Redskins vs. Colts: Robert Griffin III and the offense puts together a well-rounded outing

In their dress rehearsal for the regular season, Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins’ offense put on their most well-rounded performance of the preseason Saturday, defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 30-17, at FedEx Field.

The previous week in a loss to Chicago, the Redskins failed to protect their quarterback or put together a consistent rushing attack. But on Saturday, Washington’s starting offense assembled two scoring drives that resulted in one touchdown through the air and one on the ground. The offensive line didn’t surrender a sack and it paved the way for a 100-yard rushing day by rookie Alfred Morris.

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The Post Sports Live crew previews Saturday’s pivotal third preseason game against the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts at FedEx Field.

The Post Sports Live crew previews Saturday’s pivotal third preseason game against the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts at FedEx Field.

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Griffin completed 11 of 17 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and had a quarterback rating of 93.8 as he played in front of a FedEx Field crowd (announced at 60,047) for the first time in his career. Morris carried the ball 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Redskins went 4 for 6 on third down conversions in the first half.

“He looked a lot more comfortable. I think with every game, he will feel more comfortable,” Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said of Griffin. “I thought we had a chance for a couple big plays that we just missed, which is always disappointing. But we were right there, just a hair away. I just liked the effort of our overall football team. Any time you’re able to run the football and average over seven yards a carry with your first unit, you’ve got a chance to do something special.”

The Redskins also showed better defense than they had at Chicago. They limited Andrew Luck and the Colts’ starters to one touchdown, sacked the first overall pick twice and held Indianapolis’s starters to 22 rushing yards.

Luck looked like the polished prospect the Colts believed him to be when they made him the first overall pick of the 2012 draft. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and had a quarterback rating of 94.7 against the Redskins’ starters.

Griffin and Washington’s offensive starters got going in their third series of the game.

On a possession that began at the Washington 34-yard line, Griffin completed all three of his pass attempts and marched his team 66 yards for a score. Griffin first completed a four-yard pass to tight end Chris Cooley — Cooley’s first target and reception of the preseason — then took the snap, rolled to his right to avoid the rush and connected with wide receiver Josh Morgan for an 11-yard gain. Later Griffin hit Pierre Garcon down the center of the field on a 19-yard strike.

Morris broke a 17-yard run before he was knocked out of bounds at the 2-yard line, and then powered his way into the end zone on the next play to cap the drive.

“I feel phenomenal, thankful that I finally got one,” Morris said of his touchdown. “My auntie was joking, she told me that I was going to get my first touchdown today, and I definitely did, so it was exciting.”

The Colts responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that climaxed with a 31-yard touchdown pass on third down from Luck to T.Y. Hilton, who beat free safety Madieu Williams down the sideline and made the catch.

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