The Washington Redskins have been under the magnifying glass this week by reporters and the NFL for how they have handled quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The rookie was hit hard in last week's game against the Atlanta Falcons and had to come out of the game after suffering a concussion. He was cleared to practice earlier in the week by doctors and on Thursday he was a limited participant as the team prepared for Sunday's game.
Coach Mike Shannahan, when asked about his progress said: "there didn't look like there was any setback."
The quarterback went through all the NFL protocols for concussions and is planning to start on Sunday against the Vikings.
"He's been great at practice this week," offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said to the Washington Times. "It sounds like he's going to be alright. Once I wait for that and get that cleared, you go into the game assuming that he's healthy and you see how it plays out. You never want him to have to run the ball too much, see what the defense does. You have to make sure that, when he isn't running - especially on those pass plays where nothing there - he protects himself."
Following the hit in Sunday's game, it was reported that Griffin did not know the score of the game or what quarter it was in. He was hit hard by Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon as he tried to reach the end zone on a scramble.
"It's a serious issue, but I felt fine when I left the locker room" said Griffin to the Associated Press after the game Sunday. "I went home, watched some TV and kinda just relaxed. I haven't had any symptoms at all. Practice went good. I felt sharp. I felt good. No symptoms of a concussion: no dizziness or (feeling) off-balance. I feel right today. We'll see what happens come Sunday."
Many critics have come out this week imploring Griffin to learn how to avoid contact by throwing away the ball and stepping out of bounds. Griffin has a strong arm, but he often uses his legs to make plays. The fear is that if he doesn't learn to avoid contact, he will get hurt more often and miss games for the team.
"If he plays, you've to be more aware of his scrambling abilities. But the game plan doesn't change," DE Jared Allen said to CBSSports.com. "They're doing a great job of running the ball right now. So it is going to be a big challenge for us to go in there and stop the run. We have to force them to be one-dimensional."
With the Redskins under scrutiny after the concussion, NFL Players Association medical director Thom Mayer came out and said that the team did an excellent job of handling Griffin when it came to the concussion and NFL rules.
"I'm supportive of how the Redskins have handled his case," said Mayer according to the Detroit Free Press. "From the moment the injury occurred, they have been a textbook case for how to deal with this, with respect to the protocol. They have followed it appropriately."
Griffin has been compared to Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in that sense, due to the fact that Vick has taken a high amount of hits from opposing defenses in the past two seasons. Last year Vick missed time due to injuries and early in the preseason he hurt his ribs after taking a hard hit.
"If I had slid a half-second earlier, I'd been safe. I tried to get down too late and he had already launched," Griffin said. "At that point, it was just a matter of absorbing the hit and I absorbed it the wrong way. I can't do that to my team, to the fans or to my family because a life is more important that the game of football.
The dynamic Griffin leads all quarterbacks in the league with 241 yards rushing and the coaching staff has said that the injury won't change how they use their young quarterback.
"If I went into a game thinking I had to call a different game because if he got hit he's going to be hurt, then he shouldn't be playing," said Shanahan. "If he's cleared, he's cleared - he's OK. That's my assumption. I think Robert is a pretty smart guy, and I don't think he would do something stupid like that and act like he's...OK just to get back out there. I feel very confident that if Robert is playing on Sunday, he's good to go and 100 percent healthy and call a normal game."
Griffin has been excellent for the Redskins so far in his young career, throwing for 1,161 yards and four touchdowns. He is also the fifth-rated quarterback in the NFL with a 101.0 passer rating. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft behind Andrew Luck and won the Heisman trophy in his final season at Baylor.
The success of the Redskins, who have not made the playoffs since 2007, falls squarely on the shoulders of Griffin. The Vikings team the Redskins will play on Sunday are 4-1, much improved from the 3-13 team they were least year.
