RG3 not ruled out for Sunday's game
ASHBURN, Va.
Robert Griffin III suffered a Grade 1 lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprain in his right knee and Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told reporters Monday that his franchise rookie quarterback is "definitely not ruled out" of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
WEEK 14 SCOREBOARD
- Broncos 26, Raiders 13
- Redskins 31, Ravens 28 (OT)
- Cowboys 20, Bengals 19
- Rams 15, Bills 12
- Eagles 23, Buccaneers 21
- Panthers 30, Falcons 20
- Browns 30, Chiefs 7
- Chargers 34, Steelers 24
- Colts 27, Titans 23
- Jets 17, Jaguars 10
- Vikings 21, Bears 14
- 49ers-27, Dolphins 13
- Seahawks 58, Cardinals 0
- Giants 52, Saints 27
- Packers 27, Lions 20
- Texans-Patriots
"You just never know," Shanahan said. "When I looked at it on film, I thought it was going to be worse than it was."
The injury occurred in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter in Sunday's 31-28 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Griffin scrambled for a 13-yard gain and was hit by Ravens lineman Haloti Ngata, a collision that caused Griffin's right leg to whip violently.
Griffin underwent an MRI after the game. Shanahan said Monday that Griffin is day to day and he will be evaluated during the week. He also doesn't know if Griffin would practice on Wednesday.
The LCL runs down the outside of the knee and is one of the four major ligaments that stabilizes the joint. Tears and sprains are graded on a scale from 1 to 3 with Grade 1 being the least serious.
Griffin's injury is in the same knee that was surgically repaired while he was at Baylor in 2009.
Renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews was on the Redskins' sideline and evaluated Griffin after he limped off the field. Griffin re-entered the game a play later and lasted four more plays before he left for good as Kirk Cousins finished off a game-tying drive with a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon to help force overtime.
This is the second significant injury Griffin — a player the Redskins moved up to No. 2 in this year's draft to nab — has suffered this season. He was concussed in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, although he played a week later and has made every start this season.
Shanahan said coaches tutor Griffin each week on how he can better protect himself, although he didn't fault Griffin for this latest injury.
"What Robert was trying to do was score a touchdown," Shanahan said. "It's what competitors do. He's trying to make a play. It was like a playoff game for us because we knew we had to win.
"Most quarterbacks, at least the quarterbacks we would want, would put themselves in that situation."
