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NFL Wild Card Weekend: Rookie Quarterback Epic Matchup

Evan Budrovich |
January 6, 2013 | 11:37 a.m. PST

Staff Writer

Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Today, Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III will battle it out in the NFC Wild-Card Round.

Regardless of who wins the contest, the debate over who had a better rookie campaign will most certaintly ensue for weeks to come.

The 11-5 Seattle Seahawks, winners of five straight games face off against the 10-6 Washington Redskins, winners of seven straight, who are fighting for their first playoff win since 2005.

With two hot teams set to play in Washington, D.C., let's take a look at how each starting quarterback has battled the odds to lead their team to the playoffs.

For Washington, RGIII was its man from Day 1. The Redskins traded two first-round draft picks to select Griffin with the No. 2 overall pick.

The Heisman Trophy Winner shined in his first performance of the season, defeating the New Orleans Saints 40-34. RGIII went 19-for-26 for 320 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

After two straight losses to St. Louis and Cincinnati, Redskins fans were searching for some fourth-quarter magic from their rookie sensation. In Week 4 against Tampa Bay, RGIII led the Redskins on a game-winning drive capped off by a 41-yard Billy Cundiff field goal.

Wilson was drafted in the fourth round as an undervalued 5-foot-11 quarterback. After an impressive training camp, Wilson beat out free agent signee Matt Flynn for the starting job in Seattle.

Wilson began his season with impressive wins over the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Whether earned or not, Wilson led the Seahawks on the game-winning infamous touch-ception drive against Green Bay.

To gain momentum, both men made huge strides as the season progressed. Wilson defeated the New England Patriots 24-23, plus he won his first road game at Carolina. As for RGIII, he played outstandingly but his team struggled losing four out of its next five after starting 2-2.

Neither quarterback seemed destined for the playoffs at this moment but changed their fate with outstanding finishes to the season.

The Seahawks could not win on the road, and Russell Wilson was not converting on third down. The Redskins were struggling to win close ball games, in large part due to their struggling defense.

With eight games remaining, Griffin had only thrown three interceptions compared to an impressive 14 total touchdowns. Wilson meanwhile, threw 10 touchdowns but also threw eight interceptions.

With the shadows of Andrew Luck’s impressive fourth-quarter comebacks rolling, RGIII and Wilson began cementing their cases for ROY.

In the second half, Wilson developed into the legit leader of the team by playing mistake-free football. With a 7-1 record over Seattle's last eight, Wilson used his arm and legs to propel the Seahawks into talks of elite amongst the NFL.

In one of his most impressive starts, Wilson led a fourth-quarter, game-tying drive against Chicago. On the road, most rookie quarterbacks would have made the big mistake. But Wilson pioneered forward, leading the Seahawks to an overtime victory.

Wilson finished the game with 364 yards of total offense, sparking the Seahawks on a five-game winning streak.

RGIII’s coming out party took place over many occasions, but most notably against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

As part of the capitivating night, RGIII passed 19-for-27 for 304 yards, jumping out to a 28-3 lead that the Redskins would never relinquish.

This was the second game of a seven-game winning streak to end the season.

Taking a look at key losses for each player could reallly help us decipher which player had a greater impact on their team.

Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
In an incredibly thrilling 27-23 loss to the New York Giants in October, RGIII outplayed Eli Manning. RGIII passed 20-for-28 on the night for 258 yards with two touchdowns and one costly interception. Griffin also made huge plays on the ground, rushing for 89 yards to reinforce the Redskins' top-ranked rushing attack.

Wilson played well in a losing effort against the Miami Dolphins in late November. In a week best known for sprinkler errors, Wilson was 21-for-27 for 224 yards passing and two scores. On a key drive when the game was tied, Wilson completed two third-down conversions but was sacked on a key third down at midfield, giving the ball back to Miami.

These losses prove not that both players fundamentally lost games for their teams, but neither made the biggest play to propel his team to victory, either.

After looking at the final season statistics from both quarterbacks, each was impressive in his own manner. With both quarterbacks attempting 393 passes this season, the statistics will fairly represent individual results.  

Wilson passed for 3,118 yards with a 64 percent completion percentage. Wilson was very effective with the rock, posting a 2.6-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Wilson became electric with his feet, rushing for four touchdowns in the final three games.

Griffin III passed for 3,200 yards with a 65 percent completion percentage. With a 4.0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, RGIII was extremely safe with the football. Griffin made huge plays with his feet, rushing for 815 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

With statistics marginaly favoring Griffin in terms of pure numbers, we need to take a deeper look at the impact both players had on their respective teams.

In 2011 Washington finished 5-11, last in the NFC East while the Seattle Seahawks finished 7-9 as the third place team in the NFC West.

Both teams had talent on defense, strong rushing-attacks but neither had a solid option at quarterback. Once RGIII and Wilson arrived, both teams were propelled them to the NFC Wild-Card Round.

Wilson’s development over the season places him in the lead in terms of momentum. RGIII has made more big plays over the season, leading a team left for waste, igniting life in Washington.

Rookie of the Year should go to the player who has had the most outstanding season with the most impact on himself and his team. With votes equally deserved for both players, RGIII’s transformation of Washington football makes him my vote for ROY.

PREDICTION

The Seattle Seahawks have the running game, pass rush and special team intangibles to defeat the Washington Redskins.

Marshawn Lynch will control the time of possession and Wilson will make huge plays in the red zone to finish drives for touchdowns. RGIII has run the spread option to perfection this season, but the Redskins are facing a juggernaut in the Seahawks' top-10 rush defense.

In a battle of strength-versus-strength, the Seattle Seahawks will surive to face the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons.

Reach Staff Writer Evan Budrovich here, or follow him on Twitter.



 

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