Category Archives: 2012 NFL Regular Season

NFL Week 14: NFC West – Not The Sole Province of the 49ers

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Lynch and the Seahawks have been coming on as the season has progressed.

Lynch and the Seahawks have been coming on as the season has progressed.

Back in week 3, we tried to warn you of this, and now it’s coming close to the end of the season and this division looks like it is about to turnover. Have the Seattle Seahawks ever played with more force and purpose than they have this year?? With all due respect to their Super Bowl XL team, this group has grown and come forward to challenge a San Francisco team that thought they had this division all to themselves. The verve and spirit they have displayed all year has been infectious. Yet with a win against Buffalo and a loss by the 49ers, who travel to New England, they will be within half a game of the NFC West lead. Then guess who a Seahawk team that is undefeated hosts the following week??

Considering the non explosion that was supposed to happen for the 49ers when they switched quarterbacks, a win in New England doesn’t seem likely. San Francisco brings a defense but they have to travel cross country and take on a Patriot offense that is averaging 42 points per game in the last 5 weeks. They are going to slow a Tom Brady who has completed 64.4% of his passes while throwing for 29TDs to only 4 interceptions?? They’re mission should they choose to accept it…

Let’s take a look at the standings…

West Division

W

L

T

PCT

PF

PA

HOME

ROAD

DIV

CONF

STRK

LAST5
San Francisco 49ers 49ers 9 3 1 .731 316 184 5-1 4-2 2-1 6-3 W1 3-1
Seattle Seahawks Seahawks 8 5 0 .615 300 202 6-0 2-5 1-3 6-4 W2 4-1
St. Louis Rams Rams 6 6 1 .500 236 279 4-3 2-3 4-0 5-3 W3 3-1
Arizona Cardinals Cardinals 4 9 0 .308 186 292 3-3 1-6 1-4 2-7 L9 0-5

Now our CEO has been very opinionated about the 49ers turning the quarterbacking duty to Colin Kaepernick and think they sabotaged a possible Super Bowl run. Coach Harbaugh should take a look at the teams Alex Smith had to take on right before he got injured. Do you realize that in defensive rankings the Seahawks are 3rd, the Rams are 10th, and the Cardinals rank 12th. Who would have sustained offense against that many top flight defenses?? Consequently, facing the Saints (32nd) and the Dolphins (19th) haven’t really improved Kaepernick’s numbers. He is still completing a smaller percent of his passes (70%-67.4%), in four games he has only thrown 3 touchdowns. Smith’s touchdown percentage per pass was even higher.

Now you send a quarterback starting his 5th game to face the defending AFC Champions and the master of situation defense in Bill Belichick. The last time we saw Kaepernick on the road it was his huge miscue (safety) that turned a game San Fran was winning, into a loss to the Rams. The Patriots have a faster defense and will keep him tracked. In this game he’s going to have to sustain real technical offense even if the 49er defense starts off well. Relying on scrambles or gimmick plays won’t get it done. Eventually, the Patriots will score. This isn’t the team that Arizona beat in week 3 and Seattle beat in week 6. Right now the Patriots are averaging 36.3 points per game. If they can sustain that pace they will score 582 points or 7 short of the NFL all time record of 589 scored by the 2007 Patriots. Kaepernick is going to keep pace?? No way… a rout could be looming. All it takes is a few miscues on the road, let momentum get away from you and…

Isn’t that what happened last week in Seattle?? Goodness that game was over with before the Cardinals knew what hit them. FIFTY EIGHT to nothing?? That is a 1980’s college football score when a big school would clobber a smaller one. Once they jumped on the Cardinals 17-0 and the 12th man got into it, the turnovers came in bunches. If you haven’t seen this team play they swarm like bees on defense and special teams. This week their Pro Bowl bound running back Marshawn Lynch gets a crack at the Buffalo Bills, which is the team that drafted him. The Seahawks get a break in the fact that they will play the Bills up in Toronto and not in an outdoor Ralph Wilson Stadium. They will need Lynch (1266 yards /9TDs) to keep the Bills offense on the sideline by running it 30 times or more. They need to ease Russell Wilson into this game. The Bills are 5th against the pass and the Seahawks have to minimize turnovers. Let their defense force the action.

Speaking of which, in 2 of their last 4 games, they have given up less than 200 yards of offense and are currently ranked #3 in total defense. Linebackers Bobby Wagner (108 tackles), KJ Wright (77 tackles) have 8 passes and 2 sacks between them but only have 1 fumble forced. This team is just a few turnovers forced from being one of the best in the business. In fact their lack of forcing turnovers on the road has been there achille’s heel as they have gone 2-5 on the road. However they did beat Chicago in overtime a few weeks ago   to wrest wild card tie break benefits from the Bears. They also beat the Vikings 6 weeks ago for further wildcard tie breakers there. However this team is looking further ahead.

russellwilsonWith a San Francisco loss and a Seattle win this week, the 49ers will have to travel to Seattle with the division lead on the line. Our CEO has the Seahawks winning that game and taking the NFC West championship away from Jim Harbaugh’s boys in a head knocker. They are 6-0 at home and play with reckless abandon in Qwest Field. You remember how loud it was when they knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Saints in the playoffs 2 years ago. It will be the first match-up between Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson, who quietly has to be considered for NFL Rookie of The Year. His 208 of 330 for 2,492 yards and 20 touchdowns isn’t that spectacular, but his 9 interceptions is low enough to keep them in games. In fact he’s only thrown 1 interception at home all season.

Seattle will be in the playoffs this year and they should make the NFC Championship with what The Chancellor has seen. Think about their run this year against playoff hopefuls. They hold tie breaker advantages over Green Bay, Dallas, Minnesota, Chicago, and with a win by more than 7 next week, San Francisco. The 49ers will regret giving that game up in St Louis… sure we’re getting ahead of ourselves but this is what we do.

Well an NFC West heavyweight fight looms next week… we’re picking Seattle

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NFL Week 14: Atlanta Falcons v. Houston Texans – A Matter Of Perception

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Jonathon Stewart and the Panthers took the Falcons to school on Sunday.

Jonathon Stewart and the Panthers took the Falcons to school on Sunday.

As the NFL playoffs near, we see teams jockeying for playoff positioning,  and pundits making arguments for which teams will do well in the postseason. The Taylor Blitz Times is no different in that regard. The most interesting scenario that has occurred this season is no one believes in the teams with the best records. The Atlanta Falcons along with the Houston Texans were handed big losses and the chant of “over-rated” reverberated throughout the NFL fan-base via twitter &  facebook. Even NFL.com ran a story to this degree, however appearances can be deceiving.

If you look at the two teams and each loss, they’re very dissimilar. The Houston Texans took to a big stage to show the defending AFC Champion Patriots and the rest of the conference that they were to be taken serious. Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs is at stake and everyone watched them get obliterated 42-14, on Monday Night Football in a game where everyone had this date on the calender circled for months. The Falcons /Panthers game was nothing like that. It wasn’t one where Atlanta needed to prove themselves. They have already been to the playoffs four straight years and for the first time may have homefield throughout. They were just caught off guard by a division opponent who knows them and matches up well against them.

houston-texans-v-england-patriots-20121210-192412-399In their earlier match-up this season, Carolina had the chance to run out the clock on the Falcons, but a Cam Newton fumble under 2 minutes to go kept them from a game clinching first down. After a punt that pinned Atlanta to their own 10, Matt Ryan launched a 60 yard bomb to Roddy White on the next play which helped set up the game winning kick by Matt Bryant.  That 30-28 win established two things: The first is the Falcons’ ability to come from behind and win close games as they have all year. Do you realize the Falcons are 8-1 in games decided by 7 or less this season?? That is the mark of a champion.

The second, it established the Panthers as a team that could give Atlanta’s defense fits running right at them. Try to the tune of 199 yards, then 195 last Sunday, which allowed Carolina control of the clock and the line of scrimmage.

As each team gathered in their second loss, the buzzards started to circle. For us the real measure of what took place on Sunday and Monday Night, showed the Texans on the short end of the stick. They lined up against the team that played in last year’s Super Bowl and were beaten soundly. Most of the talk after last year’s playoff run was “Well if we would have had Matt Schaub…” Last week, they had him and he turned in a lackluster 19 of 32 for 232 yards and 1 interception performance. It didn’t seem he was as big as the game they were playing, lacking leadership and fight throughout. Nevermind his earlier Pro Bowl status…this was the proving ground for him and his team. You had Arian Foster, who has led the NFL in rushing and all he could muster was a 15 carry 46 yard performance. Hell teammate Ben Tate ran for that much in garbage time. Once you include Andre Johnson, none of the vital signs for Houston were functioning when the clock struck zero.

In the game with the Patriots, the Texans had their manhood taken and the only way to get it back is to take it back. Coach Kubiak has to use that as motivation to get this team ready for the playoffs. Their confidence has to be shaken…

As for the Falcons, Coach Smith needs to keep the ship steady yet find out what has happened to their offensive rhythm. In the last two weeks they have averaged 322.5 yards per game when in the previous 4 weeks the average was 421.5. That translates into a time of possession difference that may make the Falcons more beatable than in the season’s first 10 weeks. Each has work to do but the psychological fallout from the loss in New England gives the Houston Texans the tougher hill to climb.

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Marcus Allen – A Football Life

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Super Bowl XVIII - AOne thing I always said about Marcus Allen, no one had a better trophy case. Think about what he amassed in a three year period from 1981 through the 1983 seasons. He runs for 2,342 yards and 22 TDs and wins the Heisman Trophy. He then wins NFL Rookie of the Year in his debut with the Raiders and what does he do for an encore?? Has a 1,000 yard season and wins Super Bowl MVP for his 191 yard performance against Washington. The only guy that comes close to that is Tony Dorsett, but he only ran for 66 yards in Super Bowl XII…yet I digress.

Then in 1985 when the Raiders passing game fell flat on it’s ass with an aging Jim Plunkett giving way to Mark Wilson, the Raiders turned to Allen. What did he do?? He ran for 1,759 yards and led the NFL in rushing while winning league MVP. This was the only time in NFL history that a Raider led the league in rushing by the way. Allen’s performance saved their season leading the Raiders to a 12-4 record.
Then came the personal vendetta against Allen by Al Davis. Now I’m not sure the real issue will be revealed in this episode but something happened off-field that had to involve a woman. Had to…it became way too personal. When Ice Cube interviewed Al Davis for the 30 for 30 “Straight Outta LA” he alluded to the fact that it was something off the field he took a personal disliking to. You could see it in his face. Back in 1993 when he was finally freed by free agency and waiting to sign with a new team, Allen said in an interview that Al Davis told him he would “get him” and try to ruin his career.

This is such a travesty because the NFL fan and history were robbed of what he possibly could have become. He was imprisoned for 7 years and still rushed for 12,243 yards after he finished as a Kansas City Chief. The Bo Jackson signing always puzzled The Chancellor. If it was about passing and not running the football, this signing doesn’t make sense. Why not trade Marcus Allen for a quarterback or future draft considerations??

This is when The Chancellor stopped thinking of Davis as one of the top minds in the game. It kept the Raiders stuck in neutral for many years and I hope this episode sheds some light on what went on behind the scenes. Should be a good one…
Marcus Allen – A Football Life

NFL Week 13: AFC West – Both Ends Of The Spectrum

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Peyton Manning has had command of the Bronco huddle from the outset.

Peyton Manning has had command of the Bronco huddle from the outset.

At this time last year, the Denver Broncos won the AFC West on the last week of the season, although they staggered to an 8-8 finish. This year with Peyton Manning orchestrating the offense, they have actually scored 349 points in 12 games where last year they scored 309 in 16. Their 9-3 record is good enough to wrap up the AFC West with a month left in the season. Although pundits like Peter King hailed the Broncos from the outset, we here at Taylor Blitz like to see progressive growth during the season. Make no mistake the Broncos are an improved team…but are we witnessing a transcendent team or are they the beneficiary of a weak division??

Before we start…take a look at the standings:

West Division

W

L

T

PCT

PF

PA

Home

Road

DIV

CONF

Strk

Last5
Denver Broncos y-Broncos 9 3 0 .750 349 244 5-1 4-2 4-0 6-2 W7 5-0
San Diego Chargers Chargers 4 8 0 .333 258 257 2-4 2-4 3-2 4-5 L4 1-4
Oakland Raiders Raiders 3 9 0 .250 235 376 2-4 1-5 1-2 3-6 L5 0-5
Kansas City Chiefs Chiefs 2 10 0 .167 188 322 1-6 1-4 0-4 0-8 W1 1-4

Did you notice the Chargers are in the midst of a 4 game losing streak, the Raiders in a 5 game losing streak, and even though the Chiefs won Sunday, it broke an 8 game losing streak for them?? So what does the crown in the AFC West really mean?? Against a group that had lost 17 straight games…

We need a litmus test that can tell us who the Broncos are and how strong they are. Now that they’re division champs, we have to assess if the Broncos are able to make a Super Bowl run. In actuality there is much in the way of substance but even more in the way of a mirage. Do you realize that aside from Sunday’s game with Tampa, the last time they played a team with a winning record was October 15th?? Even that game was against the backsliding Chargers who have lost 7 of their last 8 games. In their 7 game winning streak, only 2 have come against winning teams. In fact, the Broncos are only 4-3 against teams with winning records. One of the wins came against the Steelers who didn’t have Troy Palamalu, James Harrison, and Ryan Clark. You have to put an asterisk next to that one when assessing strength.

The Broncos are clearly a better team with Manning at the helm.  Denver’s offense is #5 in total offense and #3 in total defense but are they battle-hardened?? That is The Chancellor’s point. You have a team that is feasting on a lot of patsies and padding their record like an old Big 8 Nebraska college football team. They have losses to the Patriots and the Texans who have tie breaker advantages over them and Denver would have to travel to either in the playoffs. They are -3 in the turnover margin and the defense has only forced 10 turnovers on the road. Six of those came against the hapless Chargers.

Peyton Manning should be runaway NFL Comeback Player of the Year and in the thick of NFL’s MVP talks as well. He’s completed 304 of 447 (68%) for 3,502 yards, 29TDs with only 9 interceptions. He’s done this with a moderately talented receiving staff and has been the steadying hand for this year. Especially with the loss of Willis McGahee until the playoffs, teams are still gearing toward Manning. Wideout DeMaryius (what kind of name is that) Thomas is having a career year. His 69 receptions, 1,114 yards, and 8 touchdowns pace Bronco receivers. Thomas has more than doubled his 2011 output and still has 4 games to go.

Von Miller has been everywhere this year.

Von Miller has been everywhere this year.

There are some points of substance at individual positions. Von Miller has catapulted himself into the Taylor Blitz Time’s NFL Defensive Player of The Year award conversation. With 53 total tackles, 15 1/2 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and an interception for a touchdown, this is a force. Those are Lawrence Taylor type stats and his highlights over the last month, no one has been able to match his play.

The secondary hasn’t forced a lot of turnovers and only have 5 interceptions for the year amongst the starters. How will this team fare in the playoffs in a game where they can’t generate a pass rush?? Most of these questions are going to go unanswered until we get into the thick of the NFL playoffs. What Coach John Fox hopes is the team can ride the wonderful wave of confidence once the playoffs start.

One game that now looms important is that week 15 match-up in Baltimore. Now that the Ravens lost to the Steelers, Denver is within striking distance of taking the #3 seed away with a win. If they lose in Baltimore, the Broncos worst fears could surface right before the postseason begins.  They’d have to be on the road for both the divisional playoff and conference championship games if they lose in Baltimore. That could send them to New England and Houston barring any upsets. Don’t forget they lost to both teams already and the nightmare loss to New England in last year’s playoffs could flash in the minds of Bronco players along with this year’s regular season loss. That could sap the confidence of the team if they fall behind early.

In other words…  no game will shape the 2012 AFC playoffs like the week 15 Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens matchup. The winner should at least make the AFC C hampionship…the loser?? Maybe the divisional round. Don’t look now but the Ravens are averaging 34 points per game at home. Buckle your chinstraps boys…the playoffs are coming

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Barry Sanders – A Football Life

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sanders_singletaryThe most elusive running back in NFL History and greatest in my estimation. If you take a look at all running backs they have their greatest season totals within their first four years. The average running back’s career is actually 3.7 years but look at them all… Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Jim Brown, Terrell Davis, Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, hell even OJ Simpson. OJ was forced to play wingback his first three seasons but once he was moved back to a true running back situation he burst on the scene and in his second year gained his 2,ooo yards. Why am I bringing this up?? Well Sanders had his best season in year NINE when he finally got a fullback.

His last battle was against the up and coming Baltimore Colts in the season finale in 1998. As the game was nearing it’s end, Sanders needed less than 10 yards to finish with 1,500 yards (would have been his fifth or sixth straight year in a row) and on 6 carries battled it out with Ray Lewis and the gang for that honor. The Ravens held up but the moves, effort, passion displayed by both Sanders and the Ravens was a sight to behold. He finished with 1,491 prompting Chris Berman to announce “the world is still flat” in an obvious reference between Sanders’ yardage total and matching it to a year in history.

What is interesting to talk about now that Barry’s career is over is how incredible would his numbers have been had he NOT played in the run and shoot? There was once an article about the run and shooot that said “replacing a tight end and a fullback with two additional receivers and the corresponding replacement of two linebackers for secondary players removed 17% of the body mass at the line of scrimmage.” What this also did was move two more defensive players six or more yards off the line of scrimmage. So when Sanders broke into the open as a young NFL runner, players had angles on him which shortened many runs.

Once the Lions abandoned the prinicples of the run and shoot (around 1995) Sanders flourished once they brought tight ends and blocking backs in the game. With teams playing with a normal defensive 11, whether a 3-4-4 or a 4-3-4, once he broke the line of scrimmage he was able to scream to the endzone with 73% of the defenders within 5-7 yards of the scrimmage line. No one had angles on him and he started breaking off monster runs. In 1996, the NFL had 10 runs of greater than 60 yards, SIX of them belonged to Barry Sanders. Had he played with a traditional offensive formation the duration of his NFL career, not only would Barry Sanders have obliterated Walter Payton’s all time rushing record by 1999, he would have been the only back in NFL history to have multiple 2,000 yard seasons. The Chancellor’s estimation is he would have had at least 3, 2,000 yard seasons. Think not??

Try this on…
SANDERSWhen I think of Eddie George, I think of a great running back who deserves to be in both the college and pro football hall of fame. George had a great season when he won his Heisman. In that year, George ran for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns, running away with the vote. Well if you added another 701 yards and 13 more touchdowns then he would tie what Sanders did in his.

That is a complete season for some college running backs. In 1988 when he ran for that 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns, it was easily the greatest season a running back has ever had. He achieved those numbers in a traditional offensive alignment (FB & TE) and was playing in the Big 8 which is now the Big XII. Remember Colorado played for the National Championship after the ’89 season, and there was Oklahoma who played for the National Championship in ’88, and Nebraska….so you can’t say he was in a weak conference either. Yet when it came to attacking a defense and destroying pursuit angles, Sanders was that fast…and this is before we start talking about the moves.

Yet we know he stepped away after the 1998 NFL season. Had he played in a traditional offense he would have already broken Payton’s all time rushing record in just ten years. As it was, he ran for 15,269 yards in those 10 years. When comparing him to contemporaries of his time, the first person that comes up is Emmitt Smith. Each were NFL rushing champion 3 times during their respective careers and were compared to one another for years. Outside of Dallas Cowboys football fans it’s clear for the rest of us to see. Sanders came into the NFL in 1989 and Smith in 1990. Sanders was relevant his entire career where by the time Barry is rushing for 2,053 yards in 1997, Smith only had 1,074 and seemed to be done before a late resurgence. Barry retires before the 1999 season and it takes Emmitt another 3 1/2 years to break Payton’s all time leading mark. Barry was on pace to break it right about the time of Payton’s death in October of 1999, yet the record didn’t fall until 2002. Just put that in perspective…
At Gale Sayers Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, owner and founder of the Chicago Bears George Halas proclaimed “Gale Sayers, his like will never be seen again.” which was echoed by generations of NFL fans. Yet when it comes to Barry Sanders, not only can the same be said but those prior generations of fans along with Generation X and Y are all in agreeance on his talent. He even amassed statistics to go along with it.

I can’t wait to see Barry Sanders: A Football Life

 

NFL Week 12: Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck??

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Robert Griffin IIIWhen you talk about sports there is always some team or someone being compared…Magic vs. Bird, Jim Brown vs. Walter Payton, Barry Sanders vs. Emmitt Smith, the 1985 Chicago Bears defense vs. the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense, and without further adieu we bring you the newest in Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin III. For those that are fans fo the Colts or Redskins, we know you’re biased and this is more for the NFL fan who can stay objective.

So who is better??

From the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York, through the combines and the NFL Draft, these two have been compared extensively to one another. Right now, both the Washington Redskins and Indianapolis Colts feel they have their man. Although Washington has a 5-6 record at the present time, there is a new energy and excitement this team is building on this year. Do you realize that when the ‘Skins and RG III beat Minnesota 38-26 back in October, they broke an 8 game losing streak at home?? At home?? The final touchdown was a 76 yard touchdown run off of a scramble that iced the game. For many, this is the stark difference between the two quarterbacks.

RGIII has completed nearly 70% of his passes in his rookie season.

RGIII has completed nearly 70% of his passes in his rookie season.

However upon further review of Griffin III’s passing statistics (205 of 304 for 2,497 yards 13TDs and 4 ints), you notice that he’s completing 67.4% of his passes and has a 1.3% interception ratio. At the moment his passing percentage is higher than Tom Brady’s 65% and has a lower interception ratio than Aaron Rodgers at 1.7%. When he has gone back to pass, he’s made plays from the pocket  just like his first TD to Pierre Garcon against the Saints in week 1. Yet his detractors aren’t giving him credit for this. Sure he has made some spectacular plays on the run but his nerve with the clock winding down is something he displayed even back at Baylor.

In the aforementioned game with Minnesota, the Vikings had just scored to come within a touchdown and had the momentum. On second down, the pocket broke down and Griffin III scrambled for the first down before a downfield block opened it up for him to take it to the house. A very improptu play. The following week, his Redskins faced a fourth and 10 play with less than 4 minutes to go. After a scramble and throw for the first down, he calmly led the Redskins for what looked like a game winning drive. Once at the 30, RGIII perfectly read a Giants blitz and feathered a pass to Santana Moss who had adjusted and run a corner route. With less than 1:30 to go in the game it appeared to be the game winner. However Eli Manning’s 77 yarder to Victor Cruz won it for New York 27-23 on the next play, but Griffin had done his part.

Speaking of doing their part…

Luck runs for yardage against the Buffalo in last week's 20-13 over the Bills.

Luck runs for yardage against the Buffalo in last week’s 20-13 over the Bills.

Wasn’t the Indianapolis Colts supposed to struggle under the weight of a rookie coach and quarterback?? Now consider the fact that Head Coach Chuck Pagano has missed the last four games. How much leadership has Luck had to display as a rookie?? Might be the most in NFL history when you really give it some serious thought. The reality is with his being drafted to replace Peyton Manning, he has two quarterbacks to be compared to…so let’s start with the obvious: Luck v. Peyton Manning.

If you look at what Luck has had to endure as a rookie versus Peyton, keep in mind Manning had Jim Mora who was in his second stint as a successful NFL Head Coach, although was in his first year with Indianapolis. The steadying hand of a coach who had been there before along with future Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, kept Manning from feeling the weight of the franchise on him. He also had a young dynamic Marvin Harrison at wideout where now the top wideout is an elder version of Reggie Wayne.

Wayne has helped ease Luck into the mix like Marshall and Harrison did for Manning. Unfortrunately this year’s Colts are 17th in rushing which has put the onus back on Luck and the passing attack. This year’s statline isn’t that bad where Luck’s completed 56.8% of his passes, completing 255 of 449 for 3,205 yards 13 TDs along with 13 interceptions. Yet let’s ask the question: With this year’s mediocre running attack (Ballard 427 yds / Donald Brown 404 yds) how often has Luck had to throw into the teeth of defenses?? Seriously?? Do you realize Colt running backs have combined for just one touchdown this year??

Before we give you Luck’s rushing totals, remember Peyton Manning had Marshall Faulk come within 92 receiving yards of joining Roger Craig as the second 1000/1000 yard running back. Faulk ran for 1,319 yards 6TDs while catching 86 passes for 902 yards and another 6 scores. With that help Peyton Manning completed 56.7% of his passes, 3,739 yards, 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. So with less, Luck has done more than his predecessor’s rookie season. Especially when you factor the 2012 Colts record of 7-4 vs. the 1998 Colts going 3-13.

302853-andrew-luckSo where one school of thought doesn’t give RGIII his due as a passer, Luck’s detractors overlook the fact he’s rushed 41 times for 183 yards and a team leading 5 touchdowns. That only gives him one less rushing touchdown than the 6 RGIII has for the Redskins. However RGIII has run twice as often with 100 attempts for 642 yards and is just off pace from a 1,000 yard season. Yet Luck isn’t glued to the passing pocket and can run when he needs to.

In RGIII’s rookie year he’s had the benefit of a two time Super Bowl winning coach (Mike Shanahan) and a veteran laden squad as compared to the Colts, who are rebuilding on the run. The Washington Redskins are 5-6 and have a two game home winning streak. They are much better than they have been over the last decade or so and have a promising future thanks to their rookie quarterback. Yet when you look on the other side of the conference ledger at the 7-4 Colts, Luck has made that team relevant faster than our CEO originally thought, and it’s hard to believe how hope with his play and future has drowned out the despair over Manning’s departure.

Each have an edge over the other whether we’re talking stats or wins and playoff position. You thought we were going to conclude this argument?? We just want to pour gas on the fire. Much like Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney… their followers aren’t going to be swayed. The beauty of this one is that each has gone to the other conference and a possible Super Bowl matchup between the two could happen.

How do we know which veterans right now are looking at Washington and Indianapolis as future free agent destinations because of these two?? What happens if somehow the Colts draft Le’Veon Bell, RB from Michigan State or Kenjon Barner RB from Oregon?? Think that would pull up the defense and allow Luck some passing room?? What happens if the Redskins draft Baylor wideout Terrance Williams (1,693 yds/ 12TDs) to reunite with RGIII and this year’s draftee Leonard Hankerson?? How much more potent will the Redskins be??

Possible Super Bowl L matchup??Time will tell...

Possible Super Bowl L matchup?? Time will tell…

 In Washington and Indianapolis, the future is bright!! So the question is: Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck?? The choice is yours…

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