Luck vs Griffin?

     Andrew Luck & RGIII after their match-up in the Pre-Season

    The NFL Rookie of The Year has been one of the hottest topics for debate during this NFL Season. There are four clear-cut favorites for the award: Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Alfred Morris of the Washington Redskins, Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts, and Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins. Doug Martin (5-9, 215) has 1647 total yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Alfred Morris (5-9, 218) has 1370 total yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns. Even though these players have remarkable stats, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and this race will undoubtedly come down to the outstanding rookie passers.
   
     Andrew Luck (6-4, 234) has lead the Colts to a 9-5 record while throwing for over 3900 yards and scored 25 total touchdowns. Robert Griffin III (6-2, 217), despite his injuries, leads the NFL in Passer Rating (104.2) has thrown for nearly 3000 yards, ran for more than 700 yards, and scored 24 combined touchdowns. However, there is another player that has sneaked himself into the race, Seattle Seahawk Quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson (5-11, 206) has led his team to a 9-5 record, thrown for over 2500 yards, and scored 24 total touchdowns.

     The Case for Andrew Luck

     The Indianapolis Colts started the 2011-12 season 0-13, and finished with a grand total of 2 wins for the entire year. They drafted Andrew Luck 1st overall out Stanford University, and he immediately changed the persona of the team. Although he has the lowest passer rating of any QB on the list, he has, by far, the most passing yards and does the most for his team individually. The other QBs on this list have had outstanding performances by their running backs, while Luck's best option out of the backfield is Vick Ballard. The only thing going against Luck are his 18 interceptions, enough to tie him for the most thrown this season. 

The Case for Robert Griffin III

     There has no doubt been an RGIII frenzy in the DC-Metro ever since the Redskins traded up for the second pick in the draft this year. Local fans have dubbed him "RGesus", the savior of the Washington Redskins Franchise. Besides being the most marketable rookie, he is also the most efficient. His 4.5:1 TD:Int ratio is good for 2nd in the league among qualifying players. Unfortunately, his upside has become his downfall, as a concussion and an LCL sprain have deterred his growth and progress as an NFL player this season.

The Case for Russell Wilson

     Russell Wilson was underrated from the start. The Seahawks brought in Matt Flynn and paid him $50 million before he was even drafted. However, a combination of injuries and preseason performances propelled him into the starting line-up for the first game of the season. From the start of the season, Wilson was seen to many as a game manager, because of he was already coming into a reasonable situation and Marshawn Lynch was dominating the league. Two things have made the difference in my perception of him this season: The controversial game-winning touchdown vs the Green-Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, and his 4 touchdown explosion in the first half of today's game vs the Buffalo Bills. 

Final Prediction

     It is largely dependent on what happen's the last couple weeks of the season, but right now I believe that the front runner is Andrew Luck. He has put the team on his back and done wonders with them. This team went from being a joke around the league to being a playoff contender by selecting a single player. He has thread the needle, sacrificed his body for the sake of the team, and made game-winning plays. Andrew Luck is your 2012-13 NFL Rookie of the Year.