Not Removing Robert Griffin III Earlier Was the Right Decision

Washington Redskins’ quarterback Robert Griffin III was clearly less than 100 percent facing the Seattle Seahawks in their NFC Wild Card game.  He suffered a right knee injury during the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens. Griffin III lacked the burst necessary to play as “RG3”, the exciting quarterback that can make something special happen every time he touches the ball. On this day, he appeared gimpy as he labored to run the football when the opportunity arose.

Many felt that Griffin III should have been taken out of the game earlier. The reasoning is Griffin III limping around at less than 100 percent does Washington no good against the ferocious Seahawks’ defense.  Besides, backup quarterback Kirk Cousins has proven capable of not only leading the offense, but leading the team to victory.

That being said, I totally agree with Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanahan’s decision to leave RG3 in the game. Let’s face it: the Washington Redskins would not be hosting their first playoff game since 1999 without the efforts of the sensational RG3. As the leader of the Redskins, RG3 has certainly earned the right to finish the game until he could no longer be effective. Of course, that’s what happened, as he crumbled to the turf after awkwardly twisting his injured knee trying to field a bad snap.

While Cousins is a capable backup, Shanahan may have felt that pulling Griffin III was not an option. The game was still close, and it was possible that RG3 could still be efficient enough to lead Washington to victory. Seattle was up by seven points, despite Griffin III not playing his best football. I wouldn’t have liked to have inserted Cousins into a close game, considering that he was ill prepared for the situation. I believe that you go with the guy that gives you the best chance to win, and RG3 was that guy, despite being at less than 100 percent.

In any event, the second guessing by Redskins’ fans will continue well into the offseason. The circumstances surrounding Griffin III’s exit from the Seattle game was unfortunate. He has a magical quality about him that makes many fans believe he could have pulled out the victory against Seattle. Nevertheless,  despite his injury, it was absolutely the right decision to keep him in the game.