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An upset win over the New Orleans Saints has fans and analysts alike swooning over Washington Redskins rookie Robert Griffin III.
In his first NFL game, the second overall pick out of Baylor tossed for 320 yards, two touchdowns in the 42-30 win, reminding euphoric Washington fans what a great quarterback performance looks like after a long period of waiting. That's not to mention a two-touchdown performance by fellow rookie Alfred Morris and a defensive performance featuring two interceptions of Drew Brees, although they did allow 32 points. Joel Thorman was envious, and rewarded the Redskins when putting together his Week 2 NFL Power Rankings by bumping them up III - err, three - spots to No. 16.
16. Washington Redskins (LW: 19, 1-0): This is what every fan base dreams of. You draft a rookie and immediately see the pay off. RGIII was accurate, efficient and, most importantly, his team put up a lot of points on the board. I can't tell you how jealous of Redskins fans I am right now.
We promise not to shift entirely to Roman numerals from here on out, you know, until there's a Super Bowl involved.
Things get a lot easier for Washington after the New Orleans game: while those rankings still have the Saints No. 11 despite the loss, the Redskins' Week 2 opponent, the St. Louis Rams, are quite a bit lower:
29. St. Louis Rams (LW: 28, 0-1): This was my surprise team of the year pick and, even though it was a loss, they hung with the Lions. Progress!
For more on the Redskins, head over to Hogs Haven and continue to check out SB Nation DC for the latest news and updates on the team.