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There is little or nothing about Robert Griffin III that makes anyone immediately think “Eli Manning’’ except for the feeling he instills in his new teammates, a sense of confidence that the offense and the entire franchise is in good hands.
The Giants for years have felt it, never stronger than today, as their two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback plays at such a high level that no situation, no game, no deficit seems impossible to overcome. Teams are dangerous when that aura exists. The Redskins, with RG3 at the helm, are starting to become dangerous.
“He’ll keep you in every game,’’ Barry Cofield, the former Giants defensive tackle in his second year with the Redskins, told The Post Tuesday. “That’s the thing we didn’t have last year, and that’s the thing every team wants. You have quarterback like Eli, a quality quarterback like that, you feel like you have a chance in any game, even if you’re down a couple of scores. Eli has proven that. Robert gives you that same type of feeling.’’
It is not as if Cofield didn’t know any hardship in his five years with the Giants. In his first season, 2006, the sailing was far from smooth.
“We were 8-8, and after that season coordinators got fired,’’ Cofield recalled. “It was bad.’’
But through it all Cofield never, ever wondered about the identity or ability of the starting quarterback. Until last season, that security was all he knew.
“Having that same guy taking the snaps, commanding that huddle in practice and being the leader and the face of the team, you almost take it for granted,’’ he said.
The harsh slap of reality hit Cofield hard last season. The quarterback battle in Washington was an uninspiring competition featuring Rex Grossman and John Beck, which is about as appealing as allowing your kid to choose between brussel sprouts and canned beans. Even though Cofield got to enjoy a season series sweep of his former team, the Redskins went 5-11, and he learned what NFL life was like among the have-nots.
“When I got here, the quarterback controversy was there before the season even started and continued throughout the season,’’ Cofield said. “It was definitely foreign. All along in the back of your mind you’re thinking about what pieces you do have on the team, and you just have that feeling that you’re one or two or three pieces away from being competitive.’’
The Redskins are competitive now, arriving this weekend at 3-3 after engineering a trade to draft Griffin, who so far looks to be the real deal, a freaky athlete who might terrorize the Giants and the rest of the NFC East for a decade.
Cofield is a believer, and not exclusively based on what he’s seen on the field.
“Definitely wise beyond his years,’’ Cofield said. “He definitely doesn’t carry himself like a rookie at that quarterback position. He’s exceptional in the huddle, he studies, he’s got a great mind for the game, and then he’s got those physical tools that you just can’t teach.’’
No one can teach what Griffin did last Sunday, ending any notion of a Vikings comeback with a breathtaking 76-yard touchdown scramble. Griffin after six games is completing 70 percent of his passes and is on pace for more than 3,500 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
“It’s gonna be scary for guys down the line trying to prepare for this offense,’’ Cofield said. “Even now, the plays you can’t draw up, that last play in that last game where he scrambles for 76, that’s not how it is drawn up, you don’t expect a quarterback to keep going. You ride the wave between hoping he slides to wanting him to stay in bounds to keep the clock running to not believing that he’s still running.’’
Of course, Cofield won’t lose any sleep this week worrying about Eli’s legs, saying, “I feel like I can catch him.’’ But Cofield sees that his former team is on the rise, with the usual man in charge leading the way.
“The way Eli’s playing in that pocket, the way the offensive line is playing right now, it seems like they refound that running game that can be so potent, they’re scary now,’’ Cofield said. “There is no weakness to that offense right now.’’
The Giants on Sunday get their first crack at finding the weakness in RG3, sooner rather than later.
“Practicing against him all spring and all summer,’’ Cofield warned, “it’s a headache, to say the least.’’
Hybrid role for defenders
MATHIAS Kiwanuka is a linebacker, but of the 38 snaps he had against the 49ers, 37 of them came on the defensive line. Adrian Tracy is listed as a defensive end, but all 12 of his snaps came at linebacker.
Welcome to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s world of mixing and matching.
“That’s just part of being a Giant these days,’’ Kiwanuka said. “Everybody has to be able to adjust on the fly. Perry Fewell does a good job of putting people in position to make plays, he felt like we had some favorable matchups and went with it.’’
For six weeks, Fewell often has been forced to patch and spackle, first with the secondary, next with his linebackers and most recently to fill a hole at defensive tackle. There will be issues to confront as the weeks go on, but for now Fewell has survived the initial onslaught and his ultra-deep defense should be primed to attack in droves.
Asked what position he plays, Tracy — who registered his first NFL sack in San Francisco — paused for a moment, smiled and said, “Hybrid.’’
Catching on quick
Victor Cruz’s 2,032 receiving yards, 125 catches and 15 touchdowns in his first 25 games are the most in Giants history. Here’s how his first 25 games stack up to other hot-starting receivers:
PLAYER, TEAM REC.
Anquan Boldin, Cardinals 154
Reggie Bush, Saints 143
Marques Colston, Saints 138
Tom Fears, LA Rams 131
Charlie Hennigan, Oilers 126
Victor Cruz, Giants 125
Kellen Winslow, Browns 125