Colt McCoy Giving Washington Exactly What It Needs in RGIII's Absence

We can officially stop all of the talk about Kirk Cousins being better than Robert Griffin III now, right? The struggles Cousins displayed in relief of the injured RGIII have been magnified by the emergence of third-string quarterback Colt McCoy.

McCoy came in during Washington's game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 after Cousins failed to move the offense, and the former third-stringer helped the team win 19-17. On 12 passing attempts, he completed 11 for 128 yards and a touchdown—a 70-yard TD strike to Pierre Garcon.

A week later on Monday Night Football, the former Texas Longhorn, Cleveland Brown and San Francisco 49er embraced first-year head coach Jay Gruden's offensive credo and led his team to a 20-17 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

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Leave it up to McCoy to provide us with one of the most entertaining games of the 2014 season. But before we get into it, please, let's not go overboard here. A lot of us learned not to jump the gun when we collectively dubbed Cousins as the "chosen one."

McCoy isn't the future of this organization; he's just a capable, productive stopgap option who just happens to be exactly what this team needs in Griffin's absence.

Despite his late heroics, it took a while for McCoy to get comfortable.

His lack of arm strength was apparent on a variety of throws, and wide receiver DeSean Jackson deserves a lot of credit for McCoy's performance. Jackson's six receptions for 136 yards padded McCoy's stats and kept Washington's hopes alive.

At his postgame presser, via Washington's official Twitter feed, McCoy pointed out that he still has to adjust to Jackson's speed:

Battling through ring rust and some issues early on, he found a way to ricochet off those negative vibes and turn his night around.

After the Washington offense was held to just a field goal in the first half, McCoy helped his team tack on an additional 17 points.

Where did that sudden burst of confidence come from? Was it from his parents sitting up in the stands? Is it because he was back in the great state of Texas? You know, the place where he crafted a remarkable collegiate legacy?

Wherever the inspiration came from, it was exactly the jolt of energy this team needed.

Through the air, McCoy was 25-of-30 for 299 yards and one interception on the night. He also carried the football seven times, picking up 16 yards and a touchdown.

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Those numbers ooze efficiency, unlike Cousins—who was erratic at best.

Even though there was a lot of talk during the summer about turning RGIII into more of a "pocket passer," Washington's offense still was created with his dual-threat abilities in mind.

It's not a run-first scheme by any means, but Gruden has done an excellent job of allowing his quarterbacks to extend the pocket and use their legs to make plays.

McCoy is the right fit for that type of system, and his skill set has impressed pundits like Around the NFL writer Chris Wesseling, who wrote, "McCoy extended his career by a couple of years and a few million dollars with an impressive performance on national television."

Wesseling is right. McCoy didn't just come in and manage the game. He played with poise and toughness and directed his team to a win.

Of all of the things he did right, one play stood out the most.

On the opening drive of overtime, McCoy evaded pressure from the Cowboys defense and created a bit of magic.

Signaling for tight end Jordan Reed to change his route and run down the field, McCoy lofted up a pretty ball into one-on-one coverage and connected with Reed on a crucial 16-yard gain.

RGIII is on the mend. His return to Washington and the franchise that needs him is imminent.

In the meantime, McCoy has filled the void he left behind. His commanding win on Monday Night Football—just 200 miles removed from where he played his college ball—capped off an unbelievable Week 8 in the National Football League.

Essentially, this is what we can expect if Griffin misses any more time. You have to think what we saw against Dallas will be the norm. McCoy isn't going to dominate the stat sheet or carry the team by his lonesome.

What he is going to do is manage this offense, make the throws he's asked to and lead by example. He's the ultimate teammate and you can tell that by the comments he's made.

Per Washington's Twitter account, McCoy spoke about the way he approaches the game:

The NFL is always going to be a "what have you done for me lately?" league. With the Cousins era ending before it even began, McCoy has thrived.

Enjoy it while it lasts. Because sometimes life has a funny way of working itself out. Washington has now won two games in a row, and a big reason why is a 28-year-old quarterback named Colt.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.