Post by Guvmintcheeze on Sept 14, 2015 11:51:17 GMT
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins turns in middle of the road performance
LANDOVER, Md. -- The building blocks for Kirk Cousins occurred in small, but noticeable ways. Yes, he threw interceptions – they’ve been a part of his game since he arrived in Washington. No, he did not let them ruin his game.
Yes, he moved the ball in the first half. No, he didn’t do it in the second.
Like the rest of the Redskins, Cousins had his moments – just not enough of them to win. But it was enough to wonder how he might develop – and enough questions to provide pause. He threw two more interceptions and now, in seven of the 15 games he’s played, Cousins has thrown at least two interceptions.
But Cousins did play with poise, something he didn’t always show in the past. It’s a big reason he was benched in 2014. On Sunday, Cousins responded well after his first interception, leading the Redskins on a touchdown drive on the ensuing series. After his next interception in the fourth quarter, Cousins drove the Redskins to the Miami 20-yard line, where his final pass fell incomplete (a missed read by tight end Jordan Reed on what sort of route he should run vs. a cover-zero blitz).
“We moved the ball,” Cousins said. “We had some drives stall… [But] there’s a lot of takeaways that make you feel optimistic and make you feel we’ve got some good pieces in place. It’s going to be about playing through this, building upon it and trusting [that] if we just keep pushing, good things will happen.”
Miami’s defensive front entered with the reputation as the league’s best after the addition of tackle Ndamukong Suh. But Cousins was only sacked once, a byproduct of his protection but also of him knowing how to handle the pocket and a good game plan that forced him to get rid of the ball quickly. Often, Cousins got rid of the ball on time – on the first series of the game, doing this resulted in a pass-interference call. Had he been a half-second late, it would have been an interception. More often than not, when Cousins hit his plant step, the ball was out.
It also helped that the Redskins ran the ball so well, with 161 of their 349 yards coming on the ground. Cousins operated the play-action game well as Miami’s linebackers bit hard on the fakes, leaving the middle free.
So there was good: The Redskins had seven drives that ended in Miami territory.
And bad: Only two of those resulted in points. When you score 10 points, you lose most of the time. Still, the coaches believed he did enough to win the game.
It’s still unknown whether the Redskins can win with Cousins. They’ve won once in his last nine starts – and that game was finished by Colt McCoy. Cousins is a different quarterback, but is he a guy who is just going to pick apart a defense and win games? If the run game produces the way it did Sunday, then he won’t have to do so.
His first interception didn’t result in points, thanks to the defense stuffing Miami on a fourth-and-1 at the Redskins’ 12-yard line. But it did stem from him not seeing a defender breaking on the man he was looking at while scrambling.
Cousins’ second interception was a terrific pick by corner Brice McCain, but the ball was also a little inside and hung in the air. Cousins was trying to make a play, but it cost the Redskins a chance at a field goal.
There’s always been things to like about Cousins’ game. He does get into good rhythms during games. He does make nice throws. The question is, will the negative aspects eventually subside enough so he can be an effective passer? And now that he’s the starter, he’ll be scrutinized more closely; this isn’t about getting the job because of an injury. He won the starting job by beating out Robert Griffin III. That leads to more eyeballs watching you.
You can’t pin this loss on Cousins. You also can’t say he was superb, either. He sits somewhere in the middle. He’ll get plenty of chances to get out of that area; that’s what the Redskins need if they want to turn building blocks into wins.
LANDOVER, Md. -- The building blocks for Kirk Cousins occurred in small, but noticeable ways. Yes, he threw interceptions – they’ve been a part of his game since he arrived in Washington. No, he did not let them ruin his game.
Yes, he moved the ball in the first half. No, he didn’t do it in the second.
Like the rest of the Redskins, Cousins had his moments – just not enough of them to win. But it was enough to wonder how he might develop – and enough questions to provide pause. He threw two more interceptions and now, in seven of the 15 games he’s played, Cousins has thrown at least two interceptions.
But Cousins did play with poise, something he didn’t always show in the past. It’s a big reason he was benched in 2014. On Sunday, Cousins responded well after his first interception, leading the Redskins on a touchdown drive on the ensuing series. After his next interception in the fourth quarter, Cousins drove the Redskins to the Miami 20-yard line, where his final pass fell incomplete (a missed read by tight end Jordan Reed on what sort of route he should run vs. a cover-zero blitz).
“We moved the ball,” Cousins said. “We had some drives stall… [But] there’s a lot of takeaways that make you feel optimistic and make you feel we’ve got some good pieces in place. It’s going to be about playing through this, building upon it and trusting [that] if we just keep pushing, good things will happen.”
Miami’s defensive front entered with the reputation as the league’s best after the addition of tackle Ndamukong Suh. But Cousins was only sacked once, a byproduct of his protection but also of him knowing how to handle the pocket and a good game plan that forced him to get rid of the ball quickly. Often, Cousins got rid of the ball on time – on the first series of the game, doing this resulted in a pass-interference call. Had he been a half-second late, it would have been an interception. More often than not, when Cousins hit his plant step, the ball was out.
It also helped that the Redskins ran the ball so well, with 161 of their 349 yards coming on the ground. Cousins operated the play-action game well as Miami’s linebackers bit hard on the fakes, leaving the middle free.
So there was good: The Redskins had seven drives that ended in Miami territory.
And bad: Only two of those resulted in points. When you score 10 points, you lose most of the time. Still, the coaches believed he did enough to win the game.
It’s still unknown whether the Redskins can win with Cousins. They’ve won once in his last nine starts – and that game was finished by Colt McCoy. Cousins is a different quarterback, but is he a guy who is just going to pick apart a defense and win games? If the run game produces the way it did Sunday, then he won’t have to do so.
His first interception didn’t result in points, thanks to the defense stuffing Miami on a fourth-and-1 at the Redskins’ 12-yard line. But it did stem from him not seeing a defender breaking on the man he was looking at while scrambling.
Cousins’ second interception was a terrific pick by corner Brice McCain, but the ball was also a little inside and hung in the air. Cousins was trying to make a play, but it cost the Redskins a chance at a field goal.
There’s always been things to like about Cousins’ game. He does get into good rhythms during games. He does make nice throws. The question is, will the negative aspects eventually subside enough so he can be an effective passer? And now that he’s the starter, he’ll be scrutinized more closely; this isn’t about getting the job because of an injury. He won the starting job by beating out Robert Griffin III. That leads to more eyeballs watching you.
You can’t pin this loss on Cousins. You also can’t say he was superb, either. He sits somewhere in the middle. He’ll get plenty of chances to get out of that area; that’s what the Redskins need if they want to turn building blocks into wins.