Eli Manning got the better of Robert Griffin III on Sunday. In the meantime, RG3 can settle for being the second-best quarterback in the NFC East.
Jeremiah: RG3 proves exceptional
Even in defeat, Robert Griffin III defies logic. Daniel Jeremiah expounds on the Redskins rookie in his Week 7 notes. **More ...**
"That guy is flat-out unbelievable," Osi Umenyiora said after his New York Giants' win over Griffin's Washington Redskins. "I'm not even going to lie. That's the best quarterback we've played this year."
The Giants have played Michael Vick, Tony Romo, Alex Smith and Cam Newton this season. We wouldn't take any of them over Griffin, and we're not talking about in the future. That's obvious. We're talking about this week.
"We get to get out of here," Umenyiora said, via The Star-Ledger. "We escaped, that's what happened. We escaped with that one."
The Redskins are in the top-five offenses in the NFL in scoring and yards. They are first in rushing, and Griffin is the biggest reason why. Griffin helps open running lanes by creating hesitation with the defense. It's not really about the option. It's an old-school, play-action approach. RG3 sells it.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the New York Giants' 27-23 victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 7 on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
When the Redskins desperately need a first down, then Griffin runs. Or he fakes a draw, stops and delivers a pass on fourth-and-3 when a defender jumps to stop him.
Washington does a good job of not asking Griffin to do too much. It's a controlled attack, which takes advantage of Griffin's accuracy, patience and decision-making. In some weird ways, it's almost a conservative offense.
When you add that decision-making to Griffin's ability to make the incredible happen -- like eluding Jason Pierre-Paul to convert a fourth-and-10 -- you have one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. Already.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.