Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was removed from Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos after a scary hit from defensive tackle Terrance Knighton left him grasping his left knee in pain.
He gave way to Kirk Cousins in the game, but assured fans and the media afterward that he was OK.
"The knee feels fine. I'm not sure which defensive tackle it was came in and landed all 300-plus pounds of himself on my leg," Griffin III said. "I think it just really scared me.
"After I got up and the doctors checked me I was fine, ready to back in the game, talked with [head coach] Mike [Shanahan]. Just the way the game had gone and Kirk [Cousins] was already out there, it was just smart to keep me off the field and just be ready to go next week."
After receiving medical treatment on the sideline, FOX NFL cameras showed Griffin III hopping off the examination table and rejoining his teammates on the sideline.
"[Team doctors] had already finished examining me and D-Hall (DeAngelo Hall) caught the pick, so I jumped off the table to go back into the game and I couldn't find my helmet," he said. "So then Kirk went in and it was a scramble from that point.
"We all made a decision that I was fine, I could go back in the game and then we all made the decision that it was time to keep me out at that point."
Coming off of his best game of the season, Griffin III finished the day with his worst numbers Sunday, throwing 15-of-30 for 132 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions, a fumble lost and three sacks.
Cousins fared no better against an aggressive Broncos defense, throwing five-of-nine for 48 yards and two interceptions.
Griffin III did not re-enter the game after his injury, capping off a disappointing day for him and the offense.
"We knew they were going to rely on their back four to take away the passing game and really dedicate the rest of the guys to the run," he said. "We just had times where we had guys open and we couldn't make plays and there's times where you have to have those tough catches, tough throws.
"We didn't make those either."
The offense was a half-beat off from the start of the game, but Griffin III echoed the team's frustration at blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead in blowout fashion.
"We just needed to be better, in general, in all aspects of the game," he said. "Throwing and catching the ball, getting positive yardage on plays, staying out of bad situations, and there towards the latter part of the game, we got that.
"The score doesn't really indicate how the game went. So we just have to be better. My message to the guys is we have to forget about this game today, go back watch the film, get better from it, point the finger at yourself rather than point at anybody else and that's the only way we can get better."
With the team staring at a 2-5 record at the midway point of the season, real questions are being asked if this is a team that can turn things around in the second half.
Griffin III noted the team's disppointment, but vowed that the team would regroup and get back to playing more consistent football.
"They say all the time it's a cliché in this league is that your record says who you are and I just don't believe we're a 2-5 football team. It's very frustrating," he said. "We prove it at times when we can get big leads and play with really good teams, like the Broncos, and we just let it get out of hand.
"It's very disappointing but nobody in that locker room is going to quit. I talk to my guys every time we go out on the field no matter what the score is we have to have the mindset that we're going to go score touchdowns.
"As a team we have to make sure we stay focused, our division is still wide-open so we have to dig ourselves out of this hole."
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