NFL: Slow the Praise on Cousins

The Packers decision to start Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre who wasn’t ready to retire was a gutty but right decision. In 2012, the San Francisco 49ers nearly won a Super Bowl with Jim Harbaugh’s decision to supplant starter Alex Smith in favor of unproven quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Seattle also went a similar route by starting third-round pick Russell Wilson over veteran Matt Flynn who had just signed a big free agent contract.

For every correct organizational move at quarterback there are countless others that blow up and cause endless media stirs.

The Washington Redskins decision to move forward with Kirk Cousins drew as much praise as backlash. In all likelihood former first round pick RG3 won’t step on the field as a Redskin again which means Kirk Cousins has the reigns of the team.

As a starter Cousins has showed promise in the past.  During his rookie season he led the Redskins to key wins with RG3 sidelined but has also shown backup quarterback tendencies with inconsistent play.

His first two games this season have illustrated the same inconsistencies.

Against the Miami Dolphins he threw a costly interception that should have been a pick-six, instead the Dolphins settled for three points. Inside the red-zone and in Dolphins territory he could not finish off drives which led to a week one loss.

Week two against St. Louis the Redskins did an excellent job of defeating the Rams at the line of scrimmage to allow running lanes for Alfred Morris and Matt Jones.

Kirk Cousins did a solid job when asked to throw the football completing 23 of 27 pass attempts. His key throws combined with the running game allowed for a near fifteen minute time of possession advantage over the Rams—which included a fourth quarter sealing touchdown drive that drained nearly seven minutes off the clock.

Instant praise has been shed towards Cousins after the win. Hold that praise a bit further until we see if Cousins can respond in games where the run game is not as efficient. 

Having the RG3 situation in his rear-view mirror should be a mental edge for Cousins but he still needs to shake his tendency to make crucial mistakes.

At this point you have to handicap the Redskins on a limited basis until their true identity is shown with Cousins leading the team.