For Redskins, a big-game feel to Robert Griffin III's NFC East debut

The Washington Redskins once were a franchise that collected Super Bowl trophies and considered playing meaningful games in December and beyond an annual rite. The arrival of rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III has sparked hopes that perhaps it can be that way again in the not-too-distant future, that the team can win consistently enough to revive a certain ho-hum attitude about playing for a share of first place in late October. ¶ But the Redskins of the Griffin era aren’t quite there yet. There is still something fresh and new about the prized newcomer taking his team into a game Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants with a piece of the NFC East lead at stake. ¶ “This is absolutely a big game,” Redskins defensive end Stephen Bowen said. “This is to be ahead of the pack in the East. . . . I think everybody is approaching it with the mentality of it’s almost like a playoff atmosphere.” ¶ The Redskins’ record is a modest 3-3. But they’re coming off an uplifting victory last Sunday at home against the Minnesota Vikings in which Griffin threw for one touchdown and ran for two others, the final one a 76-yard dash that sealed the outcome just when the Redskins seemed to be on the verge of unraveling.

Griffin’s sprint made it clear, once more, that the team has possibilities whenever he is in the lineup. The Redskins have stopped next to no one on defense, and their offense is about to play for the fourth time in seven games this season without would-be top wide receiver Pierre Garcon. Yet six games into his NFL career, Griffin is the league’s third-rated passer, one of its top rushers and the Redskins have become relevant and interesting again.

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On Sunday, perhaps, they will begin to learn whether they are a threat to contend in their own division this season. Griffin’s first NFC East game comes on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions, who occupy first place with a record of 4-2. They haven’t played consistently well this season, but they’re coming off a lopsided, highly impressive win at San Francisco last Sunday.

“It’s always a big game any time you’re playing a divisional game,” said Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. “The closer you get to November and December, they become bigger and more meaningful because that kind of sets people up for the playoffs. But a divisional game is almost like two games. You knock somebody off in your division a little bit, set the tone and then obviously we’d be in first place.”

There was a bit of back-and-forth banter during the week, with Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul issuing a long-range warning to Griffin not to run the ball to Pierre-Paul’s side of the field. When told about that comment by Pierre-Paul, Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said: “I don’t know why he would say something about that. Maybe he knows something I don’t.”

But there also was respect for Griffin voiced by Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. After saying during the offseason that Griffin needed to earn his “RGIII” nickname and dubbing him “Bob” in the meantime, Umenyiora said during the week that Griffin already has played well enough in his short time in the NFL to be called “Sir Robert.”