2012 Luck-Wilson vs. 7 Common Opps
@Akrish raised a good question after Seattle's Russell Wilson and Indianapolis' Andrew Luck led their teams to stirring victories in Week 13.
"Can you please look at Luck and Wilson vs. the same opponents?" he asked. "Seems odd that they have so many in common."
Sure enough, these rookie quarterbacks have faced seven common opponents to this point in the season: Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay, Miami, New England, Detroit and the New York Jets. Luck faced the Bears, Jets, Patriots and Lions on the road. Wilson faced the Bears, Dolphins and Lions on the road.
Sufficiently intrigued, I filtered the quarterbacks' stats by these common opponents.
The results will enhance Wilson's profile in discussions for top rookie honors.
As the chart shows, Wilson has 16 touchdown passes with only one pick against these teams. He has a 115.6 NFL passer rating and 81.6 Total QBR score against them. Luck has 13 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 74.9 passer rating against them. His QBR score (68.2) is stronger than his traditional stats might indicate, a theme for Luck all season, not just in these games.
Wilson has a 5-2 starting record against the seven common opponents. Luck's record is 4-3 against those teams.
Wilson benefits from a stronger ground game and stronger defense than Luck has in Indianapolis. In general, the Colts have asked more from Luck, while the Seahawks have brought along Wilson at a more measured pace. Also, Luck faced four of these opponents in his first five games. Wilson has played five of them in his last five games, after he had time to grow and adjust to the NFL game.
Still, if you're looking to enhance Wilson's chances for rookie honors in 2012, this chart should be part of your case.
Wilson leads the NFL in Total QBR from Week 6 to present. Luck is 10th over that span. Luck ranks sixth for the season. Wilson is 11th and rising.
Wilson has a significantly higher passer rating for the season (95.2 to 76.1). The disparity is 108.2 to 75.5 over the last eight weeks.
The quarterbacks share one additional common opponent this season. Luck has already faced Buffalo. Wilson faces the Bills in Week 15.