Decision on if RGIII Will Start Monday or be Inactive Coming Soon
Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden announced Monday that Colt McCoy would be taking the starting snaps in practice until Robert Griffin III is cleared to play.
McCoy came into Sunday’s game against the Titans at halftime and went 11-12 for 128 yards and a touchdown pass on his first throw as a Redskins player.
Announcing that McCoy would get the starter reps during practice did little to stop the conversation about who will be under center on Monday Night Football in Dallas. In fact, the two quarterbacks have actually split the first-team reps, while Kirk Cousins has taken all of the third team reps.
Truth is no one will know if Griffin will play until his doctors make the final call, Gruden says that will happen soon. “I’d like to make the decision tomorrow after practice, really,” said Gruden. “Just because I want A) the team to know who the quarterback is , B) the quarterback to know who the quarterback is, and C) we need to know who it is for game plan purposes. So, we will battle this thing and try to get a better idea tomorrow after practice where we are going.”
Gruden acknowledged that Griffin would either be inactive for the game, or he would start it. “He is either the starter or inactive, most likely. If he gets cleared, he is cleared. If he doesn’t get cleared, then he will wait another week or two or three after the bye week.”
The original time-table that was given when Griffin dislocated his ankle in week 2 was 6-8 weeks…Sunday will make exactly 6 weeks.
Gruden has a list of things he wants to see from Griffin before he believe he is ready to play though.
“I think he has got to take the reps, he has got to see the routes, deliver some passes accurately and on time under a little bit of duress in the pocket and move around. You know, when he runs he has got to run both directions full-speed. Obviously we can’t simulate any contact – we can’t tackle him, you know, that’s the one thing. The biggest thing is No. 1, the doctors have got to clear him and then he has got to go through a couple good days of practice of actually running, asserting some energy on that thing and then see how it reacts the next day. Is it going to swell up? Is it going to be sore? And then also still evaluate him from the process of getting back into football shape and football form. So, there is a lot of variances to whether or not we think he will be ready for Monday night. Health-wise, No. 1, then obviously, is he ready physically getting back in the flow with the wide receivers with the timing, the accuracy and all that.”
A video of individual drills is posted below. Keep in mind that the actual practice was closed to the media today so just how much Griffin was able to get done in practice is unknown. You can however see the hinged brace on Griffin’s ankle in the video.
