Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins Should Get Same Excuses RG3 Did, but He Won't
In the NFL, price tags matter. Just ask Kirk Cousins. Vultures are already circling the beleaguered starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins just six games into the season.
Cousins is getting panned for his role in the Burgundy and Gold's 2-4 start. It's a run during which he's thrown eight interceptions compared with just six touchdowns. Yet it's also a run where the Redskins have been hampered by some familiar woes, namely the lack of a credible running game and a stout enough defense, along with a lengthy injury list.
These are the same things that were often used to excuse the struggles of the man Cousins replaced, Robert Griffin III. There's an ugly game going on in the NFL's court of public opinion, a place where being a second overall draft pick apparently grants you a free pass to struggle for three years. But being a fourth-rounder few people wanted in the first place gets you no such concessions.
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Let's not sugarcoat things here. Whether you believe in Cousins, RG3 or Colt McCoy, Washington's quarterback situation is a mess. There are three options, all of whom are weighed down by major question marks.
For Griffin, it's the lack of the essential fundamentals needed to be a competent, pro-level quarterback. Those pesky things like studying and understanding film, reading coverage and adjusting to a defense. Not to mention footwork and accuracy from the pocket.
Cousins has built up his own catalogue of follies. Like the Griff', many of No. 8's foibles are of the mental variety. Only in Cousins' case his temperament often appears too fragile to weather the tough and fickle nature of playing football's most important position at the NFL level.
Handling the pressures inherent in his position, along with the sense of occasion, particularly in tough road games, appear beyond Cousins. So one mistake often snowballs into a gag reel of one calamity after another.
But there's still a difference in how both men are perceived. Many of the excuses consistently given for Griffin's failed development are not offered to explain Cousins' struggles.
If you've watched any Redskins game since 2013, you'll know those problems by heart. When Griffin didn't perform, his supporters often pointed to dire offensive line play, poor play-calling, a struggling running game and an overly generous defense.
Well, guess what? Those same issues are keeping Cousins and the 2015 Redskins stuck in the mud.
Different Quarterback, Same Problems
Cousins is being hampered by having to direct a one-dimensional offense. The overly pass-happy attack is too often having to keep pace on the scoreboard because of a defense that's giving up too many big plays in key moments.
Both of these things refute one of the common misconceptions about Cousins this season. Notably, the idea he's struggling even though he's simply being asked to be a so-called "game manager."
Well, that may be the theory, but it certainly isn't the way things are working out in practice.
No quarterback can manage a game, a phrase that speaks to keeping things steady and efficient, when said passer is forced to air it out 40-plus times every week. Anthony Gulizia of the Washington Times noted the problem after watching Cousins throw 43 passes during the 34-20 road loss to the New York Jets in Week 6:
"When the Redskins are running well, Cousins can go into game-manager mode, like he did against St. Louis in Week 2. That’s when he’s most effective, not when he has to throw the ball 40-plus times. Simple formula, right? Not when the Redskins can’t run the ball.
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There's just no way an inexperienced quarterback, making only his 15th start, can be expected to throw nearly a half-century of passes against a secondary featuring Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie and realistically expect success.
No way, that is, unless the quarterback is Cousins, a player who must apparently morph into Joe Montana every Sunday.
Cousins has thrown over 40 passes in a game three times this season. On each occasion, the Redskins lost. In their other defeat, he put the ball in the air 32 times. Game manager in name only.
This isn't the formula the man who drafted Cousins, Mike Shanahan, believes will ever bring the best out of No. 8. He made that clear during a preseason interview with 106.7 The Fan (h/t Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post):
"If you put a guy like Kirk Cousins in and you run the ball 30 to 35 times a game, and then you look back at the success that he had, you’d say, holy cow, look at those stats — when it’s a balanced offense. You can’t put in a guy that’s started nine games in the National Football League and ask him to win games week in and week out in the passing game. It just doesn’t work that way.
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Anyone claiming this season's ground game is struggling because defenses don't respect Cousins must have a very short memory. Putting RG3 under center wouldn't suddenly convince defensive coordinators to have their players sit off in coverage. Just the opposite.
It's also impossible to ignore the slow and timid crawling Alfred Morris has been passing off as running in recent weeks. He's also hardly been helped by an offensive line that's made terrific strides in pass protection but is getting routinely whipped on the ground.
Cousins has essentially played his last four games with half an offense. Not may quarterbacks in this league can go one-dimensional and still win week-to-week. In fact, only the select elite, the Tom Bradys and Aaron Rodgerses can manage it.
Cousins is never going to be one of those, so why judge him like one?
Washington's own failure to run the ball isn't the only thing forcing a streaky quarterback to throw it more than he should. Problems on the other side of the ball are just as significant.
Specifically, the Redskins aren't stopping teams from dominating on the ground and owning the clock.
In Week 5, Devonta Freeman piled up 153 yards, helping the Atlanta Falcons boss time of possession 34:56 to 27:49 in a 25-19 overtime win. Against the Jets, Chris Ivory stomped his way to 146 yards on a day when the AFC East club managed 221 yards on the ground. The Jets led the time-of-possession count 32:39 to 27:21.
With less time to work with, Cousins has to pass and every defense knows it. That's a fact. One that won't be changed simply by swapping quarterbacks.
Winning in the running game on both sides of the ball is an essential requirement in football. It's importance is only magnified for every team that doesn't boast a Hall of Fame quarterback.
ESPN.com's John Keim described what the future will look like for these Redskins if they don't deal with their problems on the ground: "However, if they can’t run the ball or stop the run, it will be a long march to the end of the season. And it would be a death march."
Cousins may already be treading that path. As he takes each step, he'll see the route littered with injured bodies.
That was the reality against the Jets. Washington entered the game with three starters missing from the offensive line. They were joined by a trio of skill position playmakers, running back Matt Jones, tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
It's fair to say every team has to deal with injuries, but it's churlish to deny the loss of so many key players isn't going to negatively impact a rebuilding ball club.
For Cousins, not having Jackson means not being able to stretch the field. That's the worst possible news for a running game seeing way too many eight-man fronts.
Many may contend Cousins can't throw the deep ball to get the most out of the league's premier vertical threat. History says otherwise, however.
Three of Jackson's four longest catches for the Redskins last season came off the arm of Cousins. He snagged an 81-yard bomb against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. That was followed by a 60-yarder against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, while Jackson breezed past the Arizona Cardinals for a 64-yard score a week later.
As much as Jackson would make a difference to the whole offense, Reed's presence would benefit Cousins in a more direct way. Without Reed in the lineup the last two weeks, Washington has a 33 percent conversion rate on third downs.
Every quarterback needs his safety valve on football's money down. Cousins has looked far removed from clutch without No. 86 to aim for.
While his O-line handled a normally ferocious Jets pass rush well in Week 6, the idea of a balanced attack stayed in the treatment room to keep left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Shawn Lauvao and center Kory Lichtensteiger company.
Morris has made most of his yards running Williams' way and would certainly benefit from a healthier front. A more productive Morris means more efficient stuff from Cousins.
Take all of these factors into consideration, along with two tough road games against the previously unbeaten Atlanta Falcons and the Jets, owners of the top-ranked defense in the NFL, and it's too early to pull the plug on Cousins just yet.
Thom Loverro of the Washington Times summed up part of that feeling after Week 6:
Or, to put it another way, if you still think Cousins is solely to blame for all the problems this season, ex-Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs would like to speak with you, per CSNMid-Atlantic.com.
Even Judgement, Please
One of the strangest narratives currently at play regarding Washington's quarterbacks is the idea Cousins is getting a pass where RG3 didn't. It's an argument head coach Jay Gruden foolishly fueled with his credibility-killing "windy" excuse for Cousins' struggles in Week 6, something Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk believes is a "huge mistake." He also sees it as a sign No. 8 is being coddled by the coach who chose him over Griffin.
Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab takes that line of thought a step forward. He directly charges Gruden with making excuses for Cousins that he never gave to RG3.
While both writers have a point about the way an out-of-his-depth head coach has handled the press at times, there is a little bit of revisionist history going on here.
It's been conveniently forgotten that Griffin's struggles weren't isolated to one season. They preceded Gruden, bridging his regime and that of the Shanahans. A pair of head coaches ran into trouble with No. 10.
Gruden was the wrong hire to start with, particularly with Griffin in mind. But it's a little unfair to suggest he hasn't given the former Heisman Trophy winner a fair shot at the job. Consider the facts.
Gruden started RG3 in 2014. He then brought him back into the lineup twice. The first was after an injury, during which time Cousins subbed and was eventually benched.
Even though McCoy came in to lead the best win of the season, a Week 8 road upset of hated foe the Dallas Cowboys, Gruden still gave Griffin another shot. He did the same even after ol' Bobby Three lost his job through poor performance. When McCoy was injured in Week 15 against the New York Giants, Gruden didn't turn back to Cousins. He gave the Griff a third chance.
Entering this offseason, RG3 still had the keys to the team. It was another in a long line of moves that put 2012's second overall choice before what's best for this franchise.
By my count, that's four different opportunities afforded to Griffin by Gruden alone. Those who feel like Cousins is getting preferential treatment should consider he's started 15 games, while Griffin had three seasons in the job.
Ultimately, Gruden has to make a choice and stick to it. Maybe that's what he's doing with Cousins.
The deeper question isn't whether it's Cousins, Griffin or McCoy who needs to lead this team. It's whether this coach is the wrong one for every signal-caller on the roster.
Problems Run Deeper than Quarterback
Cousins doesn't get or deserve a free pass for his current struggles. The onus is now on him to prove he's mentally tough enough to roll with the punches and show tangible improvement week-to-week. If he can't, he deserves to be gone.
But that's not the whole story behind another season of struggle. Cousins is part of the problem, but he's not the whole of it.
The problems in Washington run deeper than quarterback.
Yet the NFL's value culture says the second overall pick who won a Heisman Trophy and Offensive Rookie of the Year award merits more leeway and understanding than an unheralded backup who is yet to prove he can protect the ball.
But Cousins is playing under the same umbrella of one-dimensional offense, poor play-calling, porous defense and a diminished supporting cast that so often excused Griffin's past failings.
The ice under Cousins' feet is awfully thin and even starting to crack. But if, likely when at this rate, Cousins is dumped in the drink, many will soon realize the identity of the man under center isn't the only problem in D.C.
Without more balance on offense, better coaching and a tougher defense, not even a second overall pick will inspire a winning team.
All statistics and player information via NFL.com.
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