Rookie quarterback, Kirk Cousins, made his first NFL start on Sunday. He and second-year wide receiver, Leonard Hankerson, made the first quarter Pivotal Play that tied Washington with the Cleveland Browns.

Courtesy of AP Photo/Seth Perlman

Pivotal Plays normally take place later in a game, often at the most critical juncture. The reason this week’s Play was so important is because it gave Cousins the confidence that he needed to lead Washington to a road win in his inaugural professional start. It also forced the Cleveland Browns to respect the Redskins’ passing game, something that they hadn’t been doing before Cousins and Hankerson achieved the Redskins’ first touchdown of the game.

Now, let’s get into the specifics of the play by analyzing some of the less noticeable contributions that made it possible. After all, sometimes it’s the work behind the scenes that allows an organization to deliver.

Washington had the ball at 1^st-and-10 from the Cleveland 46 yard-line. The Redskins were operating out of a power-I formation, with the strength of the formation to the left after tight end, Logan Paulsen, lined up outside of left tackle, Trent Williams.

The Redskins had two receivers in the formation, with Hankerson split out-wide to the left and Pierre Garcon at the bottom of the formation to the right.

Fullback, Darrel Young, served as the upback in the “I” formation, five yards behind Cousins, who was under center. Three yards behind Young was tailback, Alfred Morris. When center, Will Montgomery snapped the ball to Cousins, Young and Morris sprinted left to sell a stretch run. Cousins darted toward Morris to sell a fake handoff.

The seven Cleveland Browns in the box all flowed toward the play-action fake. Young and Morris kept jogging toward the left as Cousins moved around to the right with the football—and with plenty of real estate at his disposal.

Cousins was able to step into his throw without any defenders in his face. He chucked the football 48 yards in the air, deep down the field toward Hankerson. The Michigan State product didn’t stop to set his feet before throwing. Instead, he released the football while on the move, without breaking stride as he ran back toward the line of scrimmage.

Hankerson had gotten behind the cornerback that was covering him, and was in an area where three different Browns defenders were giving chase. There was only one place for Cousins to put the football—out in front of the former Miami Hurricane standout—and that’s exactly where he dropped the ball into Hankerson’s waiting hands.

Initially, it looked as though Hankerson would bobble the pass. However, the 6’2” receiver ultimately corralled the football while falling to the ground at the five yard-line. Since he hadn’t been touched by any of the three defenders around him, Hankerson stood up and leaped across the goal line with the second touchdown of his career.

We must give Hankerson credit for running a good route and Cousins props for delivering a perfect pass. Offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, made an excellent play call while Young and Morris did a nice job selling the play-action fake.

Those pivotal contributions added up—they allowed the Redskins to score a touchdown, and, in turn, tied the game. Moments after being 1-for-3 passing with an interception on his stat sheet, Cousins had hurled a 54-yard touchdown.

Washington’s offense went on to amass 430 yards and 38 points. That Pivotal Play was able to get Cousins and the offensive unit going and made last week’s winning performance possible.

Courtesy of Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

This week’s Pivotal Play took place with under two minutes remaining in the Redskins’ loss to New York on Sunday. The Redskins trailed 20—16, but were marching into Giants’ territory with a chance to take the lead in the closing minutes of a critical division contest.

On second-and-six with 1:38 to play, Washington came out in the shotgun formation, operating out of the spread with four receivers and one running back in the backfield. Quarterback Robert Griffin III was positioned on the right hash, five yards deep in the backfield. Griffin waited on a shotgun snap and surveyed a New York alignment that featured 10 defenders within three yards of the line of scrimmage.

Griffin had X-receiver Leonard Hankerson split wide to the left, and Z-receiver Joshua Morgan split wide to the right at the bottom of the formation. Third receiver Santana Moss was in the slot to the left, lined up in the seam. Tight end Logan Paulsen, who normally has his hand in the dirt in a three-point stance, was in the slot to the right.

Tailback Evan Royster stood to Griffin’s right as a personal protector. His job was to guard the quarterback during a blitz that the Giants were about to execute. Royster did so effectively, stepping in front of the rookie passer to throw his body into a defensive lineman.

The Giants sent six defenders to blitz a pair of linebackers from the interior, leaving only five defenders back deep to play man-coverage against Washington’s five route-runners. Four defensive backs were working one-on-one, with one safety playing center field.

All Griffin had to determine pre-snap was whether or not the safety was going to play close enough to Santana Moss to cover his fly-route down the seam. If Griffin could conclude that the safety wasn’t going to help defend Moss, he knew that he’d have the twelfth-year veteran working on a rookie, pressing him at the line with no help behind him.

Griffin saw the safety stay in the deep middle of the field, and as soon as he received the shotgun snap from Will Montgomery, the quarterback dropped four steps with his eyes on Moss the entire time. As soon as the eight-year Redskin got a step on the rookie covering him, Griffin lobbed the ball out in front of Moss and let him run under it.

The pass traveled 37 yards in the air—a gorgeous throw that came down perfectly into Moss’ hands. He only had one step on the defender he had beaten, and without a perfect pass, he probably couldn’t have hauled in his second touchdown of the game and his fourth score of the season.

The throw was undoubtedly Griffin’s finest of the season, and happened to give the Redskins a lead with 1:32 to play.

Despite Griffin’s contributions, the Redskins would go on to lose the football game. Regardless, that didn’t make the play any less pivotal to a Washington offense that now ranks fifth in the NFL.

The face of the Washington Redskins—rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III—ripped off the longest run by an NFL quarterback in 16 years, and he did it with Washington leading by just five points in the fourth quarter of a critical conference game that looked like it might slip away.

Courtesy of the AP

Sometimes leaders have to step up and guide their peers to success, and that’s exactly what Griffin did on a third-and-six from Washington’s 24 yard-line. The pivotal play came with 2:56 remaining in the game and the Redskins leading 31-26.

The Vikings had scored 14 unanswered points to pull back to within a possession. If Washington didn’t move the chains on third down, the Redskins would have had to punt the football back to a Minnesota team with the second best record in the NFC and plenty of in-game momentum.

But that didn’t happen.

Griffin sliced through an opening at the line of scrimmage and sprinted toward the sideline. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner then remained in bounds as he cut his carry up-field, finding a gear that he hadn’t had to shift into yet this season. He won a foot race to the end zone, catapulting the frenzied crowd at FedEx Field into euphoria.

A closer examination of the play shows that running back Evan Royster did a brilliant job in pass protection, diving in front of Griffin to pick up a blitzer that would’ve dropped the quarterback for a loss.

Wide receiver Josh Morgan also threw a key block for Griffin. If Morgan didn’t turn the cornerback who was covering him inside—preventing him from making a stop—the 76-yard touchdown that has become the symbol for Griffin’s unique skill set would have been an eight-yard first down. No highlight reel run. No celebrating one of the greatest plays in FedEx Field history.

Even though credit has to be paid to the gentlemen who helped make the score possible, it was Griffin’s decisiveness and speed that made the Pivotal Play.

The Baylor product said after the game that he had made up his mind to run the football before the ball was even snapped. He recognized a blitz and wanted to decipher whether or not it was going to get home.

When he realized that his offensive front had picked up the blitz well enough to keep him upright, he knew he only had a couple defenders standing between him and a dramatic touchdown.

Already the Redskins’ all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns in a season by a quarterback, Griffin is well on his way toward establishing himself as one of the NFL’s most dynamic and lethal talents.

His 76-yard dash was a play that a miniscule percentage of the quarterbacks who have ever played in the NFL could possibly make.

More importantly, however, it was pivotal to a Washington win.

On third-and-goal from the Atlanta three-yard line, rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III rolled out to his right on a designed passing play. Griffin, who didn’t find any open receivers, opted to tuck the football and run.

Courtesy of Geoff Burke, US Presswire

Rather than throwing the ball out of bounds or hopping onto the sideline to avoid contact, the reigning NFL Rookie of the Month decided to stay in bounds to try and fight for extra yardage. The result was Griffin taking a bone-rattling shot at full speed from a 246-pound linebacker.

Griffin suffered a concussion and missed the remainder of the football game, which Washington ended up losing to the undefeated Falcons by just seven points.

A further examination of the play shows that Griffin didn’t decide to run until after two occasions of setting himself with a good throwing base while trying to find an open pass-catcher. The speedy passer scrambled to his right, leaving a pocket that had collapsed by a defender coming off the right edge.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner then steadied himself and re-set his feet for a split second between the hash mark and the numbers, but more pressure forced him to run to his right again. The mistake Griffin made came at the end of the play, when he opted to absorb contact rather than throwing the ball away.

The concussion, the second Griffin has sustained in the last 11 months, came in the wake of weeks of scrutiny about how regularly the Baylor product was being asked to run the football. Ironically enough, Griffin’s game-ending injury was sustained on what was designed to be a pass play—and it occurred in a game that saw him run the ball a season-low one time.

In fact, Griffin’s carry totals in the past two games are the two smallest of his season.

I don’t buy the idea that the Redskins’ coaching staff should stop asking Griffin to run. That said, they do have an obligation to minimize the amount of big shots their investment takes in an effort to keep him as healthy as they can.

The notion that Griffin shouldn’t be utilized as a ball-carrier on designed runs, however,  is preposterous. He’s a dynamic runner with Olympic-caliber speed, and he was drafted No. 2 overall because his running ability is game-changing and can cripple a defense.

Not allowing Griffin to utilize his feet would be no different than asking Justin Verlander or Stephen Strasburg to stop throwing their curveball. That offering is devastating for both pitchers, and without it, they wouldn’t be nearly as lethal to their adversaries.

The Redskins have to find a solution that allows Griffin to be himself as a rusher, while still calling plays in a way that protects him.

They have an obligation to keep him healthy, but Griffin wasn’t drafted to be a pocket passer. He is not a cookie-cutter quarterback, and he shouldn’t be treated like “just another passer.” The Redskins’ coaching staff has to utilize his skillset to allow their offense and their team to flourish.

He’s special. Let him be special.

To do that, Griffin will have to take fewer monstrous hits from giant linebackers, like the one that he was on the wrong end of during this week’s Pivotal Play.

On 1^st-and-10 from their own 27 yard-line, the Bengals came out to initiate their opening series with a gadget play. Cincinnati was in the wildcat formation with two receivers split out to the right and a rookie wide receiver, Mohammad Sanu, in shotgun formation as the quarterback.

One of the receivers split-out was quarterback Andy Dalton, who lined up at the bottom of the Bengals’ formation, just a few feet from the sideline, with the team’s top wide receiver AJ Dalton in the slot between he and the rest of Cincinnati’s formation.

Sanu took the shotgun snap from center and faked a handoff to tailback Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis, drawing the Redskins’ linebacking corps in to play the run. The Rutgers product kept the football, took a three-step drop, and un-corked a gorgeous throw, 49 yards in the air, that hit Green in-stride deep down the field. Green won a foot-race to the end zone for the 73-yard score.

But as well executed as this week’s Pivotal Play was by the Bengals, it was played equally as poorly by the Redskins.

On the play defensively, safety DeJon Gomes lined up over Green for the Redskins while cornerback DeAngelo Hall was guarding Dalton at the snap. Gomes was beaten cleanly off the line, but by the time Hall saw that his safety was several yards behind the Bengals’ pro-bowl wide out, it was too late for Hall to get over to defend the pass.

“I’ll take the blame for that one,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. “We didn’t practice it all week. The rule is that the safety’s got the quarterback. He keeps an eye on him, he doesn’t cover him, he just keeps an eye on him and the corner’s got the wide-out.”

What’s more troubling is that Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator knew exactly how Washington was going to defend the play. At least that’s what Jay Gruden told SiriusXM NFL Radio in an interview after the game.

“We had a pretty good indication that they were gonna be in Cover-0 when we went to wildcat,” Gruden said, via the DC Sports Bog.

When asked about Gruden knowing the Redskins’ defensive tendencies, Jim Haslett reminded the media that the two had coached together in the United Football League in 2009.

But that doesn’t make the Pivotal Play any less troubling.

The Redskins ended up yielding six completions of 20 or-more yards and giving up scoring strikes of 73, 59 and 48. That’s why this week’s Pivotal Play goes to the Bengals for keeping Washington’s defense at bay, starting with the first play of the game.

The play—an 88-yard touchdown pass from one debuting Redskin (quarterback Robert Griffin III) to another (wide receiver Pierre Garcon)—was symbolic of just how much the Redskins have altered their offensive personnel in 2012.

Courtesy of Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

A year ago, this week’s Pivotal Play would not have been possible. The Redskins didn’t have a wide receiver on their 2011 roster that could have caught Griffin’s 16-yard pass and turned it into an 88-yard score.

Garcon—signed this offseason to a contract that guarantees him more than $20 million—is an explosive receiver with dynamic speed and game-changing open-field elusiveness. Hauling in Griffin’s pass was just part of what made the play so special, however, because any of the Redskins’ pass catchers this year—or last—could have brought that pass in.

Garcon’s ability to dodge a defender and then win a foot race to the end zone is what was so different about the play.

To properly dissect, you’ll need a little bit of context:

After a holding penalty on a kick return, Washington’s offense took the fieldfirst-and-10 from its own 12 yard-line. The play came on the opening snap of the Redskins’ second offensive drive of the season.

Griffin began the play under center. The rookie passer faked a handoff to Alfred Morris off right tackle before continuing a five-step drop on a play-action fake. As Griffin got to the back of his drop, he noticed pressure coming off the left edge of Washington’s offensive front.

A blitzing Saints defensive back came free, untouched, and was barreling toward Griffin, who threw an off-balance pass toward Garcon. The throw was high, but the former Indianapolis Colt made a leaping reception, arms fully extended, well above his head.

Garcon made the reception at the 28 yard-line and gained 72 yards after the catch.

The catch-and-run meant so much more than just six points. The touchdown gave the Redskins a 10-3 lead with a little more than three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Redskins’ offense lacked play making ability and off-script impact plays. They didn’t have any pass-catchers who served as post-reception threats last season, and acquired Garcon because of his ability after the catch.

Take, for example, the fact that Garcon gained more yards after the catch in Sunday’s reception than 11 of the 18 players who caught passes for the 2011 Redskins did all season.

For the game, Garcon tallied 101 yards after the catch. No Washington wide receiver posted more than 189 YAC last season.

Griffin’s first performance in burgundy and gold was memorable, and he deserves all the credit he’s gotten in the wake of his 320-yard, two-touchdown effort.

Garcon’s amazing first quarter, however, has gone slightly overlooked due to Griffin III’s huge inaugural game, and the contribution he made to help the Redskins take control of the game is this week’s Pivotal Play.

Image Courtesy of Fanatics, Inc.

Most Americans root for their hometown teams – even if they live in a different city or region of the country.  As such, it is difficult for displaced fans to purchase official licensed merchandise in their local retail stores.  How can a Redskins fan purchase a Robert Griffin III jersey if they live in San Diego?

Provider of back-end e-commerce and merchandise fulfillment for professional sports teams and leagues, Fanatics, Inc., recently announced that it has expanded its e-commerce footprint by acquiring Dreams, Inc.  Through the acquisition, Fanatics now has a consumer online retailer of licensed sports products under its belt, which will allow any displaced fan to purchase their favorite team’s merchandise online.

In addition, Fanatics closed a $150 million equity investment led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, as well as a $75 million line of credit from Bank of America.

According to the executive chairman of Fanatics, the combination of Fanatics and Dreams, as well as the confidence in its business reflected by the recent funding, the company is expecting to achieve revenue of $1 billion in 2013.

By expanding its business model to consumer e-commerce – along with the significant infusion of cash – Fanatics pulled off a pivotal play that makes them the dominant provider of licensed sports merchandise on the web.

Grant is the Redskins beat reporter for 106.7 The Fan. He has a storied background in sports broadcasting and started his career when he was just 10 years old.

Some of his career highlights as the youngest sports broadcaster include providing the play-by-play coverage during the Ripken Baseball World Series in 2005, as well as reporting for ABC Sports’ 2004 and 2003 Emmy-nominated Little League World Series. He also covered Super Bowl XXXVII at the age of 13.

As a young sports broadcasting prodigy, Grant appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and has brushed up against with some of the biggest legends in sports such as Franco Harris and Joe Montana.

Needless to say we are excited about bringing Grant on as a contributing writer for the Pivotal Plays blog. Each week, Grant will be providing an insightful post on key pivotal plays from the sports world, which will go beyond actual plays on the field.

We also had the pleasure of interviewing Grant for our podcast series, which you can listen to here.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pivotalplays/2012/05/08/podcast-grant-paulsen-redskins-beat-reporter-for-1067