DEFIANCE and red zone scoring.
But back off the Cousins bashing a little bit.
Some Hog Heaven readers know that I am a Spartans grad and therefor a Kirk Cousins fan. I’m convinced that Cousins will prove – or rather, reconfirm – that he is a NFL caliber, upper-half, starting quarterback.
Cousins took a pounding from Redskins fans and NFL pundits after losses to the Steelers and to the Cowboys.
The Redskins and other supporters now tout that Kirk is the No. 2 passer in yardage after Week Three.
Drew Brees leads with 1,062 yards. Matthew Stafford is a close third with 985.
But they don’t give points for yards. Teams win by scoring.
Cousins has as many interceptions (3) as Brees and Stafford combined. Brees and Stafford have a combined total of 15 TD passes. Both have 105 passer ratings.
There is one thing Brees and Stafford share with Cousins. They are each 1-2 right now.
Brees and Stafford have one advantage over Cousins. NFL STARTS!
- Brees – 219 Starts
- Stafford – 96 Starts
- Cousins – 28 Starts
This takes time. Cousins hasn’t had that time. Both sides of the Kirk divide need to back off.
The REAL key stretch
Jay Gruden reminded fans that Cousins is still a developing talent. What few football people tell you is that a player needs about 36 game starts before GMs really know what they have.
That’s why front offices wait until the third year of a rookie contract to decide which players to keep and where to slot their salaries.
Cousins 36th start should come Thanksgiving Day against the Cowboys. Hog Heaven and Scot McCloughan (I’m sure) will look at the two games on either side the Cowboys game for the final keep or release decision about Kirk.
It’s a damnable five-week patch, with games against the Vikings, Packers, Cardinals and Eagles as well as the ‘Boys.
Enter that stretch in contention, and then go 3-2 over a tough patch, and Kirk just might be a keeper … if he decides to stay.
Is he a keeper or a walker?
Free agency is a two-way street. The team has to want you and the player has to want to stay. Kirk says he wants to be where he’s wanted. He has options.
I’m not sure if Bruce Allen and Daniel Snyder are for Kirk. Neither is Kirk’s agent.
About that defiance
When Kirk threw that fourth quarter interception that mostly cost us the Cowboys game, cameras showed him on the sideline in a reflective pose.
I just know he was communing with The Lord. Don’t knock it. Look what The Lord did for Joshua.
But at that moment, us sideline sinners and armchair viewers needed to see something else. Defiance.
Rage against Fate (not like Odell Beckham, Jr.). Anything to inspire the troops to fight past setbacks.
Kirk’s demeanor, sincere as it was, was not what we needed just then.
The meek shall inherit the Earth, but football is a combat sport. We’re trying to win games here. For a team with as many “Oh Gawd” moments as the Redskins, Kirk can stand to show more combativeness.
Tell ya what. Become a prayer warrior for Kirk, so he will feel less need to do it in games.
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