Cousins, Redskins Show Signs of Progress in Respectable Performance vs. Seattle

Even at their best, the Washington Redskins weren't supposed to beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The 'Skins weren't at their best Monday night in a 27-17 loss, but they were a hell of a lot more competitive than many expected. 

Considering just how poorly they played 11 days ago in an embarrassing 45-14 home loss to the New York Giants, the Redskins put together an admirable performance on offense against the league's most vaunted defense. 

Against the Giants, Kirk Cousins pressed from behind, turning the ball over five times. But after playing it safe early against Seattle, Cousins and the offense opened things up and looked extremely comfortable as the game wore on. 

In his seventh career start, with little help from running back Alfred Morris against a defense that came in allowing a league-low 2.8 yards per rush, Cousins tossed two touchdown passes and threw zero interceptions. And for only the third time in 21 games, dating back to the start of last season, the 'Skins had a turnover-free performance. 

It would have been easy for a flawed young quarterback to dig a deeper hole Monday night, but both he and the rest of that offense put together a brave effort. It was a testament to this team's mental fortitude, which bodes well long-term, regardless of what happens over the next 12 weeks. 

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

"Guys played hard, No. 1," said head coach Jay Gruden during his postgame press conference, which aired on NFL Network. "We wanted to come out and really go toe-to-toe and play our butt off, and I think we did that. As far as them not being at their best, part of that is because we were playing pretty darn good. It had nothing to do with them and everything to do with us, I'd like to think."

This Seattle team certainly wasn't at its best either, but the Seahawks were coming off their bye week. Last year in the same situation, Seattle beat a very good New Orleans Saints team 34-7. 

And so the Redskins made a statement on Monday night. Despite the loss, they told the rest of the league that they won't be the doormat they were for much of the 2013 season. Cousins battled back in a major way, hitting on a pair of 50-plus-yard deep balls to receiver DeSean Jackson. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 D.C. commended Cousins on his performance:

Cousins, who continues to run the offense in place of injured franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III, was particularly effective in the second half. And that's also encouraging when you consider how much he was struggling in the third and fourth quarters entering Week 5. 

Half	Previous 6 games	Monday night
1st	65.8%, 5 TD, 2 INT, 7.7 YPA, 96.1 rating	41.2%, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5.5 YPA, 78.8 rating
2nd	49.2%, 4 TD, 9 INT, 6.1 YPA, 48.9 rating	73.7%, 1 TD, 0 INT, 10.0 YPA, 122.7 rating

The guy had Washington within reaching distance in the fourth quarter, which is all you can ask for, considering Morris wasn't having a good night, Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams was injured (knee) and the defense really couldn't do much to stop Russell Wilson and/or Marshawn Lynch when it mattered most. 

It could have been a whole lot worse for that D. Without top corner DeAngelo Hall, it hung in with a decent amount of pressure and three sacks on Wilson. And midway through the game, it did Cousins and Co. plenty of favors by forcing four consecutive three-and-outs. But it still gave up 27 points, and it would have been a lot worse had three Seattle touchdowns not been negated by penalties. 

The Seahawks had 13 penalties in total, while Washington drew only three flags. And yet we still had a double-digit margin in favor of Seattle. So again, the 'Skins had no business winning this game. Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan agreed:

But if we're looking at the quarterback situation and the overall outlook regarding a team that many feared was about to start free-falling coming out of Week 4, Monday night's performance actually represented a baby step in the right direction for Cousins, Gruden and the Redskins. 

The great news is Washington has now played the toughest opponent on its schedule. It won't be much easier against Arizona in Week 6, but beyond that the Redskins benefit from last year's last-place finish and a tough start. Cousins and his teammates have a lot to prove, but with winnable games ahead and some positive things to build off of, they've got a chance to salvage this season. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon