The biggest game of 2012 season for both Tony Romo and Robert Griffin III falls in Week 17.
It also happens that the biggest game of the year for both Romo and Griffin III pits the two exciting quarterbacks against each other on the same NFL gridiron.
And in the final week of the 2012 fantasy football campaign, a week where there are nearly as many playoff implications on the line for fantasy owners as there are for the Cowboys and Redskins, who will come out on top, Romo or RGIII?
Let’s endeavor to find out.
Tony Romo
The Cowboys gunslinger ranks No. 8 among fantasy quarterbacks with 266.2 points and a per-game average of 17.75 points. He has thrown for an impressive 4,685 yards (No. 3) and 26 touchdowns (No. 6).
But he has also thrown the fifth-most interceptions (16).
Romo, though, is returning from his statistically most dominant performance of 2012. He racked up 416 yards, four touchdowns, zero turnovers and an eye-popping 32.64 fantasy points in a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Saints.
In a 38-31 defeat at to the Redskins in Week 12, Romo was nearly as prolific fantasy-wise. He totaled 441 yards passing (season-high) with three TDs, a two-point conversion and 28.34 points. Holding him back were his two interceptions.
Regarding this final game of the regular season, it is an absolute must-win scenario for the 8-7 Cowboys. They must overcome the 9-6 Redskins to clinch the NFC East and secure a playoff berth.
Romo, for his part, will once again square off against a Washington defense ranked No. 28 overall, No. 12 in scoring (24.7 points/g) and an unsightly No. 30 against the pass.
It has allowed 287 yards passing per game, with a total of 29 TDs (second-most), 56 plays of 20-plus yards (fifth-most), 11 plays of 40-plus yards (fourth-most) and a QB efficiency rating of 88.9. This unit also has the ninth-fewest sacks (30).
The Redskins, on the one hand, are an opportunist bunch with 18 picks (fifth-most) and six defensive TDs.
But the overall stats, on the other hand, indicate that the risk has proved far greater than the reward.
Romo seems in good position to collect a fine reward of his own based on those numbers.
Robert Griffin III
The Redskins incredible rookie quarterback sports the No. 5 ranking among fantasy QBs with 301.2 points and a per-game clip of 21.51. He has accrued 3,100 yards passing with 20 TDs and a mere seven turnovers (five INT), which if fewest among all starting QBs.
RGIII also has the most rushing yards (752) and second-most rushing TDs (six) among gridiron warriors operating under center.
Oh, and did we mention that he has attained these gaudy numbers in one fewer game?
Furthermore, RGIII has three games of 30-plus fantasy points with a season-high of 35.08 against the Vikings. His most awe-inspiring effort, however, came at the expense of the Cowboys.
Despite totaling a bit less than 30 points (29.06 to be exact), he systematically gutted the Cowboys defense with 304 yards passing (11.4-yard average), four TDs and a nasty 70.4 completion percentage.
Running for his fourth-fewest yards on the season (29) did not diminish his overall production—he was a dominant pocket passer that operated with deadly precision throughout the game.
The all-important question, however, is whether RGIII can return to similar form in Week 17.
He sprained his medial collateral ligament in a brutal collision with Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata in the fourth quarter of the Redskins’ Week 14 matchup. He missed overtime of that game with the Ravens, as well as the following game against the Browns.
RGIII returned last week at Philadelphia but had one of his least productive fantasy outings of the year. His minimal 202 total yards (198 passing) and interception helped lead to just 14.32 points.
His second TD pass helped seal the game for Washington, but no so much for fantasy owners in their respective playoff matchups.
Aiding RGIII’s efforts this time around is that the Cowboys have still allowed 24.8 points per game (No. 23), including 30-plus in four out of the past seven games.
That unit still also ranks No. 21 against the pass, having allowed 239.8 yards per game, with a total of 22 TDs, 52 plays of 20-plus yards and a QB rating of 95.7 (fourth-highest).
And in 2012, Rob Ryan’s D has just seven interceptions and 16 total takeaways—fewest and third-fewest among all 32 teams, respectively.
Despite a bit of potential apprehension stemming from the injury—and like Romo—RGIII seems in fine position to put up some quality fantasy statistics against a suspect defensive unit.
Prediction
The Redskins’ playoff situation isn’t nearly as dire as the Cowboys, as losses by Chicago and Minnesota would give them a spot in January football. However, in order to take matters into their own hands and officially clinch a postseason berth (and take the NFC East crown), they must conquer Dallas in the season finale.
Robert Griffin III, for his part, prefers doing just that. He is 4-1 in big-time divisional games, including winning the past four in a row. That of course includes the aforementioned Thanksgiving win over Dallas.
And in the aforementioned biggest game of the year, RGIII will come up large with over 250 total yards and four touchdowns. He’ll even run one in as a doubt-diffusing showing to those who remain at all skeptical over his status.
Mark him down for 28 fantasy points.
His 2009 run notwithstanding, Romo has repeatedly come up short in crucial game-day scenarios. He is 1-3 in the playoffs, including faltering in three consecutive games down the stretch in 2006, culminating in the infamous botched hold of a game-winning field goal try against the Seahawks.
He also failed to help the Cowboys secure a postseason berth in the 2008 and 2011 regular season finales against divisional opponents.
Romo has had his clutch moments in the past, but this Week 17 performance on the road won’t necessarily be one of them.
He’ll throw for 325 yards and two TDs. Yet, his two interceptions will drop his point total down to 18 fantasy points.
The legend of RGIII will grow, while the stain on Romo—whether deservedly or not—grows alongside it.
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