Kirk Cousins, NOT IMPRESSED

[Llevron]

8 hours ago, Taylor703 said:

In that situation, it is a big deal. He missed a guy wide open for a TD pass. He did it two other times. This is a big deal lol

 

Seriously how is a wide open TD in a game we lose by a score not a big deal? 

This is a guy who held us up all off season because he said we weren't paying him ENOUGH. Now that we have holes all over the roster that a little money would help (not fix), and we want to say its a team loss. **** that noise. Kirk is getting paid an average of the best QB in the game and hes missing WIDE OPEN guys for touchdowns. Its a big damn deal. 

I would have rather paid Pot roast 20 mil to stop the run 15 times a game

[carex]

1 minute ago, Llevron said:

 

Seriously how is a wide open TD in a game we lose by a score not a big deal? 

This is a guy who held us up all off season because he said we weren't paying him ENOUGH. Now that we have holes all over the roster that a little money would help (not fix), and we want to say its a team loss. **** that noise. Kirk is getting paid an average of the best QB in the game and hes missing WIDE OPEN guys for touchdowns. Its a big damn deal. 

I would have rather paid Pot roast 20 mil to stop the run 15 times a game

 

you want to be taken seriously, skip the hyperbole at the end.  I don't recall Kirk being a dramatic holdout.  And the TD isn't a big deal because we don't know if Crowder would have actually caught it AND people are also complaining about an underthrown ball.

[Gizmo 3squire]

52 minutes ago, MattFancy said:

Kirk needs to play better and quickly if he has any dreams of getting a big contract this offseason.

 

From ANY team at this point.

[Aireskoi]

I posted this in the gameday thread, but I'm moving it here.

This was the 4th quarter pick.

I've been a Kirk supporter, and I still am.  I think he made a horrible play on that pick for a few reasons.

1.  Game situation, we had the lead and that would have put us up 10 if we could have converted the TD, or at least 6 if he didn't have a good look.

2.  He never took his eyes off his target.

3.  There was nothing special about the coverage, the safety was just sitting in a zone.

4.  Pass Protection was perfect.

Notice where Church starts.

Notice where Church is now, about 5 yards from pre-snap?

Would Garcon have caught the ball, or did the defender behind him have a better chance if Church didn't take it away?

[PortisBetts]

The playoff season last year may have been one of the worst things to happen to this team. This team was devoid of talent on defense last season and we skimmed by on a last place schedule. Now, we have expectations, but we havent been able to add enough top quality defensive talent, none on the line at all (we need to try Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier soon to at least see what they have and let them get some playing time. What we have on the dline is abysmal. Hopefully, with a couple big contracts coming off the books and a high draft pick,we can start to really put some talent there.

Cousins still needs to play better as that isn't an excuse. 20 million means you have higher expectations and missing the wide open throws he had yesterday is inexcusable. What happened to his accuracy, I have no idea. But we also need to let him play it out this year just to see if he can get it together. Aaron Rodgers hasnt looked particularly good in a while either, so this stuff happens, but it cant happen the first 2 games after signing a 20 million dollar contract for 1 year

[Busch1724]

Maybe Kirk is the Jeff Fisher of quarterbacks....just enough promise to keep you interested, but not good enough to be better than mediocre. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

From an NFL.com article:

In Sunday's 27-23 loss, Kirk Cousins snapped a nine-game regular season streak of completing 65-plus percent of his passes, going 28-of-46 passing (60.1 percent). The Washington Redskins quarterback missed passes, lacked poise in the pocket, consistently sailed throws high, low, long and short, didn't appear confident in play calls or to trust his reads, which led to indecisiveness.

Cousins was bad in every area of the field -- missing woefully on several long would-be touchdowns. He was appalling in the red zone. Cousins went 0-5 with an interception inside the Dallas 10-yard line. That interception came with a three-point lead and led directly to the Cowboys' go-ahead score. Quarterbacks are supposed to make their money in the red zone. This $19.95 million quarterback is now 1-of-8 passing with zero touchdowns and two picks inside opponents' 10-yard line in two games this season (2015: 16 touchdowns, 1 INT).

Let's be blunt for a moment: With almost any other starting NFL quarterback, the Redskins win this game. The Cowboys' defense didn't stop Washington's offense; Cousins' blunders stopped Washington's offense.

*************************

 

I think that's pretty much what most of us watching the game feel (or at least most of us in this thread lol)...I refuse to believe Cousins is worse than the majority of starting QBs so I hold out very realistic hope that he gets past "whatever" it is causing this Jekyll/Hyde performance from last season to this season and we will start seeing something closer to the real Kirk Cousins asap.

But, jeebus, he was mediocre.

The run game, as already mentioned, wasn't really an issue outside of we abandoned it in a close game:

Ellott: 21 attempts for 83 yards, 4 yards per attempt, 1 TD

Jones: 13 attempts for 61 yards, 4.7 yards per attempt, 1 TD

With Cousins being so wildly inconsistent, it would make sense to try and lean on the run game more...not try to have him pass his way out of his slump, which it almost feels like Gruden wanted to do yesterday.

As for the lockerroom rumors of players not trusting Cousins or whatever they're saying...I still hold on to what I said 3 years ago when the QB was Griffin and similar reports were coming out: In players' eyes, if you help them win, you're golden. If you don't help them win (or worse, help them lose), they have zero use for you. That's not gonna change due to the amount of times you post a tweet or how likeable and humble a guy you are. Cousins' "Lord Of The Rings" talk becomes just as irritating as Griffin's motivational slogans if he's not helping the team win.

In Cousins' segment on the top 100 players, they were talking about the Bucs "You Like That" game. RJF said "At the end of the game, that quarterback came out. That guy who we wanted to play QB, the guy that the Washington Redskins was looking for, the guy that the city wanted to put everything on...was Kirk Cousins. "You like that?!"...that's my guy. You like that."

That Cousins and this current Cousins aren't quite matching up lol...

[Taylor703]

11 minutes ago, carex said:

 

you want to be taken seriously, skip the hyperbole at the end.  I don't recall Kirk being a dramatic holdout.  And the TD isn't a big deal because we don't know if Crowder would have actually caught it AND people are also complaining about an underthrown ball.

Sigh. Come on Carex, this is silly. We don't know if Crowder would've caught a wide open TD pass? He's about as sure-handed as it gets. Just say he played like **** and move on. For all we know Kirk could put it all together next week and torch the Giants. 

[TheGreek1973]

Now that I think calmly think about the game and watching a lot of the highlights, Cousins played just about average.  What is certain, if he had hit Crowder and then Doctson in stride we all would be saying damn what accuracy, what an arm etc.  You simply can't miss these throws if you think you are worth 20 million + per year.  And honestly I have no idea how his accuracy all of a sudden has gone downhill.  One think that I blame is Gruden, if the reports were true that he didn't look that good in practice on long throws WTF didn't he play in every preseason game, and have Ross go on fly routes 10 times in each game so he practice.  Now after seeing all this, I find it laughable Gruden had him play so little in preseason.

Timing can be fixed, and obviously Cousins is working extra hard in practice to fix it.  But he needs to calm the F down also, he takes way too long to settle into the game.  A running game would help with this also.

 

[Skins Wingman]

i see where kirk was going with the throw in the endzone, but he threw too late.  the ball should have been in garcons arms when hes at the "S" in redskins.  also looks like he maybe could have run it in.  just a disappointing play all together.

[skins4eva]

2 minutes ago, TheGreek1973 said:

Now that I think calmly think about the game and watching a lot of the highlights, Cousins played just about average.  What is certain, if he had hit Crowder and then Doctson in stride we all would be saying damn what accuracy, what an arm etc.  You simply can't miss these throws if you think you are worth 20 million + per year.  And honestly I have no idea how his accuracy all of a sudden has gone downhill.  One think that I blame is Gruden, if the reports were true that he didn't look that good in practice on long throws WTF didn't he play in every preseason game, and have Ross go on fly routes 10 times in each game so he practice.  Now after seeing all this, I find it laughable Gruden had him play so little in preseason.

Timing can be fixed, and obviously Cousins is working extra hard in practice to fix it.  But he needs to calm the F down also, he takes way too long to settle into the game.  A running game would help with this also.

 

 

Gruden is a blithering idiot.  The guy should have never been a head coach in this league, and we are now seeing it clear as day.  As for Cousins, I completely agree that a running game would probably help to ease him into a comfort zone.  He just looks so uncomfortable in the pocket.  Part of me wonders whether they've really opened the playbook, and Cousins is a bit paralyzed by indecision because he as so many options on any given play.  It's almost as if we have too much fire power.  Perhaps we need to make it simpler for him right now until he gets his sea legs.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Right here...

 

 

I wish Cousins started running to his left towards the LOS...hopefully Garcon sees him doing so and reverses direction towards the left side of the end zone as #58 (I think that's the number) starts running towards him thinking Cousins is gonna run it in and the defender on Garcon doesn't realize Garcon changed direction. That leaves a wide open section at the back of the left side of the end zone for Garcon to run to and Cousins will have a clear, open throwing lane. At the very least Cousins runs for like 5 yards before being tackled and the Skins get a FG.

[Taylor703]

3 minutes ago, skins4eva said:

 

Gruden is a blithering idiot.  The guy should have never been a head coach in this league, and we are now seeing it clear as day.  As for Cousins, I completely agree that a running game would probably help to ease him into a comfort zone.  He just looks so uncomfortable in the pocket.  Part of me wonders whether they've really opened the playbook, and Cousins is a bit paralyzed by indecision because he as so many options on any given play.  It's almost as if we have too much fire power.  Perhaps we need to make it simpler for him right now until he gets his sea legs.

He has so many open targets that it's causing him to struggle? Gruden isn't calling a bad game considering there are receivers simply running by themselves all over the field. All he has to do is complete the passes. Is this really too much to ask for from a guy you're paying $19 mil for one season? 

[Skins Wingman]

For all the people saying we need a running game to help, how does a running game help a qb throw a ball to a wide open receiver?  I understand if none of our receivers could get open, and he was constantly having to throw into tight windows.  thats "putting all the pressure" on cousins.  but he is getting easy throws, with no chance to be intercepted, and he is just missing.  a running game doesn't give your qb accuracy.

[Taylor703]

1 minute ago, Skins Wingman said:

For all the people saying we need a running game to help, how does a running game help a qb throw a ball to a wide open receiver?  I understand if none of our receivers could get open, and he was constantly having to throw into tight windows.  thats "putting all the pressure" on cousins.  but he is getting easy throws, with no chance to be intercepted, and he is just missing.  a running game doesn't give your qb accuracy.

A running game isn't going to fix this. We have receivers running wide open all over the field and he's just missing them. He needs to get his act together and I think he can. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

6 minutes ago, Skins Wingman said:

For all the people saying we need a running game to help, how does a running game help a qb throw a ball to a wide open receiver?  I understand if none of our receivers could get open, and he was constantly having to throw into tight windows.  thats "putting all the pressure" on cousins.  but he is getting easy throws, with no chance to be intercepted, and he is just missing.  a running game doesn't give your qb accuracy.

A good running game could calm him down, though, which it seemed like he needed.

[Gizmo 3squire]

I feel the WR's frustration. This game was entirely winnable and Cousins needs to improve for his career's sake, even outside of DC.

 

 But lets not forget the ineptitude of Barry. Dude has to go. We have half way decent players on defense, especially DB's sans Hall (occasionally) but the schemes and plays he runs are down right disrespectful and they don't work. One thing I could always count on back in the Sean Taylor days (RIP) is for the defense to cause chaos. Now it's the opposite. We need that imposing defense that we once had.

[Taylor703]

The sad thing is even if Kirk settles down and starts making the plays he's missing it's not going to matter because the defense is so bad. 

[Skins Wingman]

5 minutes ago, Califan007 said:

A good running game could calm him down, though, which it seemed like he needed.

but he's not a wide-eyed, rookie qb anymore.  he shouldn't need help calming down.

[KokoMike]

The last play of the game reminds me of other games when the odds were against us to win right at the end, and Cousins just threw passes that had no chance to win nor be intercepted.

Cousins threw the pass out of the end zone.  No chance.  For a touchdown.  Nor an interception.  That is the Cousins I have seen all too often.

You can say it was a bad pass.  But, there is a ten yard window for that pass.  

He had these seemingly analytical answers to why he missed the open receivers earlier for TDs.  Something about hypotenuse triangles and E=MC squared - wind/sun/moon alignment, I think.

Someone needs to ask him how he could miss the end zone completely on this game ender. 

[zoony]

8 minutes ago, Taylor703 said:

A running game isn't going to fix this. We have receivers running wide open all over the field and he's just missing them. He needs to get his act together and I think he can. 

 

One thing that I think is NOT fair to Kirk... That he made the correct read on a lot of those overthrows and misses

making the correct read is the hardest part of playing the position and what has lacked most in Washington over the past 5 years. 

So in that sense, at least the fans got to see the wide open receiver he missed. In the past that receiver would have been ignored completely and the average fan would be none the wiser

[TheGreek1973]

isn't it crazy with Crowder and Djax (and also Doctson if he hit him in stride) he would have had almost 500 yards passing yesterday.  I also think the play calling in the redzone really was stupid.  Don't forget before than INT Cousins was 38-0 (TDs to INTs) in the Redzone.  The 3 fades were totally stupid as was that 4th down play telling the world you are throwing the ball.  Damn it man put in 3 TEs and show run, I mean you have 3 very capable TEs to catch the ball or you can have the QB run it.  Totally horrid play that one.

[Llevron]

41 minutes ago, carex said:

 

you want to be taken seriously, skip the hyperbole at the end.  I don't recall Kirk being a dramatic holdout.  And the TD isn't a big deal because we don't know if Crowder would have actually caught it AND people are also complaining about an underthrown ball.

Never asked you to take me seriously anyway Carex. I know you have something weird for Kirk just based off of the last few pages of your comments.

Lol @ we dont know if he would have caught it anyway. We will never know that will we? And guess why lol. That right there is what I mean about your silly comments. 

[Taylor703]

3 minutes ago, zoony said:

 

One thing that I think is NOT fair to Kirk... That he made the correct read on a lot of those overthrows and misses

making the correct read is the hardest part of playing the position and what has lacked most in Washington over the past 5 years. 

So in that sense, at least the fans got to see the wide open receiver he missed. In the past that receiver would have been ignored completely and the average fan would be none the wiser

Oh definitely. He's making the correct decisions for the most part he's just not getting the ball to the target. This is why I believe it's correctable. If he starts getting the ball where it needs to be we're probably scoring 28+ points a game. 

[Aireskoi]

28 minutes ago, Califan007 said:

Right here...

I wish Cousins started running to his left towards the LOS...hopefully Garcon sees him doing so and reverses direction towards the left side of the end zone as #58 (I think that's the number) starts running towards him thinking Cousins is gonna run it in and the defender on Garcon doesn't realize Garcon changed direction. That leaves a wide open section at the back of the left side of the end zone for Garcon to run to and Cousins will have a clear, open throwing lane. At the very least Cousins runs for like 5 yards before being tackled and the Skins get a FG.

A low and away throw to the left bottom corner of the endzone to Crowder, or a run attempt with some fake pumps to freeze the defenders would have been the safe plays.

Everyone should check the pics and watch the stripe on Kirk's helmet, you can't stare down the receiver like that (the whole play) and expect good things in the endzone late across the middle.