With every passing day, a different football expert sings the praises of Robert Griffin III. His image is on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and an impromptu celebration move has his name on it and is being mimicked all across America.
However, amidst the fan frenzy, Griffin hasn't blinked.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced that the Redskins' rookie quarterback earned honors as NFC Offensive Player of the Week after he passed for 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while directing his team to a 40-32 season-opening win against the New Orleans Saints Sunday.
But in Griffin's mind, the honor was relatively insignificant.
"It was more than just myself," Griffin said. "All the guys went out there and performed at a high level. It paid off for us with a win and another win, I guess, with offensive player of the week."
Before Sunday's games, no rookie in NFL history had passed for at least 300 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in his regular season debut. Not to mention, his passer rating of 139.9 also was a best.
"What a terrific debut. Very, very impressive. As people are saying, it's historical," said St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher, whose team plays Griffin and the Redskins on Sunday. "He did a great job with accuracy and poise, made plays with his legs and has a good grasp of the offense ... We're going to have a long week. It's not easy [to defend]."
On Sunday, Griffin will attempt to lead the Redskins to a 2-0 start. He insists he doesn't feel pressure to be as good, or better than last week.
"Rex [Grossman] kind of told me after the game that I set the bar high, and I've got to continue to go up," he said. "But to me, it doesn't put any more pressure on me. It just solidifies what I've always thought, that I can play in the NFL at a high level. This team can be successful with the coaches that we have and the players that we have."
The attention Griffin has received has been well accepted by his teammates. He said some of his teammates have good-naturedly joked with him about the "Griffining" pose. But the way Griffin carries himself is the biggest reason he's been so well accepted.
"He gets it," said receiver Santana Moss. "And he knows that every week is going to [be] a different challenge."
