Redskins win the NFC East by defeating their archival Cowboys

The rivalry between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys has long been considered the most heated in the National Football League.  A week 17 game to settle the NFC East division and a playoff spot stands out as one of the most significant games in the history of the rivalry.  Electrifying rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris led a Redskins attack that had led the team to 6 consecutive victories.  On the opposite end of the field stood Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who led the Cowboys to 5 wins in their last 7 games to set up the pivotal division title game.

Alfred Morris had a record breaking night (USA today)

 The Redskins had not won their division since 1999, while the Cowboys had lost a similar winner takes the division game in week 17 of the prior season.

At the end of the night, Romo had thrown 3 interceptions, including one to linebacker Rob Jackson with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game and the Cowboys trailing by only 3 points.  Romo's mistake-laden performance, and 1-6 record in elimination games may cement his legacy as a quarterback with prolific statistics who is unable to win when it matters.

Morris had a record setting performance as he rushed for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, and in the process, broke Clinton Portis' franchise record for single season rushing yards.  Morris, a 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic who was not even expected to make the team coming into training camp, finished the season with 13 touchdowns and 1,613 rushing yards ranking him second in the league in rushing yardage behind only Adrian Peterson.  Morris proved to be a perfect fit for Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme.  He has been nearly impossible to take down, leading the league in broken tackles and ranking third in yards after contact.  His bruising running style is a perfect weapon for the Redskins zone read option.

Morris' homerun celebration (Rob Carr/Getty)

Griffin III had a relatively quiet night throwing for only 100 yards, but also had 63 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.  He broke the all time single season rushing record for a rookie quarterback.  Griffin III finished the season with a passer rating of 102.4, breaking the single season rookie record in the category and ranking him third in the league in the category behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. 
The Redskins will host a Wild Card playoff game next Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Cousins and the Redskins defeat the Browns to move into first place in the NFC East

Kirk Cousins was magnificent in his
first ever NFL start (AP/Tony Dejak)

With rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins making his first career start, the Washington Redskins downed the Cleveland Browns 38-21.  Washington won its fifth consecutive game, its largest win streak since 2005, to pull into first place in the NFC East.  The team has not won the division since 1999, and has qualified for the playoffs only twice since the turn of the millennium.

Cousins, Washington's 4th round draft pick out of Michigan State, was spectacular starting in relief of the injured Robert Griffin III, throwing for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and completing over 70 percent of his passes.  After a rough start, the Redskins established an offensive rhythm thanks in large part to excellent play calling by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.  Shanahan abandoned the pistol formation and zone read option which had been staples of the team's offense in the games that Griffin has started this season.  Instead, Shanahan adapted to Cousins, a more traditional quarterback, by using more of a pro style offense.  With the Browns determined to stop the run, Cousins was particularly effective on play action bootlegs, on which he threw 2 touchdowns to second year receiver Leonard Hankerson, including a 54 yard bomb in the first quarter to open the floodgates.

Leonard Hankerson caught two touchdowns
(AP/Rick Osentoski)

The Redskins defense came up huge yet again, limiting the Browns to under 300 yards of total offense and forcing 2 turnovers.  London Fletcher came up with his 4th interception of the season, and Rob Jackson intercepted his 3rd pass of the year.

The Redskins now control their own postseason destiny, and with wins against the Eagles and Cowboys will earn the right to host a playoff game.

Redskins defeat Ravens in battle of the beltway

Kirk Cousins made several key plays down the stretch (AFP)

The Washington Redskins pulled off a thrilling 31-28 come from behind victory against the Baltimore Ravens.  Ravens running back Ray Rice scored a 7 yard rushing touchdown to put the Ravens ahead by 8 with under 5 minutes remaining in the game.  Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Baylor University, and the NFL's offensive rookie of the year favorite, suffered a right knee injury on a 13 yard scramble after being slammed into by the 340 pound Haloti Ngata, a pro bowl defensive tackle for the Ravens.  Following a 3rd down pass interference that gave the Redskins a first down, Griffin was able to return to the game, albeit in a hobbled form.  Griffin was able to drive the Redskins all the way to the Ravens 16 yard line, but was visibly in pain, lacked his spectacular mobility and appeared unable to plant his foot in the ground.  Rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Redskins 4th round pick out of Michigan State, completed his next two passes, including a beautifully thrown 11 yard touchdown to wide receiver Pierre Garçon in the right corner of the end zone, over the outstretched arms of the defense.  With the Redskins trailing by two with 29 seconds remaining in the game, Cousins took off on a designed run up the middle of the defense for the two point conversion to force overtime.

Kai Forbath has yet to miss a field goal this season
(Washington Times)

On the Ravens first possession of the overtime period, the Redskins defense stepped up and forced a three and out.  On the subsequent punt return, rookie Richard Crawford, a 7th round pick out of SMU, returned the ball 64 yards to the Ravens 24 yard line.  Field goal kicker Kai Forbath remained perfect on the season by drilling a 34 yard kick through the uprights to seal the heart stopping comeback.

The victory was yet another demonstration of the incredible productivity that the Redskins have received out of their draft picks from this past draft.  Griffin III has had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, ranking among the league leaders in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdowns.  The remarkably clutch play of Cousins, who entered the game without a moments notice to complete the Redskins comeback, justifies a draft pick that was derided by most analysts, who claimed the team should have instead used its 3rd round pick to add depth to its offensive line.   Rookie running back Alfred Morris had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game.  The 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic University who is now astonishingly ranked 3rd in the league in rushing yards, was not even expected to make the team prior to training camp.  Crawford, filling in for the inactive Brandon Banks, provided a spark in the return game that has been missing all season.

The Redskins offensive line of left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, center Will Montgomery, right guard Chris Chester and right tackle Tyler Polumbus has been the unheralded key to the team's success this season.  The offensive line has done a sensational job implementing head coach Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and creating holes for the league's first ranked rushing attack.  After a rough start to the season, the line has improved substantially in pass protection by allowing routes to develop downfield and providing Griffin III with ample time to find open targets.  In the first quarter, Griffin III was given nearly 5 seconds in the pocket to find wide receiver Josh Morgan who ran a drag route across the entire field.  Williams, the 4th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, has developed into one of the league's best left tackles and has become the linchpin of the offensive line.

While Cousins was excellent in relief of Griffin III, the Redskins need their dynamic budding superstar to make a speedy recovery.  The Redskins option offense is predicated on the threat of Griffin running the football.

Redskins defeat Giants on Monday Night Football

The Washington Redskins won a must win game against the New York Giants in front of a national audience on ESPN's Monday Night Football in order to keep their once improbable playoff hopes alive.  By defeating the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants in consecutive division games, the Redskins resuscitated what once appeared to be a yet another disappointing season for the team.

Robert Griffin III continued his magnificent rookie season
(Geoff Burke/US Presswire)

Quarterback Robert Griffin III did not put up the gaudy stats that Redskins fans have become accustomed to, but he made plays when it counted against an elite defensive front, and yet again did not turn the ball over.  In the first quarter Griffin III fumbled the ball after a run of 12 yards, but miraculously while lying on his back Griffin III was able to push the ball up into the hands of receiver Josh Morgan.  Morgan scampered into the end zone untouched for the first touchdown of the game

Washington's oft maligned defense held the Giants potentially explosive offense in check.  The secondary yielded only one big gain in the passing game, after giving up a 77 yard game winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz in the first meeting between the two teams in October.  Most importantly, the defense held the Giants offense to field goals instead of touchdowns.  The Giants were forced to take 4 field goals, as opposed to scoring only 1 touchdown, a crucial factor in the game.

For the majority of the game the Redskins operated out of the pistol formation, a modified version of the shotgun in which the quarterback stands 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage rather than the customary 8 yards.  Thanks in part to the formation, which allows the runner to hit his holes quicker than he would in the shotgun, the Redskins running game flourished.  The team finished with an astounding 207 rushing yards on 6.7 yards per carry.  Griffin III finished with 72 rushing yards including one run of 46 yards on which he showed of his highly touted athleticism.

Alfred Morris was a workhorse for the Redskins
(NYGiants.com)

Running back Alfred Morris, the Redskins 6th round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, broke the Redskins rookie rushing record and had a career high 124 rushing yards in the game.  Morris displayed the mental fortitude necessary to be a star in the NFL by overcoming a red zone fumble and continuing to produce big run after big run.  Morris showed off his hard nosed difficult to tackle running style by picking up 8 first downs for the Redskins.  Morris is ranked 3rd in the NFL with 1106 rushing yards on the season, and has really opened up the play action passing game, a staple of the Redskins highly productive offense.The threat of Morris running the ball helped the Redskins offense convert 9 of 11 play-action passes, as opposed to 4 of 10 on regular drop-back passes.

In the beginning of the 4th quarter, Griffin III and Morris marched the Skins down the field all the way to the Giants 8 yard line.  The Redskins then ran a play action fake out of the pistol formation.  The fake to Morris made the Giants Tampa-2 defense hesitate for long enough to allow Griffin III to roll to his right and hit receiver Pierre Garçon in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Redskins a 17-16 lead.  Garçon has been extremely productive when healthy, and has made a tremendous impact in providing Griffin III with a sure handed target who has the ability to make very difficult catches.

After the Redskins defense did its part in shutting down the Giants late in the 4th quarter, the Redskins received the ball with 3:51 left in the game.  Over the years, Eli Manning and the Giants have had numerous come from behind victories with limited time left on the clock.  Morris and Griffin III took matters into their own hands and moved the chains to prevent the Giants from having an opportunity to win the game.  Morris' 6 yard run on third and three with under 2 minutes left ensured the Redskins victory and kept them alive in the NFC playoff hunt.

Redskins defeat the Cowboys and Eagles to keep their playoff hopes alive

The Washington Redskins had a disappointing 3-6 record entering their bye week after losing three straight heartbreakers to the Giants, Steelers and Panthers.  By the time the Redskins welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles to town, it appeared that the team had given up hope on reaching the postseason.  Head coach Mike Shanahan seemingly threw in the towel when he told the media following the loss to the Panthers, "when you lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who, obviously, is going to be on your football team for years to come.  Now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at."

Santana Moss
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The struggling Eagles squad was just the remedy for what ailed the Redskins.  The Redskins cruised past the Eagles 31-6, the largest margin of victory in Shanahan's tenure in Washington.  Philadelphia leads the NFC in turnovers, and also has the fewest takeaways in the conference.  Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick was out with a concussion, and his replacement, rookie Nick Foles threw two interceptions and no touchdowns.  The team was able to muster only 257 yards of total offense against a Washington defense that had struggled for most of the season.
Rookie sensation Robert Griffin III ignited the Redskins offense, throwing a career high 4 touchdowns, and completing all but one of his throws for an unbelievable completion percentage of 93.7%.  Griffin III set the NFL rookie record for passer rating with a perfect rating of 158.3.  Griffin III displayed his cannon of an arm with a 49 yard bomb to Aldrick Robinson and a 61 yard heave to Santana Moss on which the receiver made an incredible play by ripping the ball away from two defenders to seal the victory.

Robert Griffin III against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving
(Jose Yau/Associated Press/The Waco Tribune-Herald)

Only 5 days later, the Redskins traveled to Dallas to take on the hated Cowboys on a huge Thanksgiving day stage.  With the entire nation watching, Griffin III announced to the world that he is a worthy MVP candidate by leading the Redskins to a 28-3 half-time lead.  Griffin III finished the game with 4 touchdown passes, 311 passing yards, a 132.6 passer rating and once again completing over 70 percent of his passes.  Included among those touchdowns were a 68 yarder to Aldrick Robinson and a 59 yarder to Pierre Garçon, who had to adjust to a pass thrown behind him and outran the defense all the way to the end zone.  Garçon, who had missed significant time with a foot injury, made his impact felt with 5 receptions for 93 yards, the first time he was able to truly contribute since week 1.  Rookie running back Alfred Morris, a 6th round pick who is incredibly ranked 5th in the NFL in rushing yards, opened up the play action for the Redskins by picking up 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In the second half the Cowboys came roaring back, pulling to within a touchdown of the Redskins.  Led by quarterback Tony Romo, who passed for 441 yards in the game along with 3 second half touchdowns, momentum appeared to be on Dallas' side.  Following receiver Dez Bryant's second touchdown of the game, which made the score 35-28, the Redskins were desperate for points.  Griffin III calmly drove the offense down the field to set up a field goal by Kai Forbath, who has yet to miss this season, with under 3 minutes left in the game.  The Cowboys made a field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game to draw to within 38-31.  On the ensuing on side kick attempt, Redskins cornerback Deangelo Hall, who already had an interception in the game, returned the kick all the way to the 2 yard line before sliding to allow the Redskins to end the game in victory formation.

Robert Griffin III carrying the American flag
(Brian Murphy/Extremeskins.com)

The two consecutive victories against bitter division rivals has revived the Redskins playoff hopes, and gives the team a realistic chance to either win the NFC East division or sneak into the postseason as a wildcard.  Next week's Monday Night Football game against the Giants will be a crucial matchup to watch.

Redskins snap 8 game home losing streak against the Vikings

Robert Griffin III rushed for 138 yards, a Skins QB record
(Jonathan Newton/Washington Post)

The Washington Redskins snapped an 8 game home losing streak by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 38-26 to improve their record to 3-3.  Robert Griffin III bounced back from a concussion suffered last week in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, by putting on yet another dazzling offensive performance, and energizing the Redskins entire fan base.  Griffin completed 17 of his 22 pass attempts to maintain the highest completion percentage in the league, rushed for 138 yards, a Redskins quarterback record, and accounted for three touchdowns.

After a sluggish first quarter in which the the Redskins were dominated by the Vikings, the team trailed 9-0.  Fortunately, Washington's ailing defense was able to prevent the Vikings from reaching the end zone despite multiple trips to the red zone for Minnesota.  Holding Minnesota to three first quarter field goals proved to be a deciding factor in the game.

The Redskins responded by scoring 24 unanswered points, including a 50 yard field goal by the team's newly signed kicker Kai Forbath in his NFL debut.  Griffin III and the Redskins have scored touchdowns on all 12 of their goal to go situations this season.  The team's red zone efficiency, induced by the threat of Griffin's elite running ability, was on full display as Griffin passed to fullback Darrell Young for a 6 yard touchdown, took the ball in himself for a 7 yard rushing touchdown, and handed the ball off to running back Alfred Morris for a goal line touchdown.

RG3 leaps into the crowd after a 76 yard rushing TD
(Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

Washington's defense came up with 3 huge turnovers, including a pick 6 by free safety Madieu Williams, and a fumble recovery by linebacker Lorenzo Alexander that gave the Redskins possession of the ball at the Vikings 6 yard line.

The Vikings scored two 4th quarter touchdowns  to cut the Redskins 19 point lead down to 5.  With just under three minutes remaining in the game, the Redskins faced a crucial 3rd and 6 which they had to convert in order to prevent the Vikings from completing a demoralizing comeback.  Griffin III dropped back to pass, broke a tackle, scrambled to his left and used his world class speed to outrun the defense for a breathtaking 76 yard rushing touchdown, the longest by an NFL quarterback in over 16 years.

RG3 has been nothing short of a godsend for a Redskins franchise that had lacked a quality starting quarterback for over two decades.  With Griffin III under center, the Redskins have been among the most exhilarating teams to watch this NFL season.

Griffin leads the Redskins to a 4th quarter comeback victory against the Buccaneers

Robert Griffin III orchestrated his first game winning drive
(Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Week after week, rookie sensation Robert Griffin III makes the Washington Redskins appear wiser and wiser for having mortgaged the future in order to select him in the 2012 NFL draft.  In a must win game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 4, Griffin led the Redskins to the first 4th quarter comeback of his career.  The Buccaneers had just made a field goal to take a 22-21 lead over the Redskins with 1:47 remaining in the game, when Griffin led the Redskins offense onto the field at their own 20 yard line.  Washington had blown a commanding 21-3 lead, and to make matters even more dire, Griffin's headset was malfunctioning, preventing him from communicating with his coaches on the sideline.  Despite the adversity, Griffin displayed his preternatural poise by brilliantly moving the Redskins offense down the field and managing the clock like a ten year veteran.  Griffin calmly dissected the Buccaneers defense in completing all four of his pass attempts on the drive, including two for over 15 yards.  On a 2nd and 6 play with under 40 seconds remaining, Griffin recognized that the Bucs prevent defense provided him with ample running room, and took off, picking up 15 yards.  Even after a false start penalty moved the Redskins back five yards, Griffin was able to hit Santana Moss on a crossing route for a seven yard gain to set up Billy Cundiff's game winning field goal.

Cundiff was in the midst of one of the worst games of his career, having missed all three of his field goal attempts, including both a 31 and a 41 yard attempt.  Cundiff's final field goal attempt of the day, a 41 yarder with only 3 seconds remaining in the game, redeemed him by putting the Redskins up 24-22, and made him a hero in the nation's capital, until at least next week.

Besides orchestrating the game winning drive, Griffin was sensational throughout the game, completing  74% of his pass attempts for 323 yards and rushing for 43 yards and a touchdown.  His use of the hard count to draw the Tampa Bay defense offsides was astounding for a player making only his 4th NFL start.  Griffin was hit far less against the Buccaneers than he had been during the Redskins two previous losses to the Rams and Bengals, an encouraging sign for Redskins fans.  The return of left tackle Trent Williams solidified the Redskins offensive line, which limited the Bucs to 4 quarterback hits after giving up 13 to the Bengals. Additionally, Griffin had only three designed runs, limiting the abuse he could take from the Bucs defense.

Much credit must be given to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and head coach Mike Shanahan for their creativity in the offensive game plan.  The Redskins offense threw the Buccaneers defense off guard by having Griffin take snaps under center, something he rarely did in the first three games of the season.  The Shanahans ran plenty of misdirection plays, and limited the use of the triple option, which was a staple of the Washington offense throughout the first 3 games,  but often resulted in Griffin being hit hard.  On the final play of the third quarter, the Shanahans demonstrated their offensive genius through a trick play in which Griffin lateraled the ball to wide receiver Brandon Banks, who then lateraled back to Griffin across the field.  After receiving the ball, Griffin completed a 30 yard pass to tight end Niles Paul who was wide open.  Griffin's 103.2 passer rating ranks 4th in the NFL through a quarter of the season.

Alfred Morris had a 39 yard touchdown run
(Rick Carioti/The Washington Post)

Griffin received plenty of help offensively from rookie running back Alfred Morris, who ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.  In the second quarter of the game, Morris broke several tackles en route to a 39 yard touchdown, which he celebrated by pretending to hit a home run.  Morris has the 5th most rushing yards in the league through 4 games.  As a team the Redskins have the league's top ranked rushing attack and third ranked offense.

Defensively, the Redskins were very effective in the first half, limiting the Bucs to only two field goals. The Redskins front seven put constant pressure on Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman, led by outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan who had a sack and a pass batted down.  The Redskins pass rush in the opening half helped out the much maligned secondary, which shut down the Buccaneers passing game.  Cornerback Deangleo Hall intercepted a pass which led to a Redskins touchdown.  The second half was a much different story, as the Buccaneers aerial attack abused the Washington secondary in scoring 19 unanswered points.  The key to the Redskins success defensively appears to be pressuring the quarterback, however, without Brian Orakpo and Adam Carricker both of whom have suffered season ending injuries, achieving a consistent pass rush will be a very difficult task.

 

Griffin dazzles in his debut as the Redskins defeat the Saints 40-32

Robert Griffin III (photo by Nir Levy in preseason)

The Robert Griffin III era began with a bang as the Washington Redskins pounded the New Orleans Saints 40-32 in week 1 of the 2012 NFL season.  Griffin, the Redskins rookie quarterback, put on a dazzling performance by connecting on 19 of his 26 pass attempts, including two touchdown passes.  His 320 passing yards were the second most all time by a quarterback in his NFL debut.  Griffin completed his first 8 passes of the game, including an 88 yard touchdown to the newly acquired Pierre Garcon, on which he demonstrated his resoluteness by hanging tough in the pocket and delivering an accurate pass despite having pressure in his face.  Griffin showed off his incredible blend of athleticism, pinpoint accuracy and arm strength on the opening play of the second quarter, when he eluded a defender who seemed to have a certain sack, shuffled to his right and launched a 26 yard pass on the run to tight end Fred Davis at a spot where only he could catch the ball.  Griffin posted a 139.9 passer rating in the game, and lead the Redskins to their first 40 point regular season game since 2005.

Robert Griffin III under center
(Photo by Nir Levy in the preseason)

The Redskins offensive line was spectacular, providing Griffin with plenty of time to operate in the pocket, allowing only 1 sack on a broken play, and paving the way for rookie running back Alfred Morris in run protection.  Morris, a 6th round pick out of little known Florida Atlantic University, was a workhorse back for the Redskins in the season opener, rushing for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 carries.  Garcon made his impact felt in his first game as a Redskin, with 4 receptions for 109 yards, including the aforementioned 88 yard touchdown catch.

The Redskins defense was excellent in the game, limiting the Saints to only 32 rushing yards, forcing 3 turnovers and sacking the Saints All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees twice.  The Redskins were able to fluster Brees, one of the league's best players, intercepting him twice and forcing the most accurate quarterback of all time to post his worst single game completion percentage in nearly 6 years.

Robert Griffin III (photo by Nir Levy in the preseason)

New Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff was a perfect 4/4 on field goal attempts.  Cundiff was an All-Pro kicker in 2010, but was released by the Baltimore Ravens after missing a potentially game tying field goal in the waning seconds of the team's AFC championship loss to the New England Patriots last season.

(All Photos were taken by Nir Levy)

Washington Redskins Quarterback Preview

Robert Griffin III was drafted 2nd overall by the Redskins
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

After a nearly two decade long search for a franchise quarterback, the Washington Redskins believe that they have finally found their savior in the form of Robert Griffin III, whom the team drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.  The Redskins were forced to part with an unprecedented package that included three first round picks and a second round pick in order to acquire a high enough pick to draft Griffin.  Griffin, a product of Baylor University, won the Heisman trophy this past season as the most outstanding player in college football.  He has every trait that a team wants from a franchise quarterback both on and off the field.
Griffin possesses elite athleticism which he uses to elude defenders as a runner, and more importantly, extend plays with his feet.  He ran the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine in a blistering 4.41 seconds, has a 39 inch vertical jump, and even qualified for the semifinals of the 400 meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic trials.  Unlike many mobile quarterbacks, Griffin also has the ability to make every throw.  He demonstrated his pinpoint accuracy during his senior year at Baylor by completing an astounding 72.4% of his passes.  He is also lauded for his quick release and his absolute cannon of an arm.
Griffin's work ethic and intangibles are considered to be among his strongest attributes.  He is an army child and had discipline and hard work drilled into him at an early age.  He stays out of trouble and doesn't party, drink alcohol or smoke.  Griffin's magnetic personality has earned him the immediate respect of the entire Redskins' locker room.  The veterans listen to him and the younger players revere him, an extremely rare occurrence for a 22 year old.
The Redskins' backup quarterback is Rex Grossman, who started 13 games for the team last season and has mastered offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense.  Grossman is a very capable backup and has demonstrated the ability to move the offense and lead a team to a victory if he is given the opportunity to play.  Grossman's fatal flaw is his penchant for turning the ball over.  He had 20 interceptions last season along with 8 fumbles and single handedly lost a few games for Washington last season.
The Redskins' third string quarterback is Kirk Cousins, whom the team drafted in the 4th round of this past NFL draft with the hope that he will eventually become the team's primary backup.  Over his final three seasons at Michigan State, Cousins won more games than any other quarterback in the Big 10 conference.  He threw 3 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter of the Redskins' second preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Robert Griffin III
(John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

The Redskins faithful have sky high hopes for RG3 who undoubtedly has the talent and desire to deliver.  The fans need not temper their excitement at the arrival of the franchise savior, but should keep in mind that he is a rookie playing behind an offensive line that will likely have trouble protecting him.  As long as Robert Griffin is able to stay healthy and show improvement through the various peaks and valleys of his rookie season, 2012 will be a success for the Washington Redskins.