RG3 Injury: Hobbled Quarterback's Knee Derailed Washington's Season

Robert Griffin III took a beating in Washington’s 24-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and Washington may have made a mistake in starting their star rookie.

Griffin went down in the fourth quarter of the game with what appeared to be an aggravation of his already damaged knee, which forced Washington to go to rookie backup Kirk Cousins.

Griffin started off the game looking crisp, connecting with Evan Royster to end Washington’s first drive with a touchdown.

But as the game wore on, Griffin was constantly harassed by Seattle’s pass rush. He was forced outside of the pocket on multiple occasions and didn’t look quite like the quarterback who led Washington into the playoffs.

While Griffin was the biggest reason for the Redskins' success this year, concerns about Griffin’s health should have been enough for the Redskins to consider putting Kirk Cousins under center. Griffin wasn’t at full strength and may have sustained additional damage to his knee in the fourth quarter Sunday.

One of Griffin’s greatest assets is his running ability, and without the ability to get outside the pocket and do damage with his legs, Griffin became a much more one-dimensional quarterback. Seattle keyed in on Griffin in the pocket and eventually forced him for the game.

The Redskins feature a talented roster, but Alfred Morris wasn’t enough to carry Washington’s offense against a talented Seahawks defense. Ultimately, it was Griffin’s knee injury that proved to be Washington’s undoing, despite doing everything he could to stay on the field to lead his team.