Robert Griffin III downplays game against Kyle Shanahan, Johnny Manziel

Robert Griffin III is likely to play only the first quarter of the Redskins’ preseason game Monday night against Cleveland, and when he leaves the game, he’ll remain focused on his own offense — not that of the Browns.

Griffin said Thursday that he doesn’t have much interest in seeing what the Browns do offensively under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who held that role with the Redskins the past four years and worked with Griffin his first two seasons in the NFL.

“I don’t really look at the other sideline during the game,” Griffin said. “I’ll be focused on our sideline and what we have and what we’re trying to do, and I know they’ll do the same.”

Shanahan was fired on Dec. 30 along with his father, coach Mike Shanahan, and a handful of other assistant coaches. Asked Thursday if he has kept in touch with Kyle Shanahan, Griffin hesitated before simply saying that he’ll “leave that [question] where it’s at.”

As for if the two would chat before the game, Griffin seemed open to doing so.

“Yeah I mean, it’s not that kind of relationship that we wouldn’t talk,” Griffin said, “so if I get a chance to see him, or talk to him, I definitely will.”

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For the second time in three years, Kyle Shanahan has the opportunity to direct an offense with a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Johnny Manziel will split first-team snaps on Monday with Brian Hoyer, and the two will continue to compete through the remainder of the preseason for the starting role.

Griffin said he has crossed paths with Manziel in the past, but again cautioned — as he has several times in the past — that he’s not directly competing against the other team’s quarterback.

“I have had a chance to talk to him, but my job’s not to compare,” Griffin said. “Anybody that wants to compare, I’m sure they’ll just look at us and say both of us are real fast guys that can play backyard football at times. We both want to win, and I think every quarterback in the league wants to win football games.”

And how they’re different?

“I don’t know,” Griffin said. “I’ve played in the NFL. He hasn’t. He went to [Texas] A&M, I went to Baylor. Other than that, we’re all just trying to do our jobs.”