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The rookie quarterback was the NFL's topic of conversation after his first start, taking the road and scoring more than 300 yards in an unexpected victory. Everyone, from his teammates to the national experts, seemed convinced that he would lead the franchise that put him under stress during the NFL draft to the top of the NFC East and beyond. .
Sounds familiar? Well, that's not what you think, Giants fans. That was in 2012. It was down 95 in Washington, where the second pick of the spring draw had one of the best starts for a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
He was called Robert Griffin III.
It was the breathtaking story on the front page of the Washington Post – the title was simply "A Bright Start" – after leading the Redskins to a superb 40-32 win over the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome:
There are all sorts of ways to quantify what 22-year-old Griffin accomplished on Sunday afternoon in his NFL debut, based on cold statistics that measure a quarterback: his 19 achievements in 26 attempts, his 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, his 139.9 passer-by – in the historical context: no quarter in history had ever scored more than 300 yards to win his NFL debut.
But all you really had to do to understand the importance of Sunday was to trust your eyes, because what your eyes were telling you was this: the Redskins have just not seen this game for a very long time and had never seen anyone like Griffin – quick and agile and smart, with an arm like a rocket launcher – basically forever.
If Washington was already under the influence of RGIII fever, what would become of the region now, having witnessed the first appearance of the rookie quarterback in the history of the franchise – after Griffin led the Redskins to a surprise win as the start of a new era?
Well yes. About that …
We all know what happened next. Griffin set records as a rookie and led the Redskins to their first playoff appearance in five years, then the run was total. His career was derailed by injuries, criminal decisions made by coaches and Washington management and his own drama out of the field. He has not started a game since 2016.
Let me stop here and clearly state this to (hopefully) avoid a few dozens of angry e-mails: Daniel Jones is not RGIII. This is a completely different person who, relying on the thoughtless maturity that we have seen so far, sees his head screwed in the same way as Griffin, unfortunately.
Even on Wednesday, given that a dozen chances of inflating a bit during his first press conference midweek after his debut, he was the same black-skinned man that everyone had seen when the repechage evening. This exchange summed up the situation well:
Q: Has life changed for you? Do you feel like a celebrity?
A: Not really. It's the same thing. I go home and then I come to work every day. But no, I do not think that has changed much.
It's good for Jones to be down, because all the fans of the Giants have been floating since he led the win against Tampa. The history of the NFL, however, is rich in memories that a great match, or even a good season, does not guarantee anything. And no edifying story is bigger than the one involving the Giants' opponent this weekend.
RGIII will not be just the savior of the Redskins. He seemed on the verge of becoming the face of the NFL. He had everything from the Heisman trophy in his resume to the telegenic and friendly personality to the electrifying skills. The only thing that matched his meteoric rise was the rapid fall that began the next season.
What are the lessons here? Well, it's not hard to be smarter than the Redskins, who sent Griffin back to the field with a leg injury that went from serious to catastrophic. Griffin never tried to manage his foolish expectations and, if he did not succeed in meeting them, engaged in an ugly power struggle with his coaches.
Perhaps the biggest lesson: Giants should take nothing for granted. Jones will need time to develop and make mistakes, and although he really looks like the quarterback of the franchise that can anchor this franchise for the next decade, he will have to avoid the terrible odds with injuries that have derailed the career Griffin and so many others. .
The Redskins are on their seventh quarterback from Griffin, and considering the poor performance of beginner, Case Keenum, they will soon be on their eighth rookie, Dwayne Haskins. The Giants believe that they will avoid this "quarter hell" with their own number 8, and all indications are that this is the case.
Nevertheless, given all that can go wrong, it may not be a bad idea to hit the wood once in a while. Scratch it. Make it a lumberyard.
Steve Politi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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