Is this a Must Win Game For Gruden and Cousins against Tampa

Ashburn, Va. — As the Washington Redskins get ready to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all eyes will be on the head coach and his embattled quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Cousins has had his moments of brilliance this season but has had more of his error-prone ways resurface over the past few weeks.

Head Coach Jay Gruden, in his defense of Cousins, needs for the signal caller to prove that his coach did the right thing in starting him over QBs Robert Griffin III or Colt McCoy.

The Redskins come into Sunday’s match up literally limping — they have been besieged with injuries — and will need for Cousins to have a solid performance in front of the home crowd. Also, it’s Homecoming Weekend so the need to perform in front of some of the team’s historic legends should be enough motivation to play well… if not for that then for job security.

With a bye week coming up after the game, how important is this game for moral? Is it a “Must Win” proposition for Gruden and Cousins to get the season back on track?

My assessment of this is that the team needs to feel good about where they are headed with a week off to mentally and physically regroup. A win against Tampa gets them close to 500% but with the New England Patriots game looming, the team does not want to fall into a 2-6 hole.

This is another winnable game. The Redskins have to find a way to close out an opponent. After two close games on the road they should be primed for a breakout offensively.

My prediction is Washington 23, Tampa 16

My colleague Diane Chesebrough has a fair assessment of the ongoing situation as well. She commented:

Last week, Gruden described the upcoming match up against Tampa Bay as “Code Red.” In light of the Redskins last two games against the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets, this is certainly understandable. But there is a difference between “Code Red” and “Must Win.” And of course, as always, IF Washington loses, a lot depends on how and why. But in the big scheme of things, I don’t believe people will or should lose their jobs even in the case of a loss and that’s what “must win” indicates will happen.

If Gruden was doing something other than using this as an evaluation year for Cousins, it could very well be a must-win for the QB. Regardless, it isn’t for Gruden. This is only his second year here and he still doesn’t have “his” quarterback. McCloughan won’t fire him if they lose this game. The Redskins have got to find out exactly what they have in the Michigan State product and, saying we already know all there is to know is not realistic as much as people want to say they do.

Now… if Cousins has a really bad game — and I mean bad like last year’s outing against the New York Giants — the calls for McCoy (and some even for Griffin) after the bye will be loud and consistent. Whether or not Gruden does sit Cousins remains to be seen. But he should not. What would be the point in this evaluation/rebuilding year? To eke out a few more wins in a year during which they really need to know exactly what they have in Cousins? He has shown enough positives that we have to know if he can be “coached up” out of the bad decisions.

For years fans and media have been calling for owner Dan Snyder to stop with the coaching/quarterback carousel and we witnessed first-hand last year what a QB carousel brings. This is Snyder’s chance to prove he’s heard everyone.

A “must win” game is one in which if not won, dire consequences await those responsible. If this game is lost in a close, competitive match up and Cousins appears to have bounced back from the last two weeks, that’s good… there’s hope. If it’s lost in a horrible, ugly fashion, the team needs to use the bye to get it together.

I will say this… for psychological reasons, the Redskins must win this game. This team needs to put a big win together before the bye just for moral and to progress in its culture change. I think they will.

“None of us wants to go into the bye with after a loss,” defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois said after practice today.

He’s right. That’s where it’s more a “Must Win” contest than with just the coach or quarterback.

My prediction is Washington 24, Tampa 21

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What are your thoughts on the matter?

Are the Redskins in a “Must Win” situation or is the whole crisis-mode atmosphere out in Ashburn overblown?

Write your thoughts here in our comments section.

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