It is commonly accepted -- by old farts like me -- that youth is wasted on the young.
Apparently, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III never got that memo.
He threw for four touchdowns Sunday. A year after Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton broke all these rookie records, RG3 stands to break some more. Got a passer rating of 101. No rookie ever finished better than 100.
Before Cam, people talked about Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's rookie year. It's worth mentioning, then, that Ryan -- frequently mentioned as a likely MVP -- threw five picks Sunday.
RG3 has three. The entire season. Unheard of.
Newton had 17 last year. This year? Andrew Luck, a dozen. And a passer rating of 77.
I know; passer rating is a woefully incomplete metric. And precisely because of that, it doesn't begin to capture the full range of Griffin's talent.
The kid's got world-class speed, remember?
He'll run for more than Cam last year. He's averaging better than 6.5 yards a carry.
Forget the numbers, though. Remember this: six months out of college, he has talent without hubris. Youth without folly. The capacity to thrill without making the fatal mistake.
Hey, some guys spend their entire careers making rookie mistakes.
So do yourself a favor. Take the 'Skins over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
OK?
You can thank me now, or call me an old fart later.
Follow Mark Kriegel on Twitter @MarkKriegel.