Everyone in D.C. is amped up about Robert Griffin III and he’ll make his first appearance in the preseason opener Thursday at Buffalo.

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said the starters – including Griffin – will play 12 to 20 snaps in the game, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

That playing time will be ramped up to the entire first half in the second preseason game and then the starters will play into the third quarter in the third game as nearly all NFL teams do.

Twelve to 20 snaps in the opener sounds about right. Some coaches will play their starters less and some more. The Redskins want to get Griffin acclimated quickly because they have cast their lot with him. But practice has been going well and Shanahan is confident.

“We’re trying to put players in those situations that are game-like situations,” the coach said. “We’ve got everybody on the sideline, we’re playing it just like a game. You try to put a guy like Robert through as many game-type situations as possible, and hopefully it gets him ready a little bit quicker.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune