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Robert Griffin III Leaves Redskins’ Victory Over Ravens With Right Knee Injury
By ZAC BOYER
(Originally posted 12/9/12, 4:10 p.m.; Updated 12/9/12, 6:00 p.m.)
LANDOVER, Md. – Robert Griffin III said he feels “pretty good right now about the whole situation” after he left the Washington Redskins’ 31-28 overtime victory over Baltimore on Sunday with a sprained right knee.
Griffin III
Griffin said X-rays taken after the game showed no structural damage to his knee. He wore a bulky, protective black brace on the knee in the locker room and was limping heavily, though he was able to walk without the aid of crutches.
“I was trying to make a play,” Griffin said. “I got outside, turned it inside, and as soon as I turned inside, I thought, ‘Oh Lord, here we go,’ and got down. I protected myself from that regard, but it was just a freak play. My leg got hit as I was going down, or after I was already down my leg got hit, and it was a pretty painful experience, but prayerfully I’ll be all right.”
The rookie quarterback was scrambling with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when he was leveled by Ravens defensive end Haloti Ngata while cutting back toward the center of the field. His right leg bent awkwardly underneath him, and he was helped to the sidelines with backup Kirk Cousins taking the field.
Cousins played just one play, throwing an incompletion to Pierre Garçon that was negated by a pass interference penalty. Griffin returned for the next four plays, completing two passes for 37 yards before collapsing to the grass.
“When I first came out, I didn’t think enough was enough, but after being out there for a few plays and realizing that I couldn’t really do too much, I had to get out,” Griffin said.
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Cousins returned to the field on the following play, then threw a 15-yard pass to Leonard Hankerson and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon. He then ran the ball into the end zone on a quarterback draw for the two-point conversion that tied the score at 28.
Kicker Kai Forbath made a 34-yard field goal on the Redskins’ first possession in overtime to win the game. Cousins did not attempt a pass in the extra period and finished the game with two completions on two attempts for 26 yards.
The appearance was the first for Cousins, who relieved Griffin on Oct. 7 against Atlanta when Griffin left the game with a concussion.
Griffin, who tore the ACL in his right knee in 2010 while at Baylor, remained adamant that it didn’t feel similar to that first injury. An ACL tear, however, can be difficult to diagnose.
“I know what an ACL feels like, so if I felt that, I’d probably be pretty nervous,” Griffin said. “But we won the game. You know, everyone is praying for me. I feel pretty good right now about the whole situation, so I’m not too nervous, but I’ll definitely be praying during the MRI.”
