BEREA, Ohio _ Browns coach Hue Jackson insisted he's not playing mind games with the Cincinnati Bengals by holding off on naming Robert Griffin III as his starting quarterback for Sunday's game at FirstEnergy Stadium.
"I do need to see Robert go through the week," Jackson said Wednesday. "It is not so much gamesmanship. We are talking about a young man that has not played much football this year. I need to be for sure about everything that could potentially go on. Before you stick him out there, you want to make sure you are putting guys in the right situation, give him the right opportunity."
But Griffin is still likely to start after missing the past 11 games with a broken coracoid bone in his left shoulder. He suffered the injury Sept. 11 in the regular-season opener.
Griffin spoke Monday and Wednesday as if he expects to start, the second time while explaining his mentality about taking hits for the first time since he broke his non-throwing shoulder.
"No 350-pounders have landed on me yet, so it's just something you've got to be ready for," Griffin said. "Football's a very physical game, and they're not going to shy away from trying to hit me. I've just got to make sure I protect myself.
"I know my line's going to protect, and that's the goal is to not get the quarterback hit. We're going to do things to try to be conducive to that, and I just can't worry about those things. It's football. You're going to get hit, and that's why you put on your armor and go out to battle."
Running back Duke Johnson made it clear he also expects Griffin to start and hopes the quarterback can jump-start the Browns (0-12) when they face the Bengals (4-7-1).
"We'll take a spark from anybody that's going to give it right now," Johnson said. "But our main goal right now is make sure we protect Robert and give him the time and everything he needs to deliver passes and play his game. So that's definitely our focus as an offense at this point, just making sure that we give Robert the time he needs when he's back there to make his reads and make plays.
"At any position in football it's tough [to perform well coming off an injury], but especially quarterback. It's going out there and getting a rhythm with receivers. It's going to be tough just coming back after 11 weeks, but we'll find ways. We have to make plays for him."
Dating back to his days in Washington, Griffin has missed 27 of the past 28 games.
"There is probably some rust there," Jackson said. "He has not played a lot of football. Practice is only a simulation of what the game could be. The game is a very different game. That is why I am taking every consideration before truly making this decision about who is going to step out there.
"The more you work at it, the more you get in the flow of things in a live situation, as much as we can simulate it in practice, the better you are going to be. Robert is a pro. He understands. Trust me, he wants to be out there. I think you guys know that. I am just not ready to nail that down yet for our football team."
Griffin said "it wouldn't be a letdown" if Jackson were to surprise everyone by holding him out against the Bengals.
"You continue to work and if they decide, 'Hey, this week isn't the week,' then I'm prepared for that as well," Griffin said.
Veteran quarterback Josh McCown will be prepared just in case.
"I'm going to be ready," he said.
Rookie Cody Kessler is the other option, even though he's coming off two concussions in a span of 29 days.
"I have talked to him and I feel very comfortable if we put him out there, he will be fine," Jackson said. "The most important thing is protecting our players to the utmost. With the conversations I have had, I think everybody feels very comfortable that part is behind him."
