I know a good idea when I see one. The bloggers on the official dallascowboys.com had one worth stealing, Breaking Down Top 10 Quarterbacks on the 2102 Schedule.
Here’s what they said about our own Robert Griffin III.
“Yes, we realize he hasn’t taken a snap in the NFL at this point, but this is a list of the Top 10 QBs the Cowboys WILL face this year. And when Griffin and his Redskins come to town on Thanksgiving Day, he’s expected to have 10 games under his Heisman Trophy-winning belt. By then, a lot of those rookie-QB woes should be behind him and the Cowboys will likely face a very confident player. And only one can imagine what he’ll be like for the season finale on Dec. 30. He’s still a rookie but the threat he poses was good enough to crack the Top 10.”
Now, we could get all huffy about “TENTH! Then only ranked him TENTH?” But, Hog Heaven is all about thoughtful analysis about the Washington Redskins. We work hard to contain our giddiness about a rookie who is all-potential and yet to elude DeMarcus Ware to throw a winning touchdown pass. The assessment by the official Cowboys web site is more evidence that Washington made the right choice to get RG3.
The Redskins and Cowboys play the identical schedule, but our assessment differs from dallascowboys.com. Here’s our ranking side-by-side with theirs.
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Dallascowboys.com Top 10 QB List |
Redskinshogheaven.com Top 10 QB List |
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10. Robert, Griffin III, Redskins |
10. Joe Flacco, Ravens – I ask myself, what player on the Ravens do I fear? Ray Lewis and Ray Rice both cause palpitations. Baltimore is more defense than offense. That defense plays better when aging Lewis is on the field. In the modern passing era, the Ravens may be under using Rice. As long as he is in the backfield, the Ravens can win with methodical Flacco. |
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9. Andy Dalton, Bengals |
9. Drew Brees, Saints – These are rough days for the Saints, but the chance that Brees will not be starting is as remote as the planet Mars. The Cowboys list him at the top because they play him late when the Saints will have adapted to their sanctions. The Redskins get him in week one when New Orleans is still in the penalty box. There is no better time to face him in 2012. That’s the only reason we rank him ninth. |
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8. Joe Flacco, Ravens |
8. Jay Cutler, Bears – If Daniel Snyder had his way, Cutler would have been a Redskin in 2009 and oddly reunited with Mike Shanahan in 2010. Emotional turmoil would have been avoided, but RG3 would be on another team. Cutler has not been the quarterback he was in Denver with Shanahan, but Brandon Marshall replaces Roy Williams. The Bears offense is dangerously versatile. I hope Raheem Morris knows what he’s doing with the Redskins secondary. |
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7. Matt Ryan, Falcons |
7. Michael Vick, Eagles – The Redskins have never beaten Vick when he has been healthy and played a complete game. (There’s bound to be a first time, right?) We mark Vick lower than dallascowboys.com for his poor 2011 performance as he tried to become a pocket passer. This season, he has a full offseason to perfect his game in Andy Reid’s offense. More important, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy have new contracts and are very happy. Bad news for anyone on the Iggles’ schedule. |
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6. Jay Cutler, Bears |
6. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – Some QBs extend plays with their feet. Big Ben extends plays because he’s built like a stone wall. It’s hard to knock him down. He fits Pittsburgh’s smashmouth style. He is also like a fine wine that ages well. Last season’s 7.95 YPA and 63.2 completion rate puts him in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. |
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5. Michael Vick, Eagles |
5. Andy Dalton, Bengals – A sophomore slump might be expected with Dalton, but we dare not predict one. Cincinnati is a team on the rise with young stars on offense and defense. Since we are speaking of Dalton, we must mention receiver AJ Green. Enough said. Dalton’s TCU squad crushed RG3’s Baylor team 45-10 back in 2010. |
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4. Cam Newton, Panthers |
4. Tony Romo, Cowboys – It’s popular to deride Romo. Hog Heaven does not partake in homophobic corruptions of the man’s name. Winning and losing are team accomplishments. The Cowboys’ playoff drought does not fall solely on Romo. He is better than any Redskins quarterback since 1991. Romo single-handedly beat the Redskins in 2011 Game One when he eluded Washington’s ten-man rush to complete a long pass to Dez Bryant that was unhelpfully misplayed by DeAngelo Hall. Mobile, accurate and in tune with his squad. |
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3. Ben Roethlisberger |
3. Eli Manning, Giants – Manning has had every advantage, from good genes to patient, consistent coaching. He’s been a huge payback for the Giants who would have been as successful with Philip Rivers if that blockbuster trade did not go through. Manning gets the nod over Romo for his Super Bowl street cred. |
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2. Eli Manning, Giants |
2. Matt Ryan, Falcons – Matty Ice gets better and better every year. He’s shown Atlanta fans what can be accomplished with a real quarterback rather than an accomplished athlete at the position. Last season, the Falcons were too enamored with their new toy WR Julio Jones that they forgot to run the ball. Lesson learned, so look for another big year from Ryan. |
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1. Drew Brees, Saints |
1. Cam Newton, Panthers – Newton was the Carolina offense last season with 21 TD passes and 14 TD runs. He is Big Ben Roethlisberger in beast mode. Every team on this list is better than the Panthers, but no quarterback has more pure talent at the position than Cam Neutron. Man-o-man, what a game that will be when Carolina visits FedEx on November 4. |
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