RGIII injury: Redskins QB has been cleared to play Sunday

The Baylor product has been spectacular in his first year, racking up 2,902 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Griffin has added 748 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground to round out one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.

The Redskins will be seeking their sixth straight win on Sunday.

Griffin practiced with the team on Wednesday and Thursday without any issues or setbacks, but was still not cleared by team doctors. RGIII is still not at 100 percent, but he appears very likely to return this weekend.

The Philadelphia Eagles have just seven interceptions all season, which is tied for the fewest in the NFL.

Griffin practiced Thursday and participated in a complete, full-speed practice for the second day in a row. Shanahan also stated that Griffin had “no setbacks” at today’s practice.

Albert Breer of NFL.com reported that the team doctor had the authority when making the decision on RGIII last week, and it appears that the doctors will have the final say again this week. Griffin admitted that he “was not happy” about the decision, but respected the team’s choice.

Shanahan was optimistic, but said “hopefully there is no swelling but you just don’t know. So, they will look at it tomorrow and hopefully they will tell us it is full-go.” He also indicated that RGIII took most of the first-team reps on Wednesday at practice. Last week, Griffin was limited at practice all week and did not take first-team snaps, so this is clearly a sign of improvement.

Griffin has completed 66 percent of his passes on the season, has 2,902 yards and 18 touchdowns against just four interceptions. The Redskins can still win the NFC East, and are also in the running with four other potential teams for the NFC’s wild card.

After the game Griffin said:

Griffin also said he was told by the team that they were “protecting me from myself” while head coach Mike Shanahan said that team doctors did not feel Griffin’s knee was ready for a game. Griffin was pleased with the victory calling it “huge” and admitted he “got healthier by not playing.”

Cousins, a fellow rookie, came in for Griffin last week against Baltimore, and looked good while going 2-2 for 26 yards and a touchdown pass. This will be Cousins’ first NFL start.

The Redskins and Browns kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday from Cleveland Browns Stadium, and the game can be seen on FOX.

According to Albert Breer of NFL.com, the decision on whether Griffin will play will be solely determined by the team doctor:

Washington has won four games in a row, with RGIII the dynamic offensive catalyst for the Redskins offense. The rookie is the league’s top-rated passer through the season’s first 14 weeks, accounting for 24 total touchdowns (18 passing, 6 rushing) and over 3,600 total yards on the year.

The announcement as to whether Griffin will be the starter will be made right before game time.

Griffin was able to return to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday. He was also limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, but Shanahan expressed that he was continually improving.

The sprained knee might limit RG3’s mobility, but the Browns are still preparing for his speed and assuming the Redskins will use the read option offense. Jauron said, “we have to play as fast as we can possibly play. Otherwise we have no chance at all.”

RGIII said that last Sunday night he wasn’t sure if he would be ready to play the next week but in the past couple of days he’s progressed to the point where he’s starting to feel better. He would need a knee brace if he plays, but he wore one at Baylor during the 2010 season.

On the recovery process: “The more the leg loosens up, the more the swelling goes down, the more you progress, the more you can do little things.”

According to USA Today, Griffin’s father says that his son told him he plans to start. Whether that’s actually the case won’t be determined until later in the week.

Probably good advice, as it doesn’t seem likely Griffin will be at 100 percent if he does play on Sunday.

So what to make of Garcon’s comments? Not too much. As the anchor notes at the end of the video clip below, RGIII has not been ruled out this week. Cousins may very well start the week under center with the first team if Griffin needs some recovery time, but it doesn’t mean he’ll be on the field this Sunday.

Forcing the Browns to prepare for Cousins and RGIII isn’t a bad thing for the Redskins, either.

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins (knee)

Griffin stayed on the ground, screaming in agony (but “like a man, of course,” as he put it), hobbled off the field, then returned after missing one play. He proceeded to lead the Redskins down the field, but after taking an intentional grounding penalty on the Baltimore 16-yard line, Griffin called for trainers and asked to be removed due to worsening discomfort in his right knee joint.

Griffin tore his ACL in 2009 when he was at Baylor.

RG3 injured his right knee on Sunday while attempting to drive the Redskins to a game-tying touchdown. He left for a play, then returned for four plays before leaving the game for good.

Here’s a GIF of the hit:

With the win, Washington is now 7-6 and in the thick of the NFC East and Wild Card races - but how far they can go without RG3 and his electric arm and feet is definitely in doubt.

The exact injury to RGIII’s leg is still unknown, and head coach Mike Shanahan said after the game that the Redskins await the results of an MRI. According to Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan in DC, Shanahan said that Griffin was “quite sore” after the game, and added that the rookie’s eagerness to re-enter that game was hopefully a positive sign. But until the MRI results come back, Shanahan, and the legion of Redskins fans, will be in the dark.

Robert Griffin III has garnered plenty of praise for his poise in the pocket, ability to diagnose defenses, and his skills as a dual-threat QB; however, he’s received plenty of criticism too for playing fearlessly, running at times to his own detriment. Hits like this wont help silence his critics.