The NFL scheduled a Monday Night Football visit to FedEx Field by one of its premier teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Do the NFL and ESPN know something that we do not yet know? Will Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III be available to take six or eight snaps to open that contest?
While Hog Heaven is skeptical, nothing that RGIII does surprises us anymore. A speedy recovery after surgeries on both knees would just be another remarkable achievement by a remarkable young man.
Head Coach Mike Shanahan says that Kirk Cousins will take all the practice snaps with the first team throughout off-season. Both he and Griffin have said that Griffin would not start until he is 100 percent recovered.
Still, the idea of broadcasting Cousins vs. the Steelers defense would not send ESPN types to celebratory drinks Man Men style. I am a Spartans alum who enjoys watching Cousins in action anytime, but I'm also a Redskins fan. There are two certainties about Redskins fans. We prefer RGIII to Cousins, and we don't want Griffin to rush his recovery.
Griffin represents five to 10 years of enjoyable football after 19 years in the playoff desert. We are not willing to risk that in a preseason game.
Here is the preseason schedule.
| Date Range | Opponent | Network | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 8-11 | at Tennessee Titans | NBC4/Comcast SportsNet | tba |
| Mon. Aug. 19 | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | ESPN | tba |
| Aug. 23-25 | vs. Buffalo Bills | NBC4/Comcast SportsNet | tba |
| Aug. 29-31 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NBC4/Comcast SportsNet | tba |
The NFL strings out preseason weekends from Thursday evenings to Monday night. Except for Steelers@Redskins, the NFL has not revealed the exact day and time of Redskins preseason games.
Washington last faced Pittsburgh October 29, 2012, at Heinz Field. The Redskins lost 27-12 when the defense could not contain Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers held Alfred Morris to 59 rushing yards.
Watching Redskins game. Have to think the were distracted, all day, thinking, "AHHHHH!!!! BEES!!!!!!! GIANT BEES!!!!"
— Dan Graziano (@espn_nfceast) October 29, 2012
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Steelers fans travel well. They've been known to "take over" FedEx with as many as 30,000 fans. Not this time. Redskins fans have a defending division champion to root for.
Tickets became a hot commodity as the 2012 season progressed. The Steelers game will be the fans' first home town look at the 2013 Redskins and it's on Monday Night, too. With or without RGIII, expect a sellout.
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