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III will steal the spotlight and receive all the media attention. That, however, was certainly not the case once the second half of Washington's preseason Week 2 matchup with the Chicago Bears got underway.

Down 20-10 at the break and a struggling RGIII done for the day, another rookie signal caller for the Skins entered the game and stole the limelight from the hyped No. 2 overall pick in April's draft.

Kirk Cousins, Washington's fourth round selection in April and a Chicago , entered the game and led Washington's reserves to three fourth quarter touchdown drives, bringing them all the way back from a 30-10 deficit. Though Chicago eventually re-took the lead for good following a late 57-yard field goal off the foot of veteran kicker Robbie Gould, Cousins still looked very impressive.

Griffin, finishing the first half with five completions and 49 yards on eight pass attempts, ran for his life in Washington's backfield for much of the first thirty minutes of clock time. Griffin was sacked a couple of times and lost a fumble during one of those sacks, leading to a Chicago touchdown a few plays later.

Griffin simply didn't look comfortable in the pocket and really only had one drive that didn't sputter (9-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Neil Rackers field goal and ate up 4:30 of the clock).

Washington's questionable selection of Cousins–Michigan State's quarterback who is turning 24 years old today–is starting to look like an ingenious selection on Mike Shanahan's part. Personally, I did not like the selection and thought it was a silly move given how much they are putting into Griffin, but since, at any point in time, RGIII could suffer a season-ending injury, it's nice to have Cousins as insurance.

And I will admit, Cousins' performance last night may have won over a few more supporters in the D.C. area.

The battle for second-string quarterback is a heated one between Cousins and former Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman. But with Cousins playing the entire second half of last night's game, and performing as well as he did, I think he may have the upper hand over Rex at this point in the preseason.

Clearly, whether he struggles or performs well in the last two weeks of August, Griffin is 100% the opening day quarterback for Washington. But Cousins can further solidify himself as his backup and even tighten the gap between him and RGIII if he keeps this up in the coming weeks.

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Andrew Luck Takes Control of Offense in Pro Debut

One day after the best debut of Week 1 of the preseason, possibly even one of the best rookie quarterback debuts we've seen in years, there seems to be more talk about the release of Miami Dolphins wideout Chad Johnson.

It's a shame, really. Sure, the Johnson arrest (head-butted his wife, Evelyn) came as a bit of a surprise, therefore leading to the surprise release of the veteran wideout. But why is it that we are more obsessed with discussing his future, rather than the future of the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft: Andrew Luck.

Yesterday afternoon was the long-awaited debut of former Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, who is taking over the reins from Colt legend Peyton Manning–now a Denver Bronco.

His first ever pass? A 63-yard touchdown completion to running back Donald Brown. It was only a little dump-off to Brown, who did the rest of the work as he followed his blocking and took it to the house. Luck simply stood in there long enough for Brown to bounce off his block and took off down the field after the catch.

The rest of the game for Luck went just as smoothly, as he played a majority of the first half and left the game with a 21-3 lead over the St. Louis Rams. Luck's stat-line at the end: 10/16, 188 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Luck orchestrated three near-perfect scoring drives on four total possessions, one being just the one play for 63 yards. The other two–7 plays, 53 yards and 13 plays, 80 yards–took a little bit more time off the game clock.

Throughout Indy's 13 play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off with a Delonte Carter one-yard TD run, Luck was in the no-huddle offense and lined his offense up in the shotgun for nine of those plays. Eight of the 10 completions went for 10+ yards (63, 10, 12, 5, 23, 9, 12, 12, 10, 32).

Luck displayed poise and had complete control over his offense. Obviously this is only the first preseason game of 2012, but if his performance against St. Louis' first team defense is any indication, Luck could have a solid rookie season.

His predecessor, Peyton, threw for a TD on his first professional pass with Indianapolis as well, so could Luck just be following in his footsteps?

No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III had a solid debut for the Washington Redskins this past weekend in a 7-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills, too. Griffin played a lot less than Luck did, going 4/6 for 70 yards and a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon from 20 yards out.

It's a much smaller sample size in Washington, but either way both young guns impressed in their first couple snaps as professional players. I'm thinking there's still plenty from where that came from.

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National Football League Dominates ESPYs

The 20th Annual ESPY Awards aired last night and, naturally, were dominated by the National Football League. The ESPY Awards, for those uninformed, are the equivalent of a Grammy or an Emmy. It's the awards show that has been put on by ESPN since the year 1993.

We live in a country that is surrounded by football. It has become easily the biggest sport in the country, so it shouldn't have come as any sort of surprise that five of the major awards were handed out to NFL players/coaches or "moments."

This year is the 20th year since it was created and was hosted by actor Rob Riggle and I have included a 14 minute video of a few of his jokes from the program last night.

But, before you watch the video here's a rundown of the awards handed out to the NFL:

Record Breaking Performance: Drew Brees' 5,476 passing yards

This is a record that I think will be broken a couple more times, at least, with the way the NFL has been changing. Before the 2011 season, a quarterback has thrown for 5,000 yards in a single-season just twice (Dan Marino and Brees), but that number is now up to five (Marino, Brees twice, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford).

Although I believe this record will not stand for very long, it's still a well-deserved victory for Brees when you take into consideration the fact that he broke Marino's record by nearly 400 yards.

Other nominees:

*Coach K, career wins

*Mariano Rivera, career saves

*Lexi Thompson, youngest LPGA Tour winner

Game of the Year: 49ers over Saints, NFC Divisional Playoff

You know it had to be good in order to edge out Game 6 of the MLB World Series. And it really was.

With 34 combined points and four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, the 2011-12 cinderella team (well, almost) pulled off the improbable upset over Brees' Saints thanks to a late 14-yard TD throw and catch from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. The touchdown turned emotional as Davis ran over and hugged coach Jim Harbaugh. That was the icing on the cake for San Francisco, advancing to the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants.

Other nominees:

*Mizzou at Kansas, CBB

*Rangers at Cardinals, WS Game 6

Best Moment: Tim Tebow's 80-yard GW touchdown pass in OT

No doubt it was a great moment, but I think there were a couple more deserving than this one (*ehem* last day of MLB regular season). But of course it was the finishing touch on a miraculous upset pulled off by Tebow's Denver squad that "stood no chance" against a defense of such gratitude–No. 1 overall Pittsburgh Steelers. Not to mention it was in the postseason and gave Denver the fastest overtime victory in history.

Ok, ok, fine. Tebow's moment deserved to be recognized with an ESPY. Congrats, Tebow. Enjoy it now, because I don't see it getting too much better since you joined the circus in New York.

Other nominees:

*Derek Jeter's 3,000 hit

*Last day of MLB Regular Season

*Bubba Watson's Masters win

Best Coach/Manager: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

Considering that, yet again, Coughlin was forced to shut his critics up by beating out tough teams in the postseason and Super Bowl to prove to everyone he is a more than capable head coach, I'd say he's pretty deserving of this award.

Haven't people learned by now that Coughlin seems to be best when backed up against a wall? Early in the season he was on the cusp of being flogged by Giants fans and run out of town, but once February rolled around these same fans started praising him and practically crowned him king.

Just goes to show that you're only loved when you're winning.

Other nominees:

*Coach Calipari, Kentucky basketball

*Kim Mulkey, Women's Baylor basketball

*Patrick Murphy, Alabama softball

*Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat

*Darryl Sutter, LA Kings

Best Comeback: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

This really was one for the books. In just 13 starts in two seasons prior to 2011, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 had been less than stellar (19 TDs, 21 INTs, 3-10 record as starter). But this past season was a whole different story.

Stafford put up the fifth-most passing yards in NFL history (5,038) and a personal-best 41 TDs on his way to a record-season while leading Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. With a little help from Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Stafford put Detroit back on the radar...but this time, it was through the air that Detroit was making plays.

Going from starting three games one season due to a shoulder injury to a full 16 games the next season is a difficult enough task to accomplish as it is. But to not only accomplish that, but to pull a historically losing team out of the dark and into the light of the postseason? That is truly a noteworthy accomplishment.

Other nominees:

*Sidney Crosby, PIT C

*Johan Santana, NYM pitcher

*Maria Sharapova, women's tennis player

Best NFL Player: Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterback

He was already voted the 2012 season's No. 1 player by NFL Network after posting a 15-1 record this past regular season in Green Bay. Now he receives an ESPY for his spectacular play under center.

What's next for Rodgers, another Super Bowl ring? Perhaps.

Other nominees:

*Drew Brees, Saints

*Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

*Calvin Johnson, Lions

*Terrell Suggs, Ravens

Best Male Collegiate Athlete: Robert Griffin III

Normally I wouldn't include this category on an NFL-based article. But, come on. We all knew this was coming. If RGIII didn't win it, then it likely would have been former Stanford Cardinal, now Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Andrew Luck.

Luck was the No. 1 overall pick, but it appears RGIII may get the last laugh as the flashy quarterback is awarded the ESPY over his counterpart Luck, in addition to three other deserving nominees.

Other nominees:

*Andrew Luck, Stanford football

*Anthony Davis, Kentucky basketball

*Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth hockey

*Mike Zunino, Florida baseball

~ ~ ~

Host Rob Riggle, everyone!

You may view the complete list of ESPY winners here.

Note: I do not own any of the above images (or video). No copyright infringement intended.

Early 2012 Preview: Top 5 Draft Picks

Having a top five draft pick in the NFL is a huge deal and can play a huge role in how the next 4-5 years pans out for your respective franchise.

Obviously landing a top five pick means you were at the bottom of the NFL standings the season before, or you traded up to select a player that you've had your eyes on for the last couple of months. Either way, making the correct decision is vital in both success and team chemistry.

This year's draft has been one of the most top-heavy first rounds we've seen in quite some years. Atop the first round we have two top-tier quarterbacks who are NFL-ready and are going to QB-thirsty teams. One (Stanford's Andrew Luck) will be replacing a franchise's icon and the other (Baylor's Robert Griffin III) will be going to a team that has lacked a play-making quarterback since Doug Williams left Washington in 1989.

It's the first time two quarterbacks have gone No. 1 and No. 2 overall since 1999, when Tim Couch (Browns) and Donovan McNabb (Eagles) were selected in back-to-back picks to start the draft. This could either be a history-making draft with Luck/RGIII putting up stellar careers over the next 10+ years, or it will be a huge letdown. I happen to be a firm believer that these two will have decent rookie seasons, both happen to be starting the season under center.

Here's a preview of what we should expect from Luck, RGIII and the other three top five picks in the draft that was completed at the end of April..

Note from the author: Reading this may overly-excite you for the start of the 2012 season. Unfortunately there is still just under three months until the season will kick-off, so beware..

Luck, Colts QB: No. 1 overall

The built tough and smart Stanford signal caller has a huge task at hand...replacing a legend in Peyton Manning. But, just completing his education at Stanford Luck has just re-joined the team for Mini Camps and has already impressed his teammates. Reading various tweets from his fellow Colts, I think it's safe to say he has the support of his peers already.

Being a Stanford guy, you know he's smart and I expect him to have Indy's playbook down pat by the time pre-season rolls around. With All Pro wideout Reggie Wayne re-signing with the team, the Colts have a proven target for him and plan on building the rest of the offense around Luck. Once the rebuilding process is complete, Indy could be Super Bowl contenders once again.

Griffin III, Redskins QB: No. 2 overall

The No. 2 overall pick by the Skins, who gave up everything but the kitchen sink to get him via a trade with the St. Louis Rams prior to the draft, has impressed many already as well. His wideouts have expressed how impressed they are with his arm strength via Twitter as well. The Skins have done what they can to place the pieces around Griffin as well, bringing in free agent WR Pierre Garcon out of Indy, WR Joshua Morgan. Retaining running back Tim Hightower for insurance was another move that I thought was a good idea.

His weapons aren't A+ grade, of course. But it's a good start. Drafting quarterback Kirk Cousins in the third round this year seems a little silly to me, especially after giving up so many picks just to land Griffin. But Cousins will manage to give RGIII a little added motivation throughout training camp. Perhaps that was the purpose of the move? We may never know.

This will surely be an interesting summer in D.C., wouldn't you agree?

Trent Richardson, Browns RB: No. 3 overall

Cleveland chose not to make a move for RGIII and instead snagged the top running back off the board. Given a very limited backs to choose from, the Browns didn't waste any time grabbing Richardson. With the selection of top five quarterback Brandon Weeden later in the first round (22 overall pick), it appears as though Cleveland is on the five-year plan and is looking to re-build the offense.

The loss of Peyton Hillis (signed with Kansas City on March 14) and the unreliability of additional running backs Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya led to the drafting of Richardson, who has a great combination of speed and power. He has the ability to break long runs once he gets through the first level of opposing defenses.

Hardesty, a former second round pick in 2010, has been a huge letdown after missing all of 2010 and putting up just a 3.0 yards/carry average and zero TDs on 88 rushing attempts in 2011. The front office has high hopes that Richardson can bring an effective run game back to Cleveland, which is almost a requirement to have success within the AFC North.

Matt Kalil, Vikings LT: No. 4 overall

The least exciting pick of the top five, but that doesn't mean it isn't a huge pick. Trading down to the No. 4 spot, Minnesota snagged the top offensive line prospect in the draft, replacing last year's left tackle Charlie Johnson (70 starts in six seasons w/ IND and MIN). I don't think there's anyone I'd rather have protecting the young Christian Ponder's blindside than the 6'7"/306 pound, 22-year old Kalil.

With Adrian Peterson's recovery (ACL) still in question for the start of the season, the passing game will have to be more reliable and keeping Ponder, Donovan McNabb and Joe Webb off the ground was a huge issue last season. The Vikings allowed the fifth-most sacks in 2011 (49; tied with Chicago), which contributed to its 26 offensive turnovers.

A reliable LT is becoming more and more a requirement for a successful passing offense, and Minnesota certainly took a huge step forward in selecting Kalil, who has a brother (Ryan Kalil, current Panthers center) and father (Frank Kalil, former NFL/USFL OL) with professional football experience.

Justin Blackmon, Jaguars WR: No. 5 overall

This, by far, will be the most interesting first round selection to watch. Just over a week ago Blackmon was arrested for driving under the influence (his second DUI arrest since 2010) and there will likely be a suspension coming his way. Well, at least there should be. He hasn't even played a down in the NFL yet and he's already getting himself in trouble. Commissioner Goodell needs to set him straight and sit down and talk with him about his issues.

Anyway, if he does face suspension in 2012 it will be interesting to see how he copes with that and responds once he returns to the field. He's a play-maker and, if Blaine Gabbert can stay upright long enough to get him the ball, he will make plenty of plays for the Jaguars. He's an exciting guy to watch.

If all of this potential NFL drama heading in to training camps at the end of July doesn't excite you, then I'm not real sure what will. Maybe you should get your pulse checked.

Note: I do not own any of the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

RGIII is Washington-bound: Skins give up everything-but-the-kitchen-sink for STL's No. 2 pick

Brace yourself, the following information may put you in to a state of shock. If you're a Washington Redskins fan, you may even want to look away from the screen or possibly even grab your nearest trash can and prepare to puke out your sorrows.

The Washington Redskins have moved up four spots (No. 6 overall to No. 2 overall) in this year's NFL draft, exchanging first round picks with the St. Louis Rams. But, that is not all. Included in this trade package, which Washington will utilize to select Baylor's Heisman winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, is the Skins' second round pick in this year's draft as well as their 2013 and 2014 first round picks.

Now, let that thought sink in for a few moments. That means, that not only will the Redskins owner Dan Snyder–well known around the league for overpaying veteran players and signing questionable characters–have to pay a boatload of money to RGIII as the second overall pick, but they will also lose key picks that would have been used to acquire Griffin some weapons.

I have lost a tad bit more respect for the Redskins front office, to tell you the truth. They are, I'll admit it, in dire need of a franchise quarterback, which they should get from Griffin. But to give up all of that for a guy who isn't a sure thing? I think they would have been better off without drafting a quarterback this year at all and simply adding offensive weapons in this year's draft.

On the other side of things, however, I have to say I'm very impressed with the newly-hired Rams General Manager Les Snead. Just weeks after being hired for the position, Snead goes out and lands key draft picks to help bolster the offense under Sam Bradford, and the defense, for head coach Jeff Fisher. San Francisco will obviously be the favorite in the West, but I wouldn't sleep on this St. Louis team, Fisher knows what he's doing.

The fact that Snyder gave up so much to land the coveted No. 2 pick just puts that much more pressure on Griffin to perform right away. I'm a little worried that head coach Mike Shanahan will get a little too involved with the development in RGIII, which could put a damper on RGIII's performance. Without a dominant No. 1 receiver (unless Snyder signs a wideout via free agency) and a 25th-ranked rushing attack, I don't see Griffin making an immediate impact under center.

This move was supposed to put Washington a step ahead for 2012, which is still possible, but in hindsight it will only put them a step behind in future seasons (2013, 2014).

In order for Washington to compete with the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys this year, we will need to see much more production and durability from the 21st-ranked defense.

Photo credit

RGIII: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images