Washington Redskins Making Right Decision Giving RGIII Starting Nod in Week 9

Music to the ears of Washington Redskins fans is their franchise quarterback saying Friday morning, “I'm ready to go, ready to play, get back out there with the guys and have fun.”

Robert Griffin III was cleared medically by doctors Thursday, and head coach Jay Gruden confirmed after practice Friday he will start this week at the Minnesota Vikings, per the Redskins' official Twitter feed.

Furthermore, beat writer Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweeted the Redskins offense will have its full playbook at their disposal in Griffin’s return, and he will play with no limitations. The Washington Redskins also peaked fans' interest with a tweet containing Gruden's comments about a projected "exciting game plan" for Sunday's matchup:

Make no mistake about it: If Griffin is 100 percent—as every indication gives us reason to believe that he is—he has to start this week at Minnesota.

Never mind that Colt McCoy has played well in six quarters of action—completing 85.7 percent (36 of 42) of passes for 427 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Disregard that the Redskins could have waited one more game and have Griffin return after a Week 10 bye.

The fact of the matter is McCoy has been a career backup, and the Redskins are treating him as such. After splitting first-team reps in practice with McCoy earlier this week, Griffin got the majority of those reps in practice as the week went on, and Gruden said he showed improvement each day, per Jones.

So after suffering a dislocated ankle in Week 2, it is time, once again, to hand the keys to the franchise back to the former No. 2 selection of the 2012 NFL draft.

Anchor Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in Washington tweeted the Redskins are ready for Griffin to take the reins against the Vikings:

Griffin completed 78.4 percent (29 of 37) of his passes in Week 1—his only full game this season— while completing passes to eight different receivers, albeit in a 17-6 loss at Houston, shaking off the preseason rust which saw him go 13 of 20 with a pair of interceptions.

He may be rusty again this week—having been out of game action since September 14—but additional practice would not be the cure for rust. NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly noted on Friday’s episode of Around the NFL the only way for Griffin to shake off that rust is by “[getting] in the game and … go play from there.”

The Redskins are a team currently riding the momentum of a two-game win streak. However, they have won those two games by scoring a nominal 39 points, staying in those games more so due to their defense forcing a combined four turnovers. The defense has allowed 17 points per game over the last two weeks, compared to 27.7 points per game over their 1-5 start.

To keep their very slim playoff hopes alive, assume the Redskins have to finish 7-1, or, at worst, 6-2, much like 2012 when they won their last seven games—led by then-rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III—after a 3-6 start. The likelihood of that happening again is slim-to-none—but having Griffin back under center could be the spark the offense needs to sustain a winning streak.

Said left tackle Trent Williams on Griffin's return, per The Washington Post: “He’s a playmaker. Obviously, his athleticism brings a different dynamic to the decision, so we’re happy to get him back.”

Liz Clarke and Mike Jones of The Washington Post published an article outlining the pros and cons of Griffin returning: “The wisdom of starting Griffin on Sunday will be debated, given that the game is on the road, the Vikings’ defense is formidable and the team has a bye week following that would allow for an additional week of recovery without missing a game.”

The best-case scenario would be Griffin leads the Redskins to a win at Minnesota, and the team goes into their bye week with plenty of confidence before another very winnable game at home against Tampa Bay in Week 11. With no remaining questions to answer regarding his injury, Griffin and the Redskins would head into that game with their sights set at evening their record at 5-5 with six games still to play.

Though their season has been hanging in the balance for the last two weeks, a win by the RGIII-led Redskins over Minnesota would mean much more in terms of confidence and momentum heading into the bye week. The Redskins can eclipse their win total from a season ago in a matchup of first-year head coaches and former Cincinnati Bengals coordinators.

Gruden’s counterpart—Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer—has the Vikings defense playing at a high level in his first year there, allowing 323.8 yards per game (eighth in the NFL) and 21.6 points per game (12th). But the Vikings offense ranks 29th in the league in both of those marks, meaning the Redskins defense should perform well as Griffin settles in and gets back into game flow.

The worse-case scenario is Griffin returns and plays much like he did in 2013, when he showed regression from the quarterback who led the team to a late-season surge and into the playoffs a season earlier.

Those inconsistencies still give the Redskins the best chance to win on a week-to-week basis, but at the very least it gives the front office eight games to evaluate whether he can still be the long-term answer moving forward. If it is not Griffin, then the answer is not currently on the Redskins roster.  

As such, Gruden told ESPN 980 in Washington that Griffin has done nothing to lose his job and reiterated that Thursday telling The Washington Post:

There’s no cons of playing him now if he’s healthy. If he’s ready physically, then I think he should play, and that’s what it comes down to. All the doctors are on board; the trainers are on board. …

There is no way they would think about clearing Robert unless they knew for sure he was 100 percent. It’s intact; it’s steady; it’s structurally good. So there is no reason not to play him from a physical standpoint.

The Redskins coaching staff is rightfully looking at the big picture here and not overreacting to one week with McCoy under center, and it is absolutely the correct call as Griffin gives the team the best chance to win—and the only chance to piece together several games of high-quality quarterback play.