Redskins Monday AM Pundit Report: Ravens Edition

Written by Mark Buterbaugh on Monday, 10 December 2012 11:09. Posted in Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins won their fourth consecutive game to post their first winning record this last in the season since 2008. The 31-28 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens improved the Redskins to 7-6 on the season. Here is what the national media pundits had to say about the big Redskins win.

Clark Judge, Judgements, CBS Sports

It's OK to exhale, Washington. That MRI on RG3 told him what he already suspected -- that he doesn't have a torn knee ligament.

6. Now you know why the Redskins drafted two quarterbacks. Somehow, I can't envision Rex Grossman leading that last-minute comeback.

Weekly Grades, CBS Sports

Not a perfect game from Washington by any stretch, but having Kirk Cousins step in and be clutch as hell after Griffin's leg was whipped by Haloti Ngata was pretty huge. Washington's defense (you really can't stop Anquan Boldin) continues to have problems, but it created enough turnovers to squeak something out on Sunday.

John Clayton, The Last Call, ESPN

Robert Griffin III hurt his knee in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' 31-28 overtime victory against Baltimore. He tried to stay in the game, but finally, after hopping around, came to the sideline for treatment. Rookie Kirk Cousins delivered a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon and a two-point conversion to tie the score and directed the game-winning field goal drive in overtime.

The Giants are 8-5 and the Redskins and Cowboys are 7-6. Next week, the Cowboys host the Steelers, the Redskins have a winnable game at Cleveland and the Giants have a tough one at Atlanta. One Giant stumble could cause a tie in the NFC East. As for RG3, he says his knee should be fine, but you have to wonder if it's a bone bruise or if there is ligament damage. If the Redskins have RG3, they have a chance at the division. It's fun to watch.

Studs and Duds, ESPN

Alfred Morris

Running back, Washington Redskins

The Redskins have won four straight, and Morris' tough running is among the chief reasons. Morris rushed for 122 yards and a score in Washington's 31-28 overtime victory over Baltimore.

Peter King, Monday Morning Quarterback, CNNSI

RGIII must be Elastic Man. Robert Griffin III's right knee whipped after being hit by a Ravens' defender in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field, and it hyperextended grotesquely. Remarkably, his MRI showed a knee sprain, which is a partial ligament tear, but not major damage. The Redskins know he can't expose himself to as many hits as he does at 218 pounds, but now's not the time for a lecture. If Washington's lucky, Griffin will miss Sunday's game in Cleveland and be back to face the Eagles and Cowboys to end the regular season.

"It happened so fast,'' Cousins said. "I definitely didn't want to take a sack. We weren't playing The Little Sisters of the Poor out there. I was out of the pocket, and I just channeled my inner RGIII, and Pierre got open in the corner of the end zone.''

Cousins threw a perfect ball, over one corner and just before the safety came in to hit Garcon. Touchdown.

Now it was 28-26. Two-point conversion. The call was quarterback draw all the way. Cousins saw a hole and made it past the goal line before Ed Reed could blast him. Tie game. Washington got a long punt return and won on Kai Forbath's field goal in overtime.

"One of the things I've learned about being a quarterback,'' said Cousins, and for a minute, he sounded like a Penn professor of Football 101 with a tweed coat on, "is that it's a balance between being a robot and being an artist. On the touchdown to Garcon, that's being an artist; you don't really know how it's going to look, but you've just got to get out of the pocket and create something. On the two-point conversion, you're a robot. You take the play and do what's called, because you know if it's blocked the right way and set up the right way, it'll work -- the quarterback just executes it."

Cousins did his first NFL spike in the end zone after the robot play. When he got to the sideline, Griffin hugged him and said, "Thank you." A region of fans said the same thing.

King ranks the Redskins 9th overall.

9. Washington (7-6). Any team that sweeps the Giants and Ravens in seven days with playoff life on the line has to be in the top 10, even though neither win came with an exclamation point. After watching the last few minutes of the win over Baltimore, I no longer think it's hopeless if Kirk Cousins has to play Sunday in suddenly hot Cleveland.

Matt Bowen, Sunday Blitz, National Football Post

The beauty of the Pistol, as the Redskins and Robert Griffin are showing, is you can combine a spread passing game with a power run game. Matt Bowen explained it here.

The Pistol usually is used in conjunction with the zone read. The formation lends itself to unpredictability. “There are so many options to it,” he NFC coach said. “If you are in true Pistol with one back behind the quarterback and one to the side, your first option is dive the offset back. The second option is you can run a true option where the quarterback can keep or pitch. And then you can run a play action pass off that.

“You can run lead plays, counter plays, split action, all the action. It’s not like you’re locked into running a zone read scheme. Or if you have just one back behind the quarterback, you can run inside zone, or outside zone from that formation. You can run a conventional offense out of it.”

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Redskins Monday AM Pundit Report: Ravens Edition

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