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Two former college stars from the state of Oklahoma are making some noise for Rookie of the Year. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant have been putting up some big numbers in their first season in the NFL.
With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, there seems to be a debate over whether Bryant or Bradford is leading the Rookie race.
Here's a case for each player winning the Rookie of the Year award:
The case for Sam Bradford:
There are many positions in the NFL where rookies can acclimate quickly and make an immediate impact, but quarterback isn't one of them. The position's incredibly steep learning curve means most first-year signal-callers spend more time learning the ropes on the sidelines than they do under center on Sunday's.
Baltimore's Joe Flacco and New York's Mark Sanchez are two names that come to mind when you mention recent rookie quarterbacks that have had an immediate impact in their first season. While Rams QB Sam Bradford hasn't had the same win-loss impact in his first season, he also hasn't had the same offensive weapons at his disposal.
After going 1-15 last season with almost the exact same group of players on offense, the addition of Bradford has revitalized the Rams this year. He's led the team to a 4-5 record that currently has them only one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead.
With the exception of running back Steven Jackson, second-year receive Danny Amendola stands out as Bradford's second biggest weapon on the field. You wouldn't know it from Bradford's number (12 TD, 8 INTS) but the quarterback has been playing with only half a deck all season.
"He's commanding in the huddle,'' said wide receiver Danny Amendola. "He has a presence that's unlike a rookie.
"He's a great quarterback to play with.''
That's high praise for a guy who only played three games during his junior year at Oklahoma, after suffering a third-degree shoulder separation, before he made his first professional start.
The case for Dez Bryant:
Like Bradford, Bryant's junior year at Oklahoma State was cut short after he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, forcing him to miss the last nine games of the season.
Without a body of work to go off, his NFL stock plummeted, allowing the Cowboys to draft him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Ten weeks into his first NFL season, his stock drop appears to be the Cowboys' gain.
Even without Tony Romo under center for the last couple of weeks, Bryant has managed to build a strong relationship with backup Jon Kitna. With five touchdown receptions this year, Bryant currently ranks first in the NFC -- among rookies -- in the category; he's also tied for second with 41 receptions and 539 yards.
Bryant's also gaining respect from a number of opposing players in the league. The Giants' Justin Tuck praised Bryant after the Cowboys' 33-20 win last week: "He's just one of those players that every time he touches the ball, you have to have an account of where he is in every situation - special teams, as a wide receiver, even when he's running a reverse," Tuck said in an interview with WFAN radio in New York. "He's one those players that can beat you. They're going to do their best to get him the ball, but however they do it, he becomes the most dangerous person on the field when he has the football."
If this season ended today, would Bradford or Bryant win the Rookie of the Year award?
At this point, the Rookie of the Year debate is a dead heat. Both Bradford and Bryant have more than exceeded expectations and would be worthy recipients of the award. If Bradford continues to win and the Rams get within sniffing distance of a playoff spot, you'd have to think the former Oklahoma quarterback would have a great shot at taking home the award.
But if Dez Bryant has a couple more game like he did last week against the Giants and the Cowboys start winning again. Well, we could be having this exact same discussion at the end of the season.
Two former college stars from the state of Oklahoma are making some noise for Rookie of the Year. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant have been putting up some big numbers in their first season in the NFL.
With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, there seems to be a debate over whether Bryant or Bradford is leading the Rookie race.
Here's a case for each player winning the Rookie of the Year award:
The case for Sam Bradford:
There are many positions in the NFL where rookies can acclimate quickly and make an immediate impact, but quarterback isn't one of them. The position's incredibly steep learning curve means most first-year signal-callers spend more time learning the ropes on the sidelines than they do under center on Sunday's.
Baltimore's Joe Flacco and New York's Mark Sanchez are two names that come to mind when you mention recent rookie quarterbacks that have had an immediate impact in their first season. While Rams QB Sam Bradford hasn't had the same win-loss impact in his first season, he also hasn't had the same offensive weapons at his disposal.
After going 1-15 last season with almost the exact same group of players on offense, the addition of Bradford has revitalized the Rams this year. He's led the team to a 4-5 record that currently has them only one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead.
With the exception of running back Steven Jackson, second-year receive Danny Amendola stands out as Bradford's second biggest weapon on the field. You wouldn't know it from Bradford's number (12 TD, 8 INTS) but the quarterback has been playing with only half a deck all season.
"He's commanding in the huddle,'' said wide receiver Danny Amendola. "He has a presence that's unlike a rookie.
"He's a great quarterback to play with.''
That's high praise for a guy who only played three games during his junior year at Oklahoma, after suffering a third-degree shoulder separation, before he made his first professional start.
The case for Dez Bryant:
Like Bradford, Bryant's junior year at Oklahoma State was cut short after he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, forcing him to miss the last nine games of the season.
Without a body of work to go off, his NFL stock plummeted, allowing the Cowboys to draft him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Ten weeks into his first NFL season, his stock drop appears to be the Cowboys' gain.
Even without Tony Romo under center for the last couple of weeks, Bryant has managed to build a strong relationship with backup Jon Kitna. With five touchdown receptions this year, Bryant currently ranks first in the NFC -- among rookies -- in the category; he's also tied for second with 41 receptions and 539 yards.
Bryant's also gaining respect from a number of opposing players in the league. The Giants' Justin Tuck praised Bryant after the Cowboys' 33-20 win last week: "He's just one of those players that every time he touches the ball, you have to have an account of where he is in every situation - special teams, as a wide receiver, even when he's running a reverse," Tuck said in an interview with WFAN radio in New York. "He's one those players that can beat you. They're going to do their best to get him the ball, but however they do it, he becomes the most dangerous person on the field when he has the football."
If this season ended today, would Bradford or Bryant win the Rookie of the Year award?
At this point, the Rookie of the Year debate is a dead heat. Both Bradford and Bryant have more than exceeded expectations and would be worthy recipients of the award. If Bradford continues to win and the Rams get within sniffing distance of a playoff spot, you'd have to think the former Oklahoma quarterback would have a great shot at taking home the award.
But if Dez Bryant has a couple more game like he did last week against the Giants and the Cowboys start winning again. Well, we could be having this exact same discussion at the end of the season.
