| Coming off last weekend's concussion, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III looked just fine Sunday, running for 138 yards and passing for 182 in Washington's 38-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings. (US Presswire) |
It appears Robert Griffin III is fine after all. A week after leaving the game early because of a concussion, Griffin reminded everyone that, yes indeed, he will continue to run -- and excel because of it.
Griffin ran for 138 yards and passed for 182 in the Redskins’ 38-26 win over Minnesota. The Vikings were one of the NFL's hottest teams, but Griffin ended up cooling them because of his legs. He showed that he wasn’t going to play cautious because of the concussion.
“You can’t do that as a quarterback,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “You have to go play. Common sense prevailed. As time goes on he’ll keep getting better and better at keeping people away from him.”
The Vikings (4-2) could have inflicted damage in the first quarter, but settled for three field goals. One of them came after Griffin’s second interception of the season, a forced pass on the run.
But Griffin threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Darrel Young and capped the scoring with a 76-yard run on third-and-6 with 2 minutes, 43 seconds remaining.
The Redskins improved to 3-3, and this was a much-needed win after a tough loss to Atlanta.
“You stay aggressive but you try to be smart,” Griffin said. “I felt I got out of bounds a couple times when I should have. … I told the team I wouldn’t leave them hanging, and I did that today.”
When the game turned: It wasn’t a play, but a period. The second one in fact. Minnesota led 9-0 on three first-quarter field goals before Washington’s offense got untracked in the second quarter. A 50-yard field goal by Kai Forbath was followed by an 11-play, 90-yard drive and that was followed by a turnover and touchdown a play later. The Redskins took a 17-9 halftime lead and never trailed.
Highlight moments: Griffin’s 76-yard touchdown wasn’t just a highlight, it was a legendary moment. Redskins S Madieu Williams returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a lazy Christian Ponder pass. Maybe for other kickers this wouldn’t be a highlight, but it was for Kai Forbath. His first NFL FG attempt was a successful 50-yarder in the second quarter.
Top-shelf performances
- LB Lorenzo Alexander – In the second quarter Alexander returned a fumble 7 yards to the Vikings' 6-yard line, had a tackle for a loss and then a sack. Alexander had not played much from scrimmage this season. With a lack of production from the right outside linebacker spot in nickel situations, the Redskins mixed him in and he produced.
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QB Robert Griffin III – What concussion? Griffin threw for 182 yards and ran for 138.
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PK Blair Walsh – He made three field goals in the first quarter, though none were longer than 27 yards, and four overall.
- WR Percy Harvin – He didn’t score, but he did have 233 total yards, including 133 as a receiver.
What they said about Griffin’s 76-yard TD run:
- Vikings coach Leslie Frazier: “There aren’t a lot of guys who play that position that can break a 76-yard run and not get caught. That creates some issues for any defense.”
- Redskins coach Mike Shanahan: “Anytime you get man coverage and you have a six-man rush and they’re covering the receivers and the quarterback can break through the line like he did. … He saw a hole and he took off and the rest is history.”
- Redskins QB Robert Griffin III: “I took off running and got to the sidelines and thought I’d run out of bounds because everyone’s telling me that lately. I felt I had the guy outflanked and I took off. … I got to enjoy the moment a little bit. It was pretty great to see my teammates on the sidelines celebrating as I ran for the touchdown.”
LG Kory Lichtensteiger: “I just saw the back of his jersey. I didn’t try to catch him. I figured I’d celebrate with him on the sidelines. An 80-yard sprint isn’t what I needed at that time.”
Numbers you should know: The Redskins have scored four defensive touchdowns this season, including Williams’ on Sunday. But this was the first time they won after having done so. The Redskins have scored 49 points off turnovers this season -- six more than all of 2011. The Vikings made five trips in the red zone and scored a touchdown only once.
Injury updates: There were no reported injuries after the game.
Going forward: Redskins -- The Redskins needed this win as they not only snapped an eight-game home losing streak but improved to 3-3. They travel to NFC East rival New York, which they swept last season, on Sunday before heading to Pittsburgh and then hosting Carolina. Next week represents their first division game, so a win is crucial. Vikings -- They host Arizona and Tampa Bay in consecutive weeks before heading west to face Seattle. Minnesota has been one of the pleasant surprises, but they need to make sure Sunday’s loss doesn’t turn into a losing streak.