Washington Redskins: In Cousins we Trust… Maybe

After the Washington Redskins second-half collapse against the New York Jets in Week 6, many nay-sayers figured the Redskins had gotten their answers regarding quarterback Kirk Cousins. A large number of Redskins fans — along a fair amount in the media — felt he could be an NFL mainstay as a backup for the next decade. But a common thought was that it was unlikely he was the quarterback of the future for Washington.

At that point in the season, Cousins was 151 of 228, 1,420 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. Many felt that his inconsistencies were just too much for him to remain the signal caller for this team and that General Manager Scot McCloughan needed to force a change at the quarterback position.

Since Week 6 however, Cousins’ growth and understanding of the offense has become obvious even to those who may want to see him crash and burn. In the last five weeks he has put up the incredible numbers of completing 117 of 164 passes with 1,367 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. He has won three of the last five games.

During this past Monday Night Football contest against the Dallas Cowboys, Cousins was 21-of-31 for 219 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions yet there have been a lot of fingers pointed at him for the Redskins not being able to capitalize on three defensive turnovers. There is additional heat directed at him for not audibling out of one run play on fourth-and-one. The fact is however, whether he has the ability to change the play or not, losing a game never comes down to one play or one mistake.

There were certainly a few throws that Cousins would like to have back, especially the ones to tight end Jordan Reed coming across the formation. His accuracy must improve in the mid-to-short levels. Hitting his guys in stride and putting the ball on the money allows them to make plays after the catch. Getting yards after the catch is something a lot of guys on this offense can do very well.

Another important area Cousins can improve is keeping his eyes downfield when scrambling out of the pocket. On several occasions he missed an opportunity to hit his big play receiver DeSean Jackson. And even if a play breaks down, Jackson has the speed to break away from the defender and bust loose for a huge play that most of the time ends up in a touchdown.

One thing that has been a plus in Cousins’ progression is his ability to continue functioning well even when the run game is struggling. Against the Cowboys, Washington had a difficult time establishing the run so that their attack was balanced. Cousins’ ability to handle the offense when this happens has given the coaching staff another reason to believe in his abilities.

“That’s still a work in progress,” Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden said about Cousins’ progress. “He’s still working to get better, but you can just see him making better and better decisions and not forcing the ball into crowds. Just overall playing the position – snap count, getting the team out of the huddle – just everything that the quarterback has to do that people don’t even realize. Everybody thinks it’s a passing game and he’s judged by completion percentage, but there’s so much more the quarterback has to do that he’s getting better at. Like I said, it’s still a work in progress, but he’s doing good.”

Despite Cousins sound development, one might question the offensive staff’s confidence in him when reviewing the play-calling in light of the run game struggles against Dallas. The Redskins ran the ball on 16 of their 23 first downs and, after Cousins was sacked on the first play of the game, Washington ran the ball eight consecutive times on first downs in the first half.

This looks like a predictable offense whose staff lacks trust in its quarterback because the ball was taken out of his hands. The coaches seemed to refuse to get creative and would not allow their quarterback (who has proven over the past six weeks to be capable of handling the responsibility) to make plays in the passing game. Doing so could have helped neutralize the aggressive Cowboys’ pass rush but the Redskins seemed content to continue to run rookie Matt Jones and Alfred Morris behind offensive lineman that generated little push due to the Cowboys stacking the box. Dallas was obviously prepared for the runs.

The D.C. area is itching for a winning football team that consistently puts a good product on the field. One area that has been a revolving door in Washington is the quarterback position. But love him or hate him, Kirk Cousins has done everything on and off the field to earn the chance to make plays down field in the passing game.

One thing if for sure… one can’t see the abilities of an athlete if he is handcuffed.  As well, one season definitely doesn’t make him a sure thing. But Cousins should at least be given the opportunity to show what he can do when the pressure is on. It’s the only way to find out what the man is made of.