Why the next 6-8 weeks wont be like the last 3 weeks of 2013

[Sharkinva]

Bout a week ago the common perception was that cousins had had his chance in the last three games of 2013 and came up wanting. He was a good backup off the bench, but not much more than average when given a chance to lead.

Well Im here to tell you why this will be different. First let me state, this is not an indictment piece on RG3. This is why I honestly think Cousins will do well enough to keep us in the Division hunt and my surprise ending to this part of the story.


While many said last year was his shot and he came up wanting, reality is that taking over a team with a coach who was a dead man walking, and a squad long out of the playoffs hunt, Cousins actually looked Average for the most part. Most of the starters were NOT going to risk injury that could put future seasons at peril. Especially considering the fact that the scuttlebutt was that the entire coaching staff on both sides of the ball was likely to get canned. So for most people on the team not named Morris, Williams, Reed, Garcon and a select few others, it became about showing up and playing, but not risking injury. Not saying the team gold bricked, but no way were you going to get above and beyond effort from ANY of the other 52 guys on roster. good effort, sure.. great or game winning.. not a shot.


Flash forward to the now. New coach, the team is 1-1. These guys ARE going to go out and lay it all out no matter who the QB is. I fully expect Kirk to have his bad play moments. But I think you will also see guys on all three phases of the game actually giving that effort. Not saying this will turn Kirk into a franchise QB, or that he is going to win us the division. But he will keep us in the hunt.


Now ready for the surprise ending..... IF RG3 is healthy and ready to play in 8 weeks, Kirk will once again remind every one that this is RG3's team and he was just minding the store until the QB got back on his feet. If Gruden makes the call to put RG3 back in the game, Kirk will welcome him back and step aside stating that while he wants a chance to start still, its Robs team and he will trust in his fate and is willing to do what ever is best for the team at that time.

 

[j_y19]

Actually, I don't find your ending a surprise. Kirk has always been a class act and a true professional. I would expect nothing less. I think the real surprise ending will be in 8 weeks when RG3 returns that Gruden keeps him on the bench and finishes the year out with Kirk.

 

[Sharkinva]

Actually, I don't find your ending a surprise. Kirk has always been a class act and a true professional. I would expect nothing less. I think the real surprise ending will be in 8 weeks when RG3 returns that Gruden keeps him on the bench and finishes the year out with Kirk.

Yea, but that would mean Kirk has us well above .500 and we are strong division favorites. Im a Cousins fan, and while i think he is capable of doing just that. My gut tells me we hover around .500 with Kirk. He does enough to say that he CAN be a starting QB in this league, but not enough to knock off the luster of a possible elite QB that many think Griffin can be. RG3 will have the backing of the owner, and thus the GM as well. Not to mention a portion of the fan base.

 

[Breed]

I won't dispute anything you've said in the OP other than Cuz looked average for the most part in his 3 starts last year. He certainly did not look average. He in fact, or at least imo, got worse and worse from week to week. Nuff about that though. That chapter's read and closed.

This is a new chapter, new HC, new scheme, new team. And taking over a 0-1 team and leading them to their first W in 10 weeks or whatever with 14 more to play. Is entirely than different than taking over a 3-10 team who's players are arranging fishing trips for when the season ends.

We'll see beyond now imo if Cuz has the goods. I hope so and I'm pulling for him.

 

[Sharkinva]

I won't dispute anything you've said in the OP other than Cuz looked average for the most part in his 3 starts last year. He certainly did not look average. He in fact, or at least imo, got worse and worse from week to week. Nuff about that though. That chapter's read and closed.

This is a new chapter, new HC, new scheme, new team. And taking over a 0-1 team and leading them to their first W in 10 weeks or whatever with 14 more to play. Is entirely than different than taking over a 3-10 team who's players are arranging fishing trips for when the season ends.

We'll see beyond now imo if Cuz has the goods. I hope so and I'm pulling for him.

Breed, I say he was average because we lost two of the three games he started by a combined 2 points total and he threw for 4 Td's to 3 INTs in those two games. The Giants game was the outlier and he was 19 of 49, but hell did ANY ONE give an effort in that game??

 

[TCB]

It seemed like Santana dropped every pass Kirk threw at him in those 3 games.
I agree this time he will get it done

 

[Breed]

Breed, I say he was average because we lost two of the three games he started by a combined 2 points total and he threw for 4 Td's to 3 INTs in those two games. The Giants game was the outlier and he was 19 of 49, but hell did ANY ONE give an effort in that game??

Its all good. I agree with a lot of what you said in the OP.

I may not be as confident as some are in KC, but I am hopeful. I just want a QB capable of taking the Skins where I want to see them go, where we all want to see them go. KC has that opportunity now and I will w/o doubt be pulling for him.

 

[skinsdad62]

if Kc has us in contention it would be foolish to yank him until he either takes a nose dive , or is hurt

RG3 will just have to eat that one

 

[Sharkinva]

I guess we will see Skinsdad. But Something tells me the comment.. .a guy shouldnt lose his starting job due to injury is in the future.


IM also wondering IF Kirk struggles, will he be the benefactor of defenders blaming the line, WRs and the waterboy for his struggles.

 

[Buffalo_Nickel_1]

Nothing works out for the skins' kirk will stink rg3 will come back and stink then we will be talking about which qb to draft. This will happen because we are the redskins nothing works right in dc

 

[j_y19]

Yea, but that would mean Kirk has us well above .500 and we are strong division favorites. Im a Cousins fan, and while i think he is capable of doing just that. My gut tells me we hover around .500 with Kirk. He does enough to say that he CAN be a starting QB in this league, but not enough to knock off the luster of a possible elite QB that many think Griffin can be. RG3 will have the backing of the owner, and thus the GM as well. Not to mention a portion of the fan base.

I agree. But if you look at our schedule the next 8 weeks, .500 is a real possibility. I think Kirk is going to play well, but will have a couple of down games. But overall, he is going to move this offense. it is almost tailored to his strengths. He gets rid if the ball quickly to his playmakers in space. Im sure Gruden looks at KC and sees Dalton, who ran this offense pretty darn well.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

So those last 3 games really didn't count because they were meaningless and most were just going through the motions? Kind of like this year's preseason games? Those types of games?

 

[j_y19]

DGF, you consistently bashed everyone critical of RG3 as a hater, but it sure seems that you are a KC hater. I recognize that KC is not a sure thing and has flaws, but those last 3 games were almost a no win for KC. This team was in shambles. There is no doubt in my mind that the heart and mind of this team was elsewhere those last games. Of course that had to have some sort of negative impact on KC's ability to be successful.

 

[Sportster 72]

So those last 3 games really didn't count because they were meaningless and most were just going through the motions? Kind of like this year's preseason games? Those types of games?

Kirk was hurt in the first preseason game last year so I don't understand the reference. I have been sitting here watching the NFL Network all night. They have been talking about Cousins and Griffin all night. They all say not to make too much out of the three games last year when the season was basically already over, the coaches were dead man walking etc. If you break down those three games the first one Kirk had a QB rating of just over 90. The 2nd game wasn't good but it wasn't horrendous and the last game of the year he had a QB rating of just over 30.

Ed Reed commented about how well Cousins played in the Ravens game when Griffin was hurt. Not to mention the next week against Cleveland. On the negative side in an Atlanta game where he had to come and throw he threw two picks. I think I tend to agree with you DGG, lets bench him and use McCoy, he has more NFL starts.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

Shark,

Fair assessment. For my part I am not a Cousins or RG3 fan - I am a Redskins fan. If Cousins looks good & the Skins are in the hunt I see that as a great situation regardless.

I also hope that the "dead man walking" comment didn't mean to imply that Shanahan received a raw deal since he brought most of it upon himself last season. Also - the roster & coaching staff are dramatically different than last season. The offense has considerably more weapons, the defense has made some key additions and the ST units seem to be a lot better (if for no other reason than getting rid of perhaps the worst ST coach in the history of the NFL).

Hoping for nothing but the best for whoever is playing QB and more importantly for the team in general. Hopefully - some of this will enlighten fans to the fact that performance doesn't begin and end with the QB position (doubt it).

 

[Stymietee]

So if Cousins plays well and the team follows until RGIII is healthy, how many of you are going to place his (cousins) return to back-up on the silent hand? (Snyder)

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I'm not a Cousins hater, again I was a big fan of the pick and was rooting hard for him on Sunday. I'm just pointing out the double standard that posters continue to use.

You can't use this year's meaningless preseason games when players are going half effort as evidence that Cousins was the better QB, as most have done, while claiming that last year's poor games somehow don't count because, again, the games didn't count and the players were going half effort. How in the world is that not a double standard? It's the very definition of a double standard.

It's another example of how Griffin is held to a different standard than Cousins. If Cousins plays badly it's because the games don't count. If he plays great, even in games that again don't count when players are going half speed, it is proof that he is better. And again the other teams at the end of last year had mailed it in too.

I'm just asking for the fans to be fair. Please explain how this is not a double standard.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Kirk was hurt in the first preseason game last year so I don't understand the reference. I have been sitting here watching the NFL Network all night. They have been talking about Cousins and Griffin all night. They all say not to make too much out of the three games last year when the season was basically already over, the coaches were dead man walking etc. If you break down those three games the first one Kirk had a QB rating of just over 90. The 2nd game wasn't good but it wasn't horrendous and the last game of the year he had a QB rating of just over 30.

Ed Reed commented about how well Cousins played in the Ravens game when Griffin was hurt. Not to mention the next week against Cleveland. On the negative side in an Atlanta game where he had to come and throw he threw two picks. I think I tend to agree with you DGG, lets bench him and use McCoy, he has more NFL starts.

I've already posted this but it obviously needs repeating. Cousins did not have a good game against Atlanta, he had a good first half. His second half had 8 possessions and 6 were very bad: 4 were 3 and out and 2 were picks. That's not a good game, that's half a good game. When the game was decided in the second half he played poorly.

As for the Balimore game are you aware that Griffin took them down the field, while hurt, in the final 2 minutes? Cousins played well to finish it off but let's not pretend he won the game by himself, it was Griffin who got them in position to tie the game and it was a return that set up the winning field goal.


Again I am not a hater. But when posters distort the facts I need to set the record straight. That's all I'm doing, I'm not rooting against him.

 

[j_y19]

I'm not a Cousins hater, again I was a big fan of the pick and was rooting hard for him on Sunday. I'm just pointing out the double standard that posters continue to use.

You can't use this year's meaningless preseason games when players are going half effort as evidence that Cousins was the better QB, as most have done, while claiming that last year's poor games somehow don't count because, again, the games didn't count and the players were going half effort. How in the world is that not a double standard? It's the very definition of a double standard.

It's another example of how Griffin is held to a different standard than Cousins. If Cousins plays badly it's because the games don't count. If he plays great, even in games that again don't count when players are going half speed, it is proof that he is better. And again the other teams at the end of last year had mailed it in too.


I'm just asking for the fans to be fair. Please explain how this is not a double standard.

It cracks me up when posters post their opinions as facts. It is your opinion that players are going half effort. It is my opinion that you are wrong. Neither are facts. Preseason is where players are playing for position, tape for other teams, and to work on timing and scheme for the regular season.

What is not opinion is that RG3 takes longer to throw the ball. That is a fact. This offense is predicated on timing. Timing is more important (opinion here) than arm strength an maybe in even accuracy as most throws travel less than 20 yards. Every NFL QB can be accurate at 20 yards. But if they hang onto the ball too long, the timing of the play is off, meaning open receivers are missed and the play becomes a broken play.

I will concede that RG3 throws a better deep ball than KC. So that accounts for 2-3 passes a game, maybe one of which is complete.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

It cracks me up when posters post their opinions as facts. It is your opinion that players are going half effort. It is my opinion that you are wrong. Neither are facts. Preseason is where players are playing for position, tape for other teams, and to work on timing and scheme for the regular season.

What is not opinion is that RG3 takes longer to throw the ball. That is a fact. This offense is predicated on timing. Timing is more important (opinion here) than arm strength an maybe in even accuracy as most throws travel less than 20 yards. Every NFL QB can be accurate at 20 yards. But if they hang onto the ball too long, the timing of the play is off, meaning open receivers are missed and the play becomes a broken play.

I will concede that RG3 throws a better deep ball than KC. So that accounts for 2-3 passes a game, maybe one of which is complete.

I agree that neither are facts. Tell that to the posters who continue to dismiss the last 3 games as worthless evidence but then use preseason games as proof that Cousins is good and Griffin is bad. All were meaningless games, that's a fact . In the games last year the opponents were terrible teams who were simply playing out the string just as Washington was, that's also a fact. The fact is they were both similar situations. And it's simply not fair to pick and chose which meaningless games can be used to evaluate the QBs and which are dismissed just to fit your argument.

Again I totally agree that Griffin holds the ball too long. Not sure why that was necessary to bring up, we all get that. For the 20th time this can be improved with experience.