The Washington Redskins fell on Monday to the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-27. Despite the opening season loss and a shaky game from Robert Griffin III, Washington fans should be ecstatic with Griffin's overall performance. If Monday was any indication, Griffin will soon be back to form and even better than last season.
Griffin made his return to a standing ovation at FedEx Field. The elation in Landover, Md., didn't last for long. The Redskins offense turned the ball over on its first three possessions - an Alfred Morris fumble, an interception and a safety.
While the Eagles' new offense sped up and down the field, exhausting the Redskins defense and hanging 26 points on them in the first half, Griffin struggled in the first half and looked a shell of the quarterback who won last year's Rookie of the Year.
After the second half, Griffin looked more comfortable on the field. He led the team on lengthy drives that fell just six points short of a fourth quarter comeback. The 23-year-old finished the game completing 30-of-49 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and a career-high two interceptions, along with five rushes for 24 yards.
Before Washington fans begin grumbling and renouncing the season, they need to look at Monday night for what it was: a promising comeback.
First, Griffin is only eight months removed from knee surgery. He accomplished his goal of starting in Week 1, which is an incredible feat. In his first real game back, namely in the first half, he looked tentative and unsure of his knee. As the "Monday Night Football" crew pointed out, Griffin's throwing mechanics were off - as if he was concerned about getting hit.
Griffin did get hit. Multiple times, including three sacks. His body withstood each hit, and he got up every time. By the fourth quarter, Griffin looked to more comfortable on the field and the drives he orchestrated shown he'd knocked some of the rust off.
Second, Griffin missed the entire preseason. When Tom Brady or Peyton Manning miss a preseason, it's not that significant because of their decade-plus experience in the NFL. But Griffin is only in his second year, and missing the preseason is a huge. For one, he was unable to work with his receiving corps in game-like situations to work on timing.
While preseason games aren't as fast as regular season games, they still make for an easier transition from team drills to full-speed contact games.
Griffin finished the whole game on Monday. Toward the end, he started to look more like himself. When Adrian Peterson returned last season from ACL surgery, it took four games for him to break 100 yards rushing.
Griffin and the Redskins are going to be OK - he just needs time to knock off the rust from his eight-month layoff. It's said to take a full year after recovering from ACL surgery to regain form, but Monday night indicated he won't need the full year. With a couple more games under his belt to get used to game-speed and regain confidence in his surgically-repaired knee, he will be back to his winning form.
