Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III: Which Rookie Gets the Most Props?

There are a total of four wild-card games that will take place this weekend. One of those games will feature two rookie quarterbacks, Seattle Seahawks‘ Russell Wilson and Washington Redskins‘ Robert Griffin III.

This will be only the second time in NFL history where two rookies quarterbacks will face each other in the postseason. The first time was last season when T.J. Yates of the Houston Texans, and Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals faced one another in the first-round.

Both of these QB’s possess something special that we don’t normally witness from rookies. They are poised, highly intelligent, have outstanding football mechanics, and most importantly – they lead by example. It’s difficult to win over the more experienced players in an NFL locker room. If you can go out on the field and prove to be a winner and consistently productive, like these two have, then you start to earn the respect of those veterans.

Griffin has been, in my opinion, the most popular player in the NFL this season. He has a boatload of commercials, and is always the topic of discussion on various sports networks. Reasonably so, as he has shocked the world with his performances this season. He is a dynamic QB who has the ability to run a 40 yard dash in 4.3 seconds, and throw the ball with phenomenal accuracy. Griffin is third in the league, behind Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, in passer rating at 102.4. He has a total of 27 touchdowns this season (20 passing, seven rushing) and has thrown only five interceptions. Protecting the ball isn’t an area where rookies usually excel, but Griffin has.

Wilson isn’t as attractive to the public media as Griffin is, but he has been just as effective. While Griffin was the number two overall pick in the 2012 draft, Wilson was picked 75th. Griffin pretty much went into the season knowing he would be the starter for the Redskins, Wilson earned his spot after an impressive preseason. He beat out Matt Flynn for the job, who many thought would be the starter after Seattle went out and signed him during free agency. Wilson’s numbers also stacks up well to Griffin’s this season. He has a total of 30 TD’s (26 passing, four rushing) and has thrown only 10 interceptions. Wilson is also right behind Rodgers, Manning and Griffin in passer rating at 100.0.

Even though it may seem as if Griffin is the Lebron James of the NFL right now, there isn’t anything clear cut when choosing who has had the better season between these two. Both Griffin and Wilson could possibly win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Both have put up astonishing numbers. Both have their teams in the playoffs, and both also get the opportunity to improve their chances of winning a Super Bowl come Sunday.

 

Redskins columnist/Josiah Turner

@EspnsJsiah