Postgame analysis: Redskins 31, Ravens 28 OT

The one sight that scares Redskins fans more than anything occurred Sunday: Robert Griffin III knocked from the game, his future in doubt, limping gingerly to the locker room afterward.

What it means remains in doubt, but at least the results of an MRI showed no ACL tear, as was intitially feared. His playing status for next week is unknown, but at least it seems certain his season is not over.

Redskins fans could also take solace in the team winning its fourth straight, thanks to rookie QB Kirk Cousins, who came off the bench to tie the game with a scoring pass and then ran in the two-point conversion to send it to overtime.

A 64-yard punt return by rookie Richard Crawford set up Kai Forbath's game-winning 34-yard field goal to give the Redskins (7-6, 3-1 NFC East) a 31-28 victory over the Ravens (9-4, 4-1 AFC North) at Landover, Md. 

The celebration was muted in the Redskins' locker room as players waited for word on Griffin's knee. 

He injured the knee on a 13-yard scramble with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Griffin exited for a play, then returned for four more, including two pass completions for a combined 37 yards. But after his next pass, Griffin knew he had to leave. That's when the anxious moments began for Redskins fans.

Griffin, who tore his right ACL in 2009, said this injury did not feel the same. There was cautious optimism before the MRI confirmed those positive vibes.

But Sunday’s win proved that the Redskins can win without Griffin, at least for part of a game. Cousins completed his only two passes, one of which was an 11-yarder in which he slid to his right and dropped a perfect pass over Ravens S Ed Reed to Pierre Garcon for the score. Cousins then tied the game on a quarterback draw on the two-point conversion.

When the game turned: There was a big turning point and a little one. Starting with the latter, the Ravens took a 28-20 lead with 4:52 remaining and returner Niles Paul fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The Ravens initially recovered at the Redskins’ 15-yard line. But after a review the call was reversed, giving the Redskins another shot. The bigger turning point came when Griffin left the game. But Cousins’ 11-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds remaining and his run for the two-point conversion tied the game and swung momentum back to Washington. Richard Crawford’s 64-yard punt return in overtime set up the game-winning field goal. 

Highlight moments: Crawford’s 64-yard punt return featured a decisive cut, something Brandon Banks had not always done. He set up Forbath’s 34-yard game-winner. … Redskins LB London Fletcher intercepted a tipped pass in the third quarter at the Washington 11-yard line. … Redskins LB Rob Jackson forced and then recovered a fumble after blitzing QB Joe Flacco. ... Flacco hit WR Anquan Boldin on a 31-yard touchdown pass over CB DeAngelo Hall.

Top-shelf performances:

•  Redskins PK Forbath -- Made FGs of 48, 49 and 34 yards

•  Redskins QB Cousins -- 2 of 2, 26 yards, TD, run for 2-point conversion

•  Redskins RB Alfred Morris -- 23 carries, 122 yards, TD, fumble

•  Ravens RB Ray Rice -- 20 carries, 121 yards, TD

•  Ravens KR Jacoby Jones -- 5 kick returns, 145 yards

•  Ravens WR Boldin -- 3 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs

•  Ravens QB Flacco -- 16 for 21, 182 yards, 3 TDs, INT, passer rating of 121.4.

What they said about Redskins QB Griffin:

•  Redskins coach Mike Shanahan: “I could see that he was hurting the second time he came out. You could see his face. We had to keep him from going back in.”

•  Ravens LB Paul Kruger: “That guy’s a fighter. He came back in and tried to make it work. It’s tough to cut on that field; it feels like you’re running in sand. If we were on a better surface, we would have hit him even more.”

What they said about Redskins QB Cousins:

•  Redskins RB Morris: “I told him a long time ago, ‘You’re going to be great in this league, whether it’s with the Redskins or anywhere else. Just keep your head up.’ I wasn’t worried once he came in the game.”

•  Redskins coach Shanahan: “You can see the way guys prepare during the week, when they are on the scout team, how they handle themselves and how hard they work. It really didn’t surprise me the way he handled himself.”

What the Ravens said about the impact of the loss:

•  Ravens LB Kruger: “There is no fear. It is definitely an urgent feeling. We have to win. That’s the bottom line. Our destiny is in our hands.”

Numbers you should know: The Redskins' 186 yards were the most in a first quarter by an NFL team this season. They finished with 420 total yards. The Redskins converted three of four trips inside the red zone against the NFL’s top-ranked red-zone defense.

Injury update: Griffin wasn’t the only injury. Ravens RB Rice suffered a hip pointer. Ravens RG Marshal Yanda and FB Vonta Leach  suffered sprained ankles. The severity was unknown.

Going forward: Redskins -- Washington has three straight winnable games after surviving two of its toughest tests of the season. The Redskins play at Cleveland (5-8) on Sunday in a game that could be tougher than it appears, given the Browns’ three-game winning streak. Washington then plays at Philadelphia (4-9) before finishing with a home game vs. Dallas (7-6). The Redskins don’t have much margin for error and might need to win all three to reach the postseason. Ravens -- Baltimore has a tough schedule with home games against Denver and the New York Giants and a road game at the Bengals. But the Ravens have a two-game lead in the AFC North.