The Washington Redskins hope receiver Pierre Garcon can play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles despite pain in his sprained right foot.
While some may have been taken aback to watch quarterbacks Jay Cutler, Alex Smith and Michael Vick depart games with concussions last Sunday, one member of the NFL's Head, Neck and Spine Committee saw progress thanks to the league's return-to-play guidelines.
When Michael Vick suffered a concussion in the Philadelphia Eagles' game Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, it put Nick Foles on the spot. He threw a touchdown and a pick, and the Eagles dropped to 3-6.
Robert Griffin III needed a first down, so he took off and leapt into the air to get it. Three Carolina Panthers defenders converged and made the stop, but not until after Griffin finished what he set out to do, sore ribs or not.
You usually can find the Washington Redskins' offensive linemen sitting together on the benches outside the back door of Redskins Park before practice each afternoon. An offensive line is the sum of its parts, you know. Cohesion is essential to their success, so these guys stick together. They often walk down to the practice field as a unit, and this season they can carry themselves with a newfound pride.
On Monday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn missed his second consecutive game as he recovers from a concussion. On Sunday, one-fourth of the games featured a starting quarterback who was knocked out of action with a concussion. At least nine other players suffered similar head injuries in Week 10 (making it a typical NFL week), but they're virtually an afterthought.
Last week's farcical debate over the meaning of Mike Shanahan "evaluating" the Washington Redskins' beleaguered roster obscured the real issue. The coach, well into the third season of his $35 million contract in Washington, vigorously argued over the meaning of his words and the intent behind them.
Excitement and hype lived up to, check. Prolific statistics for a rookie quarterback, check. Football sense belying limited experience, check. Robert Griffin III has been everything the Washington Redskins hoped for.
The numbers and the standings will change, but heading into this week's games, they were lined up too perfectly to ignore.
