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12-16-11

Robert Griffin III should head to the NFL

Now that Baylor’s Robert Griffin III has won the 77th Heisman Trophy, it’s time for the junior quarterback to take his talents to the NFL. Griffin, who is known as RG3, put up dizzying numbers this season, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards, 36 touchdowns and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating. At one point this season, he had more touchdowns (13) than incompletions (12). RG3 is one bad dude.

Head coach Art Briles has shown unwavering confidence in his all-world quarterback, which has led to a season for the ages. The 15th-ranked Baylor Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat Oklahoma for the first time ever, and went undefeated (4-0) in November. Next up for Griffin and Baylor is the Alamo Bowl against the Washington Huskies on Dec. 29 in San Antonio.

In a recent article, I predicted Trent Richardson of Alabama would win the Heisman. However, watching Griffin destroy Texas in the season finale forced me to change my mind. The following week, Griffin walked away with the first Heisman Trophy in Baylor history, receiving 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the preseason favorite, received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points. Luck also became the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons.

These two young men will be connected for many years to come. If Griffin and Luck enter the 2012 NFL draft, as expected, they could end up battling for Rookie of the Year honors. Many scouts and sports writers think Luck is a lock for the top spot in draft. Since winning the Heisman, Griffin’s draft stock has gone through the roof.

Maybe the Dallas Cowboys can find a way to draft RG3, who has pinpoint accuracy, world class speed and a high football IQ. Imagine Griffin throwing passes to Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten. That would bring some much needed excitement to the Cowboys organization. Let’s see if Jerry Jones is bold enough to make the move. 

The “D” is missing in Dallas

If the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have the star on the helmet, I’d have to laugh at the team’s recent defensive meltdowns. On Sunday night, the Cowboys defense had a chance to make a stand against a quality opponent. All they had to do was protect a 12-point lead with 5:54 left in the game. Instead, the unit buckled under the pressure, allowing an 80-yard and a 58-yard drive to lose the game.

It’s no secret that Rob Ryan’s unit is struggling. The pass rush is non-existent. His secondary looks confused. Not to mention, there were too many blown coverages against New York. With all the high-priced talent in the secondary, what’s the excuse for allowing Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks to catch 14 catches for 237 yards. 

If Dallas misses the playoffs, Rob Ryan needs to be fired. Based on his credentials, we should have seen this coming. According to Rick Gosselin

(Rick Gosselin), Hall of Fame writer for the Dallas Morning News, Ryan has yet to field a top 10 defense in his seven years as a coordinator. And this guy was supposed to be the savior in Dallas.

I wonder what Wade Phillips is doing right now? Oh, yeah. His Houston Texans defense is currently ranked in the top 5, and the team has already clinched a playoff spot. Wonder if Jerry Jones has any regrets?

Texas A&M makes groundbreaking hire

Congratulations to Kevin Sumlin, the new head football coach at Texas A&M. His prolific offense made Houston (12-1) a perennial power in Conference USA, but now he must navigate the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the toughest football league in the country. After gaining its independence from Texas and the rest of the Big 12, the Aggies will battle LSU and Alabama for the supremacy in the SEC’s West Division.

Can Sumlin’s spread offense work in the SEC? Will he be able to bring some of the nation’s top recruits to College Station? Do they have the horses to win in Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge? We’ll see.

Earlier this month, Texas A&M made Sumlin, 47, the first African American head coach in school history. He earned the chance to lead the Aggies after going 35-17 in four years at Houston.

"The hiring of Kevin Sumlin is a great opportunity to build on the solid foundation left by Coach Sherman," said former Texas A&M linebacker Steve Solari in a news release. He played for the Aggies in the early 1990s. "Hiring the first African-American head football coach at A&M is a momentous occasion."

Sumlin must get off to a fast start at Texas A&M. If not, his tenure at Texas A&M will be a short one.

Reggie Lewis can be reached at thesportszone44@gmail.com