My kingdom for a knee...

Of those who believe in intelligent design, who hold that only a god could create such a brilliant creature as man and his surroundings, it might be asked, "But what about the knee?"

If that particular part of the human body were more durable and less susceptible to injury, the Washington Redskins would probably be planning a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons this coming weekend. When quarterback Robert Griffin III went down with another injury to his already-gimpy right knee, the playoff hopes of my favorite football team took a nosedive.

One man can't really carry an entire team, but Griffin came close this year. He brought physical skills, of course, but he also began every offensive play by forcing the defense to cover a dizzying array of options. Griffin's ability to fake, combined with his skill at running and throwing the ball, meant the opposing team had to try to cover multiple possibilities of plays. That, plus an improving defense of their own and the stellar pay of rookie running back Alfred Morris, were the secrets to Redskin's success the second half of the season.

With Griffin's injury, that threat was gone and the Seattle Seahawks, a very good team in their own right, could use their dominating defense to secure a win last night. Hats off to them, they played well and deserved to win. But, as often happens in sports, we're left to wonder, "What if..."

I was sad the 'Skins lost, but happy and proud of the season they had. Championship football has returned to Washington after a long absence, and the future looks bright. Sweeping the Cowboys was a nice extra. I'm appreciative of the work the players and coaches have done and thrilled at the prospect of more success next season. Let's all hope RG III can rehab his knee in the off-season and return with the same kind of brilliance we saw this season.