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Griffin shines as Redskins down Saints, 40-32 - Yahoo! Sports
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Robert Griffin III brought his Heisman Trophy swagger to New Orleans and made his NFL debut look like a Big Easy.
Showing a veteran's composure by scrambling only when necessary, the dynamic Redskins rookie quarterback tormented New Orleans' defense with 320 yards passing and two touchdowns in his debut, and Washington held on for 40-32 victory over the Saints on Sunday.
New Orleans hoped to open the season with a defiant show of force in the wake of the bounty scandal that overshadowed its offseason. They also got a boost on Friday when a three-member appeals panel reinstated defensive end Will Smith and linebacker Jon Vilma, who had been suspended for their roles in the Saints' alleged pay-for-pain bounty program.
Smith started, while Vilma, deemed unready to play after offseason knee surgery, received a rousing ovation when he walked onto the field to lead the Saints' tradition pregame "Who-dat" chant.
Instead of riding that emotional high, the Saints spent nearly the entire game trying to keep up with a Redskins offense powered by youth. Griffin completed his first eight passes, including an 88-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon, and finished 19 of 26 with no interceptions and a passer rating of 139.9. He also scrambled for 42 yards.
Rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Aldrick Robinson, a second-year pro making his NFL regular-season debut, had a 5-yard touchdown catch among four receptions for 52 yards.
Showing a veteran's composure by scrambling only when necessary, the dynamic Redskins rookie quarterback tormented New Orleans' defense with 320 yards passing and two touchdowns in his debut, and Washington held on for 40-32 victory over the Saints on Sunday.
New Orleans hoped to open the season with a defiant show of force in the wake of the bounty scandal that overshadowed its offseason. They also got a boost on Friday when a three-member appeals panel reinstated defensive end Will Smith and linebacker Jon Vilma, who had been suspended for their roles in the Saints' alleged pay-for-pain bounty program.
Smith started, while Vilma, deemed unready to play after offseason knee surgery, received a rousing ovation when he walked onto the field to lead the Saints' tradition pregame "Who-dat" chant.
Instead of riding that emotional high, the Saints spent nearly the entire game trying to keep up with a Redskins offense powered by youth. Griffin completed his first eight passes, including an 88-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon, and finished 19 of 26 with no interceptions and a passer rating of 139.9. He also scrambled for 42 yards.
Rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Aldrick Robinson, a second-year pro making his NFL regular-season debut, had a 5-yard touchdown catch among four receptions for 52 yards.