Sports Commentary: Luck vs. RGIII

PAT LONGOBARDI — Sports Writer
For just the fifth time, two quarterbacks were chosen in the first two picks of the NFL Draft. After all of the hype in college this past season, An­drew Luck (Colts) and Robert Griffin III (Redskins) are now officially NFL quarterbacks. This new matchup has brought out the big question: who will come out on top?
During the five times since this has happened in the draft, there has always been one quarterback who has panned out while the other has not. I think that in the beginning, RG3 will be the leader of this 1 vs. 2 debate.
Luck, has been a potential top pick for two years. Now Luck will have to deal with the hype behind him as the next big-time quarterback in the league not to mention taking the place of the future Hall-of-Famer, Peyton Manning. Luck will have some of Manning’s supporting cast, including receivers Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie.
The last time the Colts had the top pick, they chose Manning, so maybe this is a sign from above. Luck is a big and smart quarterback who will have to use his size to expose the defense. I think it will be a little more difficult for Luck because of the conference he is in. He will be asked to help put the Colts back on the map right away.
RG3 burst onto the scene leading the Baylor Bears to national attention and winning the Heisman trophy. RG3 has a strong arm and his ability to put up points. It was not really known right away where RG3 might wind up. It eventually became known that the Red­skins were heavily interested and were willing to trade up to the No. 2 pick to get him.
RG3 might have to deal with a tough division. Head coach Mike Shanahan’s relationship will also be an important situation. The Skins have not had a consistent quarterback since Shanahan became coach. I think RG3 will be able to handle the NFC with the lack of firepower in the conference and the NFC East that is really up in the air every year. The Redskins have a decent defense and the offense has some pieces that can help RG3 such as veteran Santana Moss.
In this new matchup of the top two quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, now all of the talk about what they did in college might take a back seat. Luck and RG3 now have to perform for their new teams. This was the fifth time that two quarterbacks were chosen as the top two picks in the draft, and each time it told the same story. One quarterback was a hit and the other was a miss. For now, if the Skins can find a way to come out firing, then RG3 can help cause more noise than Luck this season. Good luck to both guys.