NFC East Roundup: RG3 Sitting Out

The ongoing saga of Robert Griffin III and his time in our nation’s capital took yet another turn Friday when Washington announced that the team’s franchise quarterback would, after being evaluated by neuropsychologists, be held out one to two weeks to rest. From the team, per ESPN.com’s John Keim:

In a statement released by the team, Kurtzke said, “Per discussion with Neuropsychologists and with Anthony Casolaro M.D., we had anticipated yesterday that the patient would be cleared for full participation in gameplay this weekend; however, upon further scrutiny today of the neuropsychology data, I agree with the neuropsychologist that he should be held from gameplay this weekend and be retested in one-two weeks before a firm conclusion to return to gameplay can be made.”

It was unclear even Thursday whether Griffin had indeed suffered a concussion. He could not point to which play it might have happened — or if it had occurred on the final play of his night, when a Lions player fell on him.

The announcement is just another unexpected twist in Griffin’s always-intriguing tenure in Washington.

As the regular season inches nearer still, here is a collection of other storylines swirling around the NFC East.

Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post writes that Washington’s drama-riddled season may be over before kickoff even comes.

The team has yet to play its third preseason game, and it already feels like the season is starting to rot amid endless Robert Griffin III controversies and uncertainty over Coach Jay Gruden’s authority and injuries and miscommunication and cynicism. If the franchise doesn’t stabilize soon, the drama could stunt the growth of a rebuilding plan that actually has an upside.

According to Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and the Cowboys’ defense need a more powerful pass rush this year.

In [Greg] Hardy, [Randy] Gregory and a healthy [DeMarcus] Lawrence, the Cowboys now have the speed to invade opposing backfields.

“The talent is there,” said Marinelli of his remodeled front four. “But it’s more than talent. It’s the ability to work every day. You have to be tough. You have to be physical. You have to disrupt the run and come off the ball every single play. It’s all the get off. We’re reading upfield. We want to get energy and movement up the field fast. It sounds easy, sounds fun…until you have to do it. It’s a grind.”

The Dallas Morning News’s Bob Sturm takes a stab at guessing the Cowboys’ 53-man roster in the wake of Orlando Scandrick’s season-ending injury.

CB – With Orlando Scandrick’s news hurting the team, this is a real job opportunity for the next man up. Tyler Patmon and Corey White are on the squad for sure and now, you wonder if there is a spot for one of the long shots through special teams. Is that Joel Ross or Rod Sweeting?

Giants safety Nat Berhe will miss the 2015 season because of a blood clot in his calf, leaving New York short at safety, ESPN New York’s Dan Graziano writes.

Berhe joins 2015 fifth-round pick Mykkele Thompson, 2014 sixth-round pick Bennett Jackson and Justin Currie as safeties who have suffered season-ending injuries in the past two weeks. At this point, rookie Landon Collins looks like a sure starter at one of the Giants’ safety spots, but the other is up for grabs. Brandon Meriweather, Jeromy Miles and Cooper Taylor all are candidates, and it’s not out of the question the Giants could add another veteran to the mix with Berhe joining the list of the injured.