Redskins Roundup: Battle of the Rookie Quarterbacks

Written by Thomas Threlkeld on Thursday, 03 January 2013 11:20. Posted in Washington Redskins

The Arizona Cardinals fired their head coach and their general manager this week and they want to interview Morocco Brown, Redskins director of player personnel, for their now-open GM job.

Speaking of the Redskins and the Cardinals, they both moved up in the final 2012 edition of The World's Most Prestigious Power Poll. The Redskins moved up a lot further than the Cardinals though and now occupy their highest spot of the entire season.

Have a look at our preview of the Redskins-Seahawks wild card playoff game this Sunday.

Our obligatory look at the health of the knee of Robert Griffin III:

“It’s getting close to being just mostly the brace,” Griffin said. “Doctors won’t let me take it off and I don’t believe [trainer Larry Hess] will let me take it off. I try to do as much as I can without the brace and then when they find out I don’t have it on I have to throw it on… I can feel it healing; I might not wear the brace this week. But I’m sure Larry is shaking his head downstairs.”

Griffin, who has played two games since sitting out one because of the sprained lateral collateral ligament, said the brace causes a natural limp. It’s harder to bend his knee because the brace restricts the flexion as well as the extension of the knee.

“It’s to protect the ligaments,” Griffin said. “So there will be a limp, but at the same time you can still generate power.”

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a good article, with lots of quotes from Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, comparing Robert Griffin III to Russell Wilson.

John Keim has more on Seattle's rookie signal-caller.

Wilson's statistics are comparable to Griffin's as well. It's why they're likely the two leading contenders for the NFL Rookie of the Year award, not to mention why they will play one another in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs Sunday.

"That's what's amazing about these kids," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "They have totally different styles, how they carry themselves. At the core they're really the real deal, and it's pretty hard to distinguish between those guys and what they bring to their teams."

Their stats are similar. Wilson has a passer rating of 100; Griffin's is 102.4. Wilson has thrown 26 touchdown passes; Griffin has thrown 20. Wilson has tossed 10 interceptions; Griffin has thrown five. Both have thrown 393 passes.

But Griffin was the No. 2 player taken in the draft -- the Redskins surrendered first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 as well as a second-round pick last year to swap first-rounders with St. Louis so they could select him.

Meantime, Wilson, a successful college quarterback at N.C. State and then Wisconsin, lasted until the third round. Many praised his intangibles and ability. But he dropped for a reason: He's listed at 5-foot-11.

"I don't even think about [height], to be honest," said Wilson, a Richmond native. "I've been playing at this height my whole life. I try to play tall in the pocket, have a quick release and throw the ball on time and trust my reads, trust my preparation."

The Seahawks are a lot like the Redskins, particularly on offense, where both teams rely on a power rushing attack to control the game. Redskins NT Barry Cofield is impressed with what he sees in Seattle TB Marshawn Lynch.

When Cofield watched those handoffs on film, he saw Lynch juke around, smash through and race by defenders.

“All that Beast Mode stuff, it’s all true,” Cofield said, referencing Lynch’s nickname. “Watch him on tape, and it looks like he’s angry at everybody out there and he doesn’t want to be tackled, ever.”

Cofield still looks forward to the challenge, in part because of what Sunday’s game represents. The NFL may be a passing league, but teams can still win by running.

“There are quite a few teams in the playoffs that have good run games,” Cofield said. “That’s a testament to the old-school game. That’s what Coach Shanahan preaches all the time – we want to run the ball, stop our opponent from running the ball.”

WR Santana Moss was not a lock to make the team this year, but he lost weight, got in great shape and not only made the team, but led it with 8 TD receptions. He's moved into the slot receiver position this year and that could matter a lot on Sunday because the Seahawks have been vulnerable to slot receivers this season.

Good news for the Seahawks pass defense that needs to stop Moss & Company: CB Brandon Browner returns this week from his 4-game suspensioin for use of a banned PED.

Speaking of PED suspensions, DB Cedric Griffin, who returns this week from his own 4-week ban, is embarrassed by the whole thing. He should be.

LG Kory Lichtensteiger [ankle] hopes to play against the Seahawks on Sunday. He'll have to practice first. If he can't go, expect the Redskins to go with rookie Josh LiRibeus in Lichtensteiger's place.

1 comments

Newest | Oldest

Jon Butina

Great write up guys!! Thanks again!! . . . This should be a great game and really look forward the the chess matchup that will be played by the coaching staffs . . . Seattle has a great defense and ShannyCo will have their hands fully scheming around them!! Go Redskins!!!

Redskins Roundup: Battle of the Rookie Quarterbacks

You Might Like...

Mock Databases