Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III left Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons after taking a shoulder-to-the-head hit while scrambling towards the sideline. Without their franchise quarterback, the Redskins fell to 2-3 in a 24-17 loss to the Falcons.
On third-and-goal from the Atlanta 3 late in the third quarter, Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon sacked Griffin after the latter tried to make a play with his feet when he couldn't find an open receiver. Griffin, who has made a habit of staying down on the field after being hit, was slow to get up as he laid face-down while trainers rushed to his aid.
A woozy-looking Griffin left the game and was ultimately escorted to the locker room by team trainers after being evaluated on the Redskins' sideline. Fellow rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins made his NFL regular-season debut in relief and his first-career NFL touchdown -- a 77-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santana Moss -- gave Washington a 17-14 lead. Yet, after falling behind 24-17, Cousins threw two interceptions on the Redskins' final two drives to send them home with their eighth consecutive loss at FedEx Field.
After the game, head coach Mike Shanahan said Griffin suffered a "minor concussion" and that he didn't know what quarter it was or what the score was after being hit. Shanahan, however, added that Griffin was feeling better after the game.
An independent neurologist diagnosed Griffin with the concussion and cleared him to return home. He will continue to be evaluated.
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