More questions, and more drama for Robert Griffin III and the Redskins

Head injuries are the least funny thing in pro sports, and so you have to take the Redskins and independent neurologist Robert N. Kurtzke at their word when they say quarterback Robert Griffin III "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." In any concussion-related matter, where so much is still not understood, caution and discretion take priority over haste and bravado — especially in the preseason.

But the last week in Ashburnistan has featured a muddle of mixed messages and vague pronouncements, of actions that don't match words and questions unsatisfactorily answered. The Redskins allowed a concussed quarterback to take snaps in the afternoon sun three days after he was injured. They staged a bizarre press conference for that quarterback before he was even cleared to play, in which he declined to discuss his injury, would not say whether he had been concussed, and quipped "I just work here" when asked about the pounding he took during an exhibition loss. They announced that Griffin was cleared to play 23 hours and 58 minutes before Friday's independent review changed matters, a result that left Washington's entire offseason plan in shambles.

If I told you this had happened to an unnamed NFL team, it probably wouldn't take you 32 guesses to name the Redskins. You know, the club that keeps winning off the field.

And so with Griffin — who practiced with Washington's first teamers all week, and participated in the team's walk-through earlier Friday — now out indefinitely, there are questions galore heading into Saturday's exhibition, questions that weren't answered in the team's 66-word statement and that aren't likely to be answered before the weekend is over.

Among them:

Why was Griffin in uniform and on the practice field Sunday, less than three full days after he had been battered by the Lions at FedEx Field? The NFL's concussion protocol recommends first rest and recovery, and then "a graduated exercise program" beginning with cardio work and stretching, followed by exercises that "may mimic sport specific activities," followed by "non-contact football activities." At each step, "the player-patient must remain at his pre-concussion baseline level of signs and symptoms . . . as well as for a reasonable period of time afterward."

And yet when surprised media members asked Coach Jay Gruden on Sunday how Griffin had progressed so quickly — to the point that he was dashing for a 30-yard touchdown run against Washington's defense (while wearing a no-contact jersey) — the leading voice of the football team said "I have no idea."

I have no idea?

"You know, he just went through the necessary steps with the doctors and the concussion tests that is all implemented by our training staff," Gruden went on. "And so far, he has taken the necessary steps. You know, it's been two full days and today is Sunday afternoon so he has had some time to recover and go through the necessary steps. He hasn't been totally cleared yet. Like I said, he's got to still go to a neurosurgeon. But, we'll wait and see."

What exactly did Griffin know about his status Thursday, and why was he so unwilling to share the details publicly?

When asked the most basic questions at his press conference, which was scheduled before he had met with the neurologist to get his final clearance, Griffin was unwilling to provide any insight at all.

"You've got to talk to the people who report that stuff," Griffin said, when asked whether he had indeed suffered a concussion. "I was in the locker room taking a shower, getting ready to watch the rest of the game. So I don't know."

How did Thursday's good news — "an independent neurologist has cleared quarterback Robert Griffin III to play for Saturday's game at Baltimore," the team announced — transition to Friday's bad news — which was based on "further scrutiny . . . of the neuropsychology data?"

And how could Griffin have practiced all week, only to be ruled out 24 hours before what Joe Theismann called "probably the biggest game that Robert Griffin has ever played in his life?"

Perhaps most bafflingly, what happens next?

No, this isn't as important as Griffin's health, either for this season or the rest of his life. But with the fourth-year lightning rod unlikely to record any more preseason snaps, leaving the Detroit disaster as the bulk of his preseason resume, how does the team prepare for the Miami Dolphins in week one?

What happens if Kirk Cousins excels while working with the first-team offense Saturday night? Could he move into the starting job? What happens if Cousins bombs? Would that leave open the door for Colt McCoy, who spent the past week working with the scout team?

How many first-team reps would Griffin need in practice to prove his fitness for the job to Gruden, whose pairing with Griffin has often been uneasy? How many more twists remain in this labyrinth Griffin and his team have built together?

All of those questions could be bundled up into one overarching query Friday night, while normal NFL teams were playing normal exhibitions: Why does every aspect of the Redskins organization continue to ooze this dense and debilitating drama? And when will it ever end?