It’s no hyperbole to suggest that Saturday’s Colts-Redskins pregame was the most anticipated of the exhibition season.
With No. 1 pick Andrew Luck and No. 2 pick Robert Griffin III scheduled to play for at least a half, we’d get to see immediately how the top two draft selections stack up against each other (it’s all relative, of course; this is still the preseason, after all).
And neither disappointed. Griffin showcased his danger as a potential option quarterback and his arm strength. Luck showed his big-time arm and his big-play ability. The first half was an impressive showing from both. The third quarter wasn’t quite as kind for either quarterback -- suddenly, passes started going behind receivers and drives stalled much easier -- but overall, the two looked … well … like the top two picks of the draft.
The tale of the tape:
Passing stats
Robert Griffin III: 11-17, 74 yards, 1 TD
Andrew Luck: 14-23, 151 yards, 1 TD
Rushing stats
RG3: one carry, five yards
Luck: two carries, eight yards
First pass
RG3: On the first play from scrimmage, Griffin threw a play-action deep pass to Garcon that just missed. It was a little overthrown and just off Garcon’s fingertips.
Luck: On third and eight, Luck dumped a pass to Donnie Avery across the middle who barely got the first down.
Longest play from scrimmage
RG3: An 18-yard pass to Pierre Garcon that helped lead to Alfred Morris’ 2-yard TD that gave Washington a 7-0 lead.
Luck: The most impressive pass from either quarterback came when Luck threw a 31-yard TD pass to T.Y. Hilton
Number of hard hits
RG3: 2 (linebacker Jerrell Freeman on a blitz that wasn’t picked up; Fili Moala hit Griffin on a three-step drop that ended a drive)
Luck: 3 (Chris Wilson, London Fletcher and Ryan Kerrigan gang-sacked him for a seven-yard loss; Barry Cofield, up the middle, forced an incompletion; Wilson dragged him down from behind to force an incompletion to just about kill the Colts chance for a late first-half score.)
Key plays
RG3: (1) Griffin has the arm, but he doesn’t necessarily have the accuracy on deep balls. That was evident on the first pass and then again when he overthrow Garcon again later in the quarter -- this time by a yard or so. He also overthrew Leonard Hankerson later in the game; (2) On the 8-play, 66-yard drive that gave Washington a 7-0 lead, Griffin went 3-for-3 for 33 yards; (3) With 1:09 left in the first half, Griffin took the shotgun snap, rolled right and hit Santana Moss for the 4-yard touchdown that completed an 80-yard drive.
Luck: (1) Converted two third-and-longs early in the game with throws to keep drives alive; (2) In the second quarter, he was nearly pick-sixed by DeAngelo Hall. Instead it was an eight-yard gain to Hilton; (3) A beautiful 31-yard touchdown pass down the sideline that hit Hilton in stride
Best Twitter comments
RG3: "Skins better figure out pass protections soon or RG3 will be Bob really soon." -- Steve Wyche, NFL.com; "Don't want to belabor the point, but hope it’s clear that RG3's deep ball needs a lot of work." -- Michael Schottey, Bleacher Report; "That immediate first step by Griffin is one of those hidden assets. Gets the defense thinking, "Option – oh $%^!" Then, the touch throw. -- Doug Farrar, Yahoo Sports.
Luck: "The first of a zillion bubble screens. Get used to 'em." -- Mike Chappell, Indy Star; "That was no rookie pass by Luck. WOW." -- Bart Hubbuch, New York Post; "If this young rookie Andrew Luck keeps playing like this he may make the 53-man roster." -- Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk.
For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Josh Katzowitz on Twitter here: @joshkatzowitz.
