At some point here, we're going to reach the regular season. When we do, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will be scrutinized and picked apart by experts and fans alike.
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"I expect Griffin to put up better numbers in 2012 but that doesn't mean that he will be the better player," Gabriel wrote on NationalFootballPost.com. "Don't expect either player to have the kind of stats that Cam Newton had last year. I would expect numbers more similar to what Andy Dalton had in Cincinnati."
Dalton's rookie outing netted 3,398 yards and 20 scores alongside just 13 interceptions. That should be considered a successful campaign for Luck, RG3 or any rookie passer, but Newton raised that bar skyward. His 4,051 rookie passing yards shattered Peyton Manning's mark. Cam threw for 21 touchdowns but don't forget he rushed for another 706 yards and 14 scores. Luck is cited as perhaps the top rookie passing prospect of the past 30 years, but who expects him to do what Cam did?
Besides, it's not about personal numbers. When we talk about success for today's quarterbacks, that discussion is invariably linked to where they lead their teams.
"I have no doubt that both players will be excellent NFL quarterbacks," Gabriel wrote, "but it remains to be seen who leads their team to better playoff success. At this time my money would be on Luck and only because of how he has prepared himself for an NFL career."