It's become a regular happening. Robert Griffin III has a big game and is nominated for Rookie of the Week. In September alone, he was twice named RoW and won Rookie of the Month of September.
Atlanta cut short his appearance in October Week One. So, he (and we) was denied the fourth quarter drive to position a win that we've come to expect. And that question about whether he would run after Atlanta's concussive hit? Answered. Yes, he ran and toyed with his pursuers as he did..
RGIII is again a candidate for Pepsi MAX Rookie of Week Six over on NFL.com. In the passing era, Rookie of the Week and Most Valuable Player has devolved to RQBoW and MVQBP Awards. Two other rookie quarterbacks provide competition.
Ryan Tannehill threw for 185 yards and two scores to lead the Dolphins to a 17-14 upset of the Rams. Can you use the word "upset" when speaking of two 2011 division fourth-place teams?
Russell Wilson had a better day throwing three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards in the Seahawks' legitimate upset of the powerful Patriots. Two dramatic fourth-quarter TD passes earns a nomination and vote from anyone tired of voting for Griffin III.
So, if you haven't done so yet, hop over to NFL.com and cast your ballot for our guy, Robert Griffin III, savior of Redskins football.
What if….
Still here? A story on National Football Post asks, What if Peyton Manning has signed elsewhere? Nice fluff story. I want to participate.
The Redskins flirted with the idea of signing Manning who quickly snuffed it. But, if Manning bit, Washington would have kept the Draft picks traded to the Rams for RGIII and used its 2012 first round pick on CB Morris Claiborne or S Mark Barron. That's pure guesswork, of course. Coach Shanahan didn't return my call. But it makes too much sense to have played out any other way.
Barron is a candidate for Rookie of Week Six.
Manning on the roster with first-round talent in the secondary would have soothed feelings over the loss of Griffin.
Shanahan would have been happy to select either RGIII or Andrew Luck. Redskins fans had their hearts set on Griffin III from the beginning. They We would have been oddly disappointed with Luck. Selecting Luck would have cost a shot at Claiborne or Barron. The Redskins' future would be just as bright – whatever that is – with Luck as it is with Griffin. We would still have a secondary that needs fixin'.
And if the Browns won the bidding war for Griffin? Washington might have selected Ryan Tannehill, another ROY6 nominee, or Brandon Weeden, now in Cleveland.
In all of these scenarios, the Redskins still would have drafted either Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins. I am a B1G Ten grad and fan who watched both players closely in 2011. They are equal talents who dueled each other for conference domination. No rookie was going to beat P.Manning for the starter position, but both Wilson and Cousins would have given Tannehill a run for the money.
The Redskins might still have picked up CB Janoris Jenkins, the player the Rams selected with Washington's second round pick.
Janoris and Jarvis Jenkins on the same team – what fun that would have been.
No one suggests that Washington gave up too much to land Griffin anymore. If there's a message in this fun "what if" game, it is that front offices and fans must never fall in love with a player. As Spock would say, "There are always possibilities."
Images: JoeGlo Photography, Some rights reserved. Used with permission.
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