Andrew Luck
My Offensive Rookie Of The Year Ballot Revealed
At some point in the next 24 hours, the results of the 2012 FansidedNFL awards are going to begin being released. With that in mind, I wanted to reveal my ballots and explain the reasons for why I voted the way I did.
There’s only 3 real candidates for offensive rookie of the year, and they’re the obvious ones. Luck, Wilson and Griffin are all deserving. With the year that each of them had, any of the 3 could have won this award in any other year in the past decade. They’ve been that good.
The first thing I did was eliminate Luck. I know he had the most yards, but he also had 20 turnovers. That’s more than the other 2 players had combined. So Luck got my 3rd place vote.
The other 2 players were much closer. Griffin was consistently good all year, in a way that was really impressive. Wilson started out the looking like playing him was a mistake, but got better and better each and every week. Over the last 8 weeks of the season, was playing at a much higher level Griffin.
This left me with a dilemma. Which is more important here, the consistently good play or the really high level play in the 2nd half of the year. Did Wilson’s great 2nd half make up for his poor first month?
Ultimately, I decided to let touchdowns decide it. Wilson had 30 total TDs, which is the new rookie record. He also tied Peyton Manning’s rookie passing TD mark at 26. Griffin wasn’t far behind. He had 20 passing TDs and 7 rushing TDs, leaving him 3 total touchdowns behind Wilson. For that reason alone, I decided to give Wilson the edge.
1st: Russell Wilson, 2nd: Robert Griffin, 3rd: Andrew Luck
December 16, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) heads for the end zone for his second touchdown of the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Tags: Andrew Luck, featured, football, nfl, Popular, Robert Griffin, Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
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Russell Wilson May Just Have Claimed the Lead for Rookie of the Year
Was Wilson ever really considered for the role of Qb1? Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
This was supposed to be a two man race for Rookie of the Year (ROY) honors. It was going to be either #1 Draft Pick Andrew Luck of the Colts, or it would be Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of the Redskins. These two QB’s have been playing steadily all year, turning their teams around, transforming them from cellar dwellers to playoff teams, and catching nearly all the headlines of the major sports media. But a funny thing happened on these two guy’s way to the ROY award. Russell Wilson of the Seahawks has put up a ROY season of his own, having guided his team to 10 wins and the playoffs. All the more amazing when you consider how Wilson started his pro career just months earlier.
Who is this Russell Wilson guy? He was drafted 75th overall in the third round and started the season as a 3rd stringer behind the previous year’s starter and a new free agent with a big contract. Wilson whose height will never crack 6’0″, so impressed his coaches in summer camp that they made it a 3-way competition for the QB job. After he won the job, most “experts” in the sports media confidently predicted Wilson would “be a good backup, but is not starting QB material”. He was dismissed as too short, but they overlooked Wilson’s primary asset as a player. His brain. He is a student of the game like no one other than maybe Peyton Manning. His work ethic is second to none. His leadership is contagious. His confidence is off the charts. His stats are right there with the other two guys. What’s different is Russell Wilson is actually re-defining the position of NFL quarterback to fit HIS capabilities.
Sunday night everyone in the country finally got to see what the whispers were all about on this rookie QB Wilson way up in the United State’s version of western Siberia, Seattle Washington. The first hint that something was happening in western Siberia came when the Seahawks beat the division leading Chicago Bears at home in week 13. It’s safe to say no one saw that coming, including a lot of people in Seattle, since the team had just lost to the Dolphins the previous week. The amazing thing about that win over the Bears was Wilson had to win it twice. After seemingly securing the win with a long drive with under 30 seconds on the clock, Seattle’s defense allowed a long pass to get the Bears in field goal range. They made the kick and the game went to OT. This is when things changed for Seattle’s season. Wilson put the team on his shoulders, and took the ball 80 yards on Chicago, throwing and running through their defense at will, and getting the winning score while Chicago’s offense sat helplessly and watched the birth of a green and blue monster.
The next week Wilson and Seattle spanked the Cardinals, who they lost to back in week one, 58 – zip. That shocking score gained the solid interest of the national sports media. The following week, Seattle put the stake through the heart of their “road curse” by dominating the Bills in Toronto in another 50 point blow out. Now the media had all eyes and ears on Wilson and Seattle, and Russell Wilson has officially entered the ROY “discussion”. Sensing something was happening in Seattle, the network changed the Seahawks/49ers game to the ‘Sunday Night Football’ showcase.
With the nation’s eyes on Seattle and their rookie QB, the Seahawks dismantled THE BEST DEFENSE in the league, while holding the 49ers potent offense to two field goals until late in garbage time where they finally managed to cross the goal line. And this was the same 49er team that only a week before beat New England in their own stadium.
Tweets by sports writers after the game not only indicate Wilson is “in the discussion” for ROY, but may now actually be LEADING Luck and RGIII. Russell Wilson may be late to the party, but he’s just kicked in the door and taken over the DJ’s booth. And he’s playing his own tune, the one that says a 5’10″ quarterback CAN play in the NFL. He’s having to redefine how a quarterback plays to get back whatever advantage he loses by being 4 inches too short for an NFL quarterback. But that’s all the more reason to give him the nod for Rookie of the Year. How many other rookies have had to redefine their position in order to play at a high level? The ROY award has been given to lots of “prototype” quarterbacks who came into the league and had a good year. But maybe this year it’s about more than that. Maybe it’s about a “pioneer” as commentator Trent Dilfer said on a post game show; a guy who will open doors and eyes and make it a little easier for undersized players to play quarterback in the NFL.
Tags: Advanced Analysis, Andrew Luck, blow out, featured, football, News, nfl, Popular, quarterback, RGIII, Rookie of the year, ROY, Russell Wilson, Seahawks
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Russell Wilsons Journey from 3rd Rounder to Rookie of the Year Contender
Was Wilson ever really considered for the role of Qb1? Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
Russell Wilson has a way of making himself “Mr. Relevant”. When he came to Wisconsin looking for another year of college football after trying minor league baseball following his junior year at NC State, within 2 weeks he was the starter and elected captain of the team. In the early days of spring training with the Seahawks the wet behind the ears round 3 rookie so impressed Pete Carroll with his play that he earned himself the right to be part of the Quarterback competition with Tavaras Jackson and newly acquired veteran free agent Matt Flynn. Wilson went on to impress the coaching staff enough in his backup roll in his first two preseason games he was able to earn a start in game three vs. Kansas City. He went on to dismantle the Chiefs with his aggressive running and passing style and proved he could do it against the first team defense. That performance earned him the starting job with the Seahawks.
Wilson’s early regular season starts were not impressive, but he did take care of the ball and managed games pretty well as he learned to read defenses and got used to the speed of the NFL. His mistakes were few and not too serious. Carroll insisted this slow start was by design. Still, fans were not convinced. They wanted more from the QB position and Flynn supporters were making themselves heard. It was obvious Wilson was improving with every start but didn’t quite have it all figured out through the first 7 weeks of the season. Carroll kept his fledgling QB on a short leash for the first half of the season. Most games Wilson threw fewer than 25 passes but people were asking for more. There was never a loss you could really pin on Wilson, yet the clamor for Flynn continued.
Around week 8 it seemed like Carroll let out a little more rope on his new QB. He allowed Wilson to have more influence on the game with his passing and Russell responded. Wilson went 25 for 35 for 236 yards and 2 TDs against the Lions. That game was a loss, but it was a loss the defense got the blame for. For Wilson it was a breakout performance. Since then the Hawks have gone 3 for 4, with the Bears vaunted defense being the latest and most significant victim of an increasingly relevant Russell Wilson.
A quick look at the stats shows Wilson ahead of Luck and RGIII in passer rating for the months of October (90), November (128), and thus far in December (104). Wilson has 19 touchdowns (more than Luck and Griffen), and has winning drives in the last possession of the game in three games. With Wilson at the helm the Seahawks have also beaten NFL top rung QBs like Arron Rogers, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, and Jay Cutler. Wilson’s performance against the Bears has caught the attention of all the major sports media including Sports Illustrated, ESPN, SportsNation, Yahoo Sports and others. Those stories will start showing up in Fridays’ sports pages. Oh, and one other thing; Russell Wilson won player of the week in a week when he, RGIII, and Andrew Luck drove their teams to last minute victories. Why? Because Russell did it twice in the same game.
You can make a good argument Offensive Rookie of the Year honors will go to either Luck or RGIII using a number of the various rating categories, but you can’t ignore Wilson. His numbers are similar, his contribution to his team is just as large, and his leadership is unquestioned. He’s in the conversation now, kind of like when he got himself into Seattle’s QB competition during spring training. Expect “Mr. Relevant” to be in position to step up.
Tags: Andrew Luck, featured, football, News, nfl, Pete Carroll, Popular, RGIII, Rookie of the year, Russell Wilson, Seahawks
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“A Reach in the Third Round”: How Russell Wilson Compares to the 2012 Rookie Quarterback Class
Nov 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the ball during the 1st half against the New York Jets at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE
Faced with the boredom associated with the Seahawks’ bye week I played with some statistics, as I am wont to do, in order to gauge how our fearless leader Russell Wilson compares to the other rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. This is a banner year for the rookie quarterback with studs like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III as well as two other first rounders who are starting for their teams in Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden. In order to see how Wilson stacked up I decided to combine and average the statistics of the four 1st round quarterbacks to create a hypothetical quarterback named “Brandrew Griffehill III” to whom I compare Wilson’s performance. Before we jump in, a couple of housekeeping things. Firstly, I’m aware that “Brandrew Griffehill III” is an utterly terrible fake name, but I challenge you to make something coherent out of the four names above. Secondly, because the four rookie quarterbacks discussed in comparison to Wilson have all had their byes they have only started 9 games each instead of ten. As a result I have only used rate stats in this comparison in order to avoid being misleading. Thirdly, I have not included any rushing statistics but it should be noted that Griffin and Luck have both been exceptional rushing quarterbacks and Wilson does lag in this area compared to the field. Lastly, I am not including anything Tannehill does tonight against Buffalo. That being said let’s take a look at the comparison.
|
Player |
QB Rating |
Yards Per Game |
TD Percentage |
INT Percentage |
Yards Per Attempt |
Completion Percentage |
|
Russell Wilson |
90.5 |
182.7 |
5.9 |
3.2 |
7.2 |
62.1 |
|
Brandrew Griffehill III |
77.9 |
241.4 |
2.6 |
2.7 |
7.0 |
58.9 |
A quick look at that table shows that Wilson has been decidedly more effective than our fictional aggregate of 2012 rookie quarterbacks. Wilson has a significantly superior passer rating and completion percentage, suggesting better accuracy than his fellow rookies. The statistic that jumps off the page is the fact that Wilson is throwing touchdowns (5.9%) more than twice as often as other rookie QBs, the importance of which goes without saying. Where Wilson falters is in the yards per game category, but that is mitigated by the fact he is throwing for more yards per attempt. This shows that Wilson’s uninspiring yardage totals are simply a result of part he plays in Seattle’s run heavy offense. The other problematic stat here for Wilson is his interception percentage. To give a frame of reference Eli Manning’s career INT percentage is 3.3% so this is the sort of territory we are talking about. If anything Wilson’s fellow rookies have their INT percentage deflated by Robert Griffin III’s freakish 1.1% mark, which is unlikely to be sustainable. Wilson could stand to throw a couple less interceptions, but to be honest that feels like nit-picking.
This is a silly little exercise but what it demonstrates is that Wilson has more than held his own in his rookie season so far. I am the first to admit that I wanted to see the starting job go to Flynn this off-season but apparently the guys whose job it is to make these decisions are better at it than I am. Shocking. Although Wilson has had his frustrating moments, it is apparent he is making an exceedingly smooth transition to the NFL. In most years he would be in serious consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year and one of the biggest stories in the league. I’ll happily settle for the quiet effectiveness we are seeing so far.
Tags: Advanced Analysis, Andrew Luck, Brandon Weeden, Eli Manning, featured, football, nfl, Popular, robert griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, Seahawks
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Why It Would Be Wrong To Start Russell Wilson Week 1
Yesterday, Scott made the case for starting making Russell Wilson the starter. Today I thought I’d play devil’s advocate a bit and follow that up with a counter point just to keep the debate going. Besides, this debate is only worthwhile until Pete Carroll announces his plan on Tuesday, so if we’re going to have fun with this debate, it has to be done now.
So, why would it be wrong to start Russell Wilson week one?
Was Wilson ever really considered for the role of Qb1? Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
It’s certainly not about talent. Wilson has talent to spare.
It’s not about pre-season results. Wilson has been extremely impressive over the first two preseason games.
It’s all about getting him prepared.
The jump from college football to the NFL is the single biggest jump of it’s kind. The difference in both talent and the the complexity of schemes is unlike anything else in all of sports. This is especially true for QBs and offensive linemen. Wilson simply hasn’t been given the reps in camp necessary to prep him for everything that the Cardinals will throw at him in the first week of the season.
Not that this is in any way Wilson’s fault. He’s done everything that the Seahawks have asked him to do. It’s simply the nature of being in a QB competition. In order for Flynn, Jackson, and, more recently, Portis to get their reps in, Wilson’s were limited beyond a point where he could properly prepared to begin the season as the starter.
During camp, Wilson has averaged around 30 reps per day in 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills. Contrast that to Andrew Luck with the Colts, who has averaged just under 60 reps per day, or about twice as many. Even with all those extra reps, the Colts will still go into their week 1 game with under 20% of their playbook available and an extremely limited gameplan. How little would the Seahawks have to work with considering how little work Wilson has been given up to this point?
Such is the nature of rookie QBs in the NFL. Training camp and the preseason just isn’t enough to get them fully ready to play in the NFL. Teams have to bring them along slowly. It’s why NFL teams prefer to sit rookies for at least half a season before starting them.
Wilson wont be ready to start this year until at least week 6 with his current workload in practice.
Tags: Andrew Luck, featured, football, matt flynn, nfl, Popular, Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
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Brandon Weeden, To Ugh Or Not To Ugh?
Brandon Weeden. Mandatory Credit: Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE
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Tags: Andrew Luck, Brandon Weeden, featured, football, John Clayton, John Schneider, nfl, Peyton Manning, robert griffin III, rookie, Seahawks, Yankees
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Peyton Manning’s Plans This Off-Season
As everyone … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Andrew Luck, Curtis Painter, football, Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell, Marshawn Lynch, nfl, Peyton Manning, Ryan Grigson, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
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Draft Plans
First Rd Picks Earl Thomas & Russell Okung
With two weeks left in the season for the 6-8 Seahawks, Seattle sits tied for 18th overall in the NFL standings with our St. Louis nemesis. This would put the Seahawks at either the 14th or 15th slot in the upcoming NFL draft. Teams sitting at 6-8 in most divisions would have their fans crying for them to lose out to gain a higher draft pick, however in the Wild Wild Weak NFC West division, 6-8 is tied for the division lead, so at this point we can’t exactly cheer to lose at this time. So for now, sitting around the middle of the draft we have to be realistic of what is even possible for the Seahawks. With still so many needs from; O-Line, CB, D-Line, QB (unless your satisfied with Jesus Whitehurst), and maybe even a LB or WR. Granted we have some young talent at the WR position with the emergence of Mike Williams, the 2nd round draft pick of Golden Tate, and the slow development of Deion Butler and Ben Obomanu, but it would never hurt to take a proven playmaker if the situation arose. WR however is probably lower on the totem pole as far as need for the Seahawks. Linebackers are also something Seattle should consider, yes two drafts ago we took Aaron Curry who has shown flashes of greatness at times while making 3rd string mistakes others, yes David Hawthorne has turned out to be a pretty solid LB once he was given the chance when Leroy Hill went out, and yes Lofa Tatupu is our play caller on defense regardless of his undersized frame that has extreme difficulty shedding blocks to stuff the run, needless to say were solid but I don’t know if I would go as far as saying completely satisfied and once again probably still lower on the totem pole.
Staying with the defense, Seattle is pretty weak in just about every category. The defensive backfield struggles at the corner position with an aging Marcus Trufant (31 years old) and the combination of an undersized Kelly Jennings and inexperienced Walter Thurmond, overall more important than WR or LB but at the same token Seattle might be able to wait until next year . Our defensive line has some positives with Brandon Mebane and Chris Clemons. Colin Cole and Red Bryant have been off and on and their size is nice for attacking the run, however with Seattle being 21st ranked rush defense maybe it hasn’t worked out as much as they had hoped for. So maybe looking for another pass rusher to go along side Chris Clemons might be a decent route for the Hawks. Probably the most important necessity may be the dreadful offensive line. Sure we picked up Okung in last years draft and he’s been solid when healthy, but he can’t do everything by himself. Our run game has been terrible and we’ve given up our fair share of sacks. But with the O-Line being fairly deep in the draft we might be able to wait for the 2nd round pick to address it. Which leaves us with the QB position. Now some of you maybe satisfied with Charlie Whitehurst from what you’ve seen in the little playing time he’s been given and obviously the Seahawks see something since they gave up $16 million dollars over the next two years and a 3rd round pick to bring him to Seattle, but I on other hand am still skeptical. If a future franchise QB is still available in the 1st round when it comes to Seattle’s pick, I would be a little ticked off if Seattle decided to pass on it. The general consensus has always been the 1st most important position to have is the QB then OT and then a pass rusher. So with that in mind would you still say your happy with Charlie Whitehurst being the most imporant position for the future of your franchise (I hope not).
So taking all this into consideration, we then need to look at what is actually going to be available for Seattle when it comes time for their projected pick. Andrew Luck is obviously what every team with no QB is drooling over, but unless Seattle trades up to get him you can pretty much count him out. Then that leaves Jake Locker, Ryan Mallet, Cam Newton (if he leaves after this season), and the late emergence on several rankings of Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. Although three possibly four teams ahead in the draft are looking for QB’s as well; 49ers, Cardinals, Vikings, and possibly the Bills. So if all of them are taken maybe we wait until next year, but hopefully one is still available. The last thing we want is for all three of our divisions rivals to have young franchise QB’s that were going to have to face for the next ten years while were riding Charlie Whitehurst to lead the way. As far as offensive line, there are about 10 noteworthy choices in this year’s draft, 6 of which are 1st round worthy, so as noted before they could possibly wait for the 2nd round. For CB’s there are four highly regarded prospects; Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara, Janoris Jenkins, and Aaron Williams. If Peterson or Amukamara were available I’d say Seattle was insane to pass on them, however in just about every mock draft out their, they are most likely gone in the first 6 or 7 picks. Janoris Jenkins and Aaron Williams are both good as well, depending on what is still available. Defensive line much like the offensive line is pretty deep in this year’s draft as well. ESPN has 11 d-lineman projected as first round talent, 5 of which are ranked in the top 10; Da’Quan Bowers, Marcell Dareus, Robert Quinn, Stephen Paea, and Nick Fairley. Like CB’s if any one of these guys were still available I think Seattle would be smart to use their pick on them. Now as I stated earlier WR and LB could be upgraded as well if certain players were still around primarily being; AJ Green, Julio Jones, or Justin Blackmon at WR, and Von Miller or Akeem Ayers at LB. So with all this in mind what to do? I say they go in this order; 1st if Mallet, Newton, Gabbert, or even hometown hero Locker is available I’d say go for it, 2nd if QB’s are gone and Anthony Costanzo is available to be opposite of Okung at the other OT position take him, 3rd and maybe even 2nd over the OT is if Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara were still around, don’t think twice, 4th if one of the premiere d-lineman are available barring the other positions aren’t up to standards go head and grab one, and lastly if AJ Green, Julio Jones, or Justin Blackmon are there I wouldn’t see a reason to pass on them. LB’s Von Miller and Akeem Ayers are great but nothing that couldn’t be seen in future drafts. It’ll be an exciting draft to say the least! And by the way, in a mock draft that I see as being one of the most accurate to date, they projected the Cardinals will take Ryan Mallet and the 49ers taking either Cam Newton or Jake Locker. So look forward to facing Mallet, Newton or Locker, and Sam Bradford for the next ten years, can’t wait…
Tags: Aaron Curry, Andrew Luck, football, Jake Locker, nfl, NFL Draft, Russell Okung, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
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