The Redskins Blog

RG3 ‘Happy But Not Satisfied’ With 2012

(AP Photo)

Four months removed from the Redskins first NFC East title since 1999, quarterback Robert Griffin III still isn’t satisfied with the way his debut season came to an end.

Happy?

Yes to an extent as he was truly honored for being voted the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year over fellow 2012 NFL Draft colleagues Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Alfred Morris.

He also certainly will not complain about winning a division crown and leading the Burgundy and Gold back to the playoffs, but in the end No. 10 never set his end goals on a division crown.

He set his sights directly on hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLVII.

No. 10 sat down with Larry Michael for the ninth installment of “10 Days With No. 10″ on Redskins Nation to speak about:

–Winning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

–The team’s first round playoff exit.

–On how his life has changed since being on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last spring.

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Ravens Game Was ‘Tough’ For Griffin III

(AP Photo)

When the team started its seven-game winning streak to catapult them from last in the NFC East to eventual division champions with a 31-6 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, it seemed as if everything started to click.

Just a few days later on Thanksgiving, quarterback Robert Griffin III led the Redskins in an incredible display of offensive power in the second quarter when the Burgundy and Gold trounced the Cowboys defense for 28 points before beating Dallas by a final score of 38-31. Then on Monday Night Football, the Redskins eked out a 17-16 victory over the New York Giants to pull the team back to .500.

In Week 14, however, the Redskins were faced with perhaps their biggest obstacle to date.

Late in a down to the wire contest with Washington’s closest geographical rival, Griffin III was knocked out of the game with an injury. At that moment it seemed as if the Redskins winning streak was in jeopardy of coming to an end at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.

Obviously that did not happen as Kirk Cousins led the Redskins to a comeback victory and a 38-21 win the next week in Cleveland.

In the seventh segment of “10 Days With No. 10″ on Redskins Nation, the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year told Larry Michael what went through his head after leaving the Ravens game as well as watching the Browns game unfold from the sideline the next Sunday.

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Morris, Griffin III Never Hit A Rookie Wall

(AP photo)

Last year when Robert Griffin III took the field you would have thought that he was a season veteran with years of experience in the NFL, not someone who had  been at the podium with Roger Goodell at the draft just months earlier .

Along with his backfield partner Alfred Morris, the duo lead the league in rushing yards. Whether it was Morris running straight up the middle or a constructed a read-option keeper for No. 10, the two combined for over 2,400 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Griffin III sat down with Larry Michael once again on the set of Redskins Nation for the sixth edition of “10 Days With No. 10″ to touch on his thoughts about his fellow 2012 NFL Draft colleague , on neither hitting a rookie wall late in the season and about being a leader and captain of a division-winning team.

Also, he explains what when down during Josh Morgan’s touchdown play in the Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants.

Was it a fumble or a designed toss?

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RG3 On Cowboys Game: ‘It Was Special’

At the conclusion of the 2011 season, teams who were at the top of the draft board were looking ahead to the 2012 campaign and explored every means necessary to improve on records that were below .500.

The Redskins were one of those teams and held the sixth overall pick in the draft.

However, with two of the top quarterback prospects to come into the league in years including a Heisman-winner from Baylor, Washington was determined to land one of the signal callers to spark a revolution in the Nation’s Capital.

The Redskins traded up to the number two slot and landed soon-to-be AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III. No. 10 lived up to the hype and led the team to their first NFC East title since 1999.

That NFC East wouldn’t have been possible without a seven-game winning streak to end the season. The first two wins of that  streak (home against Philadelphia and at Dallas) showed the nation just how smart the franchise was for moving up to acquire Griffin III.

Griffin III sat down once again with Larry Michael on the set of Redskins Nation to speak on both games in the next segment of “10 Days with No. 10″.

Find out was was running through Griffin III’s head during his return to the Lone Star State here:

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Fans Comment on “Redskins” Name

Gibbs On Super Bowls, Racing Titles

(AP photo)

It took Joe Gibbs just two seasons to win a Super Bowl title as head coach of the Washington Redskins.

So when Gibbs took over a NASCAR team in 1992, many thought it wouldn’t be long until his winning ways rubbed off in racing.

They were right.

Just nine seasons later, Gibbs hoisted a different kind of trophy — the Winston Cup championship — after his driver, Bobby Labonte, claimed the 2000 title.

Gibbs earlier this week stopped by Redskins Park and talked with Larry Michael, the Voice of the Redskins, for a segment on “Redskins Nation,” and compared winning a Super Bowl to winning a NASCAR championship.

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Behind The Scenes: Joe Gibbs Stops By

It’s always awesome when legendary Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs stops by, which is exactly what happened today at Redskins Park.

Gibbs — who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and early 1990s — was filming a segment with Larry Michael, the Voice of the Redskins, for “Redskins Nation.”

Gibbs was in the area helping push a financial literacy program given to members of the Redskins through nearby Strayer University. But, before Gibbs and Michael got to talking about that program and Gibbs’ recent racing endeavors, the coach was asked about the current Redskins team, which improved to 7-6 yesterday with a dramatic, 31-28 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens.

“Let’s do this. Let’s talk about the Redskins,” Gibbs said. “ I told them it’s a good time to visit, right now, to visit Redskins Park. We’re hot, man. It’s great. Everybody, I think, down there at Joe Gibbs Racing, everybody is a Redskinner … and we always follow every single play thing that’s happening and every single game. It’s fun.”

Here’s some behind-the-scenes video of Gibbs’ visit today:

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Redskins Nation: Tribute To Sean Taylor

It’s so hard to believe that just five years ago was one of the most tragic days in Washington Redskins history.

In the early morning of Nov. 27, 2007, the worst of fears were confirmed when Sean Taylor — one of the top, young talents in the National Football League — died from complications stemming from gunshot wounds suffered at the hands of an armed intruder at his Miami home just a day before. He was 24 years old.

The entire Redskins organization was left in shambles emotionally, but the truly tragic part about Taylor’s death was that he was survived by an 18-month-old daughter and his high-school sweetheart.

At the time of his death, Taylor had developed into one of the most feared safeties in the NFL. After being drafted fifth overall by the Redskins in the 2004 NFL Draft, the Miami product was named a first alternate to the Pro Bowl after a stellar rookie season. In 2006, Taylor had a team-high 129 tackles (89 solo), one interception and three forced fumbles and was voted to the Pro Bowl.

For his career, Taylor had 344 tackles (245 solo), 12 interceptions, 41 passes defended and four forced fumbles. He was named to the 2007 Pro Bowl posthumously, as well as inducted into the Redskins Ring of Fame.

Here’s a touching video tribute to Taylor produced by “Redskins Nation,” which airs Monday through Friday (at 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.) and Saturdays (7:30 a.m.):

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Check Out Brian Orakpo’s Surgery Scar

(AP photo)

In his short time away from the game of football, tight end Chris Cooley joined Redskins Nation weekly for what became known as the “Cooley Report.”

Well, Cooley now has his attention in other places — he was re-signed by the Redskins on Monday — but another Redskins player with a little bit more free time on his hands could fill in his place in front of the cameras.

Outside Brian Orakpo, who suffered a season-ending pectoral injury Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams, joined Larry Michael for what he called the “‘Rak Report.” Whether or not it becomes a weekly thing is unknown at this point, but it sure is good just to see Orakpo back at the team’s facility.

Orakpo underwent surgery on his left pectoral muscle, and showed the scar to Michael on this week’s ‘Rak Report — and we’ve got the video.

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Video: The Offseason Of A Long Snapper

When you think of a player training in the offseason, you’re probably going to envision a quarterback working on throwing drills or a linebacker in the weight room working on his strength and agility.

But what about the position on the field thought of the least — a position that can have just as much importance to the outcome of a game as that quarterback or that linebacker?

Washington Redskins’ long snapper Nick Sundberg is used to doing his job with little to no fanfare. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t working his tail off during his time away from the team.

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