Robert Griffin III left the Redskins' loss early in the fourth quarter and did not return. (Photo: Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports) LANDOVER, Md. -- In the end, Robert Griffin III gave it all he had. But his right knee had nothing left. It buckled. He was done. Finished. Better luck next year. It was a cruel ending to one of the most spectacular rookie seasons in NFL history, yet given the brutality and risk of football it was hardly an anomaly. RGIII was done in by an injury. Haven't we heard that before? Yes, RGIII is human after all. MORE: Seahawks knock off Redskins SHANAHAN: Disputes doctor's take on injury We knew this as he winced in pain repeatedly on his long Sunday evening. Knew it as he limped around the end at half-speed, barely making it out of bounds on one run that a few months ago might have gone the distance. Saw it with a few wild throws, when it was obvious that he couldn't plant his feet and get his legs into his passes. Why was he still in the game when the knee gave out? You know the answer. They were trying to win. It was gut-check time. Griffin, who sprained the lateral collateral ligament on Dec. 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, missed a game, then returned to play with a large black brace on the knee, gave it the college try. This seems more eerie, considering that USA TODAY Sports reported Sunday that renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews never cleared Griffin to return to the Dec. 9 game -- when he came back and got injured again -- despite the contention of Redskins coach Mike Shanahan that the quarterback was given the OK to return to that game. This time, there was no debate. When he was done, he was done. Griffin is not Superman. Never was. On his final play, Griffin wasn't even touched. He tried to chase a shotgun snap that got away, planted the foot and was frozen by circumstance. With 6 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in a dramatic NFC wild-card playoff, everyone -- players on both teams, more than 80,000 fans in attendance and undoubtedly millions of viewers -- held their breath. The slow-motion replay was gruesome, showing his leg leg bent back in an unnatural position. It wasn't Joe Theismann gruesome, but for this moment, it probably drew a similar reaction. Griffin ultimately got up and walked to the sidelines, alongside Andrews, with his season finished, just like his team's campaign. The Redskins blew a 14-point lead and lost 24-14. After it was over, he mingled on the field and congratulated Seahawks players. Then he left the field with his head held high. But with his knee undoubtedly in a lot of pain. PHOTOS FROM SEAHAWKS-REDSKINS WILD-CARD ACTION: Story Highlights
Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/01/06/redskins-robert-griffin-iii-human-after-all/1812789/