Kirk Cousins - Game Manager

[Burgundy&GoldForever]

With 24 completions in Sunday’s 24-21 win over the Bears, Kirk Cousins moved past Norm Snead, Eddie LeBaron, Mark Brunell and Brad Johnson into ninth place on the Redskins’ career completions list. Ninth place, all-time — 84 seasons of Redskins football. Life comes at you fast.

Cousins (554 career completions) likely won’t pass Robert Griffin III (679 career completions) for No. 8 on the list until next year, but with three games remaining, several franchise single-season records are within Cousins’s reach.

[The Redskins aren’t an embarrassment. That’s a start.]

Most Completions

Cousins has 314 completions, fourth-most in a single season in franchise history. With 14 more completions, he will pass 2008 Jason Campbell (315 completions), 1999 Brad Johnson (316) and 2009 Campbell (327) for the No. 1 spot. What’s more, Cousins has fewer pass attempts (454) than everyone else in the top 10.

Completion Percentage

Cousins is on pace to break Griffin’s Redskins single-season record for completion percentage (65.65) among quarterbacks who made at least 10 starts. Cousins’s 69.16 completion percentage ranks first in the NFL among qualified starters. He has a chance to surpass Sammy Baugh’s 70.33 completion percentage in 1945, which came on 182 attempts over eight starts.

Most Passing Attempts

Cousins has averaged 34.9 attempts per game and is on pace to finish the season with 558 attempts, which would break Jay Schroeder’s record of 541 attempts in 1986.

Most Passing Yards

Cousins’s 3,306 passing yards through 13 games ranks 13th on the Redskins’ single-season list. At his current pace, Cousins would finish the season with 4,068 yards, second only to Schroeder’s 4,109 yards in 1986. Four of Cousins’s five 300-yard games this season have come since Week 7 and he’s averaged 269 yards passing per game during that stretch. If he continues that pace over the next three games, he will break Schroeder’s mark. Not bad for a supposed game manager.

[Jay Gruden on Cousins’s ‘pretty dang impressive’ performance]

Most Passing Yards Per Game

This one’s a long shot. Cousins has averaged 256.8 yards passing per game this season, which ranks fifth in Redskins history among quarterbacks who made at least 10 starts. He would need to average 334 yards passing per game over the next three weeks to break Mark Rypien’s record of 269.1 yards per game in 14 starts in 1989. Donovan McNabb was averaging 259.8 yards passing per game — and on pace to break Schroeder’s record for passing yards in a season — before he was benched for Rex Grossman with three games remaining in the 2010 season.

Most Rushing Touchdowns

Cousins’s three-yard scamper on a zone-read keeper in Sunday’s win was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season. That ties him with Joe Theismann and LeBaron for third-most in Redskins single-season history. Cliff Battles had five and six rushing touchdowns in 1937 and 1934, respectively. Griffin’s Redskins record seven rushing touchdowns in 2012 appears safe, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Cousins finds the end zone with his feet a few more times this year. He might be Washington’s best running option at this point.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... &tid=ss_tw

[SkinsJock]

Thanks B&GF - that is very informative .... in a lot of ways

can we send this information on to a couple of guys out at Redskins Park

[SkinsJock]

this just in from John Keim ...

To this point, the Redskins have been pleased and consider his overall play “solid.”

“We’re still in the evaluation process, but I’m tickled to death to see how much he’s progressed,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “You can see his confidence just slowly become more of a factor for him in a good way. He’s still learning, man. He’s still fighting through some things. We’re still coaching the heck out of him, but I like where he’s going. I like what he’s about, what he represents as a player and as a person. Well go from there.”

They’ve been pleased with how he’s cut down on interceptions, ranking 18th in the NFL in interception percentage per attempt at 2.4. Before this season, he threw a pick on 4.7 percent of his attempts. Over the last seven games he’s thrown 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions. In the first six games, he threw six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

But along with the decreased interceptions have come increased sack totals. He’s been sacked 14 times in the last five games and 16 in the last seven.

not trying to upset any of the kissing cousins, but this seems like a fair analysis ...

[PulpExposure]

any of the kissing cousins

Please stop that. It's not funny.

[riggofan]

this just in from John Keim ...

To this point, the Redskins have been pleased and consider his overall play “solid.”

“We’re still in the evaluation process, but I’m tickled to death to see how much he’s progressed,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “You can see his confidence just slowly become more of a factor for him in a good way. He’s still learning, man. He’s still fighting through some things. We’re still coaching the heck out of him, but I like where he’s going. I like what he’s about, what he represents as a player and as a person. Well go from there.”

They’ve been pleased with how he’s cut down on interceptions, ranking 18th in the NFL in interception percentage per attempt at 2.4. Before this season, he threw a pick on 4.7 percent of his attempts. Over the last seven games he’s thrown 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions. In the first six games, he threw six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

But along with the decreased interceptions have come increased sack totals. He’s been sacked 14 times in the last five games and 16 in the last seven.

not trying to upset any of the kissing cousins, but this seems like a fair analysis ...

Seems fair. What's to be upset about in here?

Much rather see Cousins take a coverage sack than throw a bad interception.

[SkinsJock]

.. Seems fair. What's to be upset about in here?

Much rather see Cousins take a coverage sack than throw a bad interception.

there's a couple of Cousins fans that are over the top about their buddy ... may not be as good as they'd like ... whatever

[riggofan]

Gotcha. This Insider article today was pretty good.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/ ... arterbacks
Ranking the NFL's most clutch quarterbacks

I've defined clutch situations as fourth quarters and overtimes when the score was tied or the quarterback's team trailed by one score (eight or fewer points). With an assist from Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information, I then focused on the 30 quarterbacks with more than 30 action plays in those situations (action plays are most plays other than handoffs). Newton came out No. 1 this season with a 97.0 QBR score in these situations.

Cousins came in at #14. Not too bad!

[SkinsJock]

Cousins has improved as both a QB and leader of the offense here and he's put himself in a great position to get a really good salary/contract

good for him

[riggofan]

Cousins has improved as both a QB and leader of the offense here and he's put himself in a great position to get a really good salary/contract

good for him

I'd just like to see it be good for US.

He's definitely improved this season. Hope he can continue to get better.

[riggofan]

any of the kissing cousins

Please stop that. It's not funny.

Yeah man, I was going to ask you stop that too. Painful. Hurts my bones every time I read it.

[SkinsJock]

any of the kissing cousins

Please stop that. It's not funny.

Yeah man, I was going to ask you stop that too. Painful. Hurts my bones every time I read it.

done

[OldSchool]

In my view Cousins is rapidly becoming the best Redskins QB in a generation in just his first year starting, trending sharply upward as he gains experience. Kirk is on track to become a top 10 guy with a couple more years of starting experience and Scot making some improvements in the supporting cast.

Only a epic Snyder mind fart can screw this up for us now.

[markshark84]

Honestly, it is just nice to see our QB actually improving as the season goes on. Cousins is a drastically different QB than he was in 2014 and significantly better than he was in the beginning of this year. Evidence of this is his QBR (which are approximates):
2014 Season: 46.5
2015 Weeks 1-3: 50
2015 Weeks 4-6: 55
2015 Weeks 7-9: 61
2015 Weeks 10-14: 63.2
And our opponent DEFs were more difficult later in the season....

I know there are flaws in this stat and I am starting to see some of them, but all in all it isn't a horrible indicator.

This type of improvement shows me that he is still in his "learning period" and less of a "vet" since he hasn't had real/consistent experience at the position until this year. I would expect his maturation/improvement to continue into his third year as starter (this being his first).

It will be very interesting to see what happens this offseason.

[riggofan]

done

Merry Christmas!

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

The TD to int ratio change over the progression of the season has been superb!

I think as a fan base (myself included) we tend to over analyze the qb play, for better and worse. EVERY QB has bad plays, misses reads, gets sacked, throws picks, throws pick 6s, losses games etc.. it's part of the game. As his mistakes become less frequent and less blatant he has won me over.

I still think he leaves a lot on the table (missing Crowder this past week for a possible BIG gain/score and hitting Jax instead for the first) but how can we possibly be upset with over 30 completions 300 yards and a W??

Well, for me I see the opportunity to be that much better... When our D is standing tall and we don't just hammer down the nail in the coffin. All these close wins, and worse close losses makes me want to point to what else he could do... I think on here that comes across as a hater or what ever, but I just see how close he/ we are.

I'd LOVE to see him up his YPA as the game slows down for him.. I'd LOVE to see one deep pass a quarter vs only one deep pass a game.

I also think that now more then ever we are LOADED at the skill positions... Ya our TE depth is pretty shallow, but we have some studs out there working with him...

Ultimately, I'm desperately in need of a decisive ass-whooping... When the D holds strong, allows 9 points though 3.5 quarters and adds 3 take a ways... I wanna see the Captain do what the top tier qbs do- drop a fkn 40 burger on those hoes!!!

Win or lose, he's our dude.... All Hail Captain Kirk!!!!!
*I also desperately want him to be like the top 10 qbs in the league... A START in Fantasy Football every week regardless of opponents. He has yet to show the consistency, and lacks the multiple TD games to be there... YET!

[Hooligan]

I think it's safe to say QB is not a weakness anymore. He's definitely good enough. Not great, but good.

I was pretty sour on Cousins for being gutless and spiraling down the drain after a mistake, but he's really upped his game and improved. It's really a nice change to see home-grown talent grow into a solid starter.

[Chris Luva Luva]

I don't think a game manager is what Kirk is. I think it's a part of who he is. He still has yet to enter an off-season as a starter and benefit from a playbook/offense that is catered to him. I don't believe we've seen his full potential, he could be a very good QB with in time. He's already shown an ability on multiple occassions to mount a game winning/leading comeback. So, while he's shown the traits of a manager. I think that's selling him short.

[riggofan]

I think as a fan base (myself included) we tend to over analyze the qb play, for better and worse. EVERY QB has bad plays, misses reads, gets sacked, throws picks, throws pick 6s, losses games etc.. it's part of the game. As his mistakes become less frequent and less blatant he has won me over.

I don't know if its worse than anywhere else, but we are definitely brutal on our QBs here in DC.

I think the biggest problem with fans though is putting too much emphasis on a single game, a single week. We did this last year when Cousins came on and blew it up against Jax and everyone was ready to pronounce him Tom Brady II. We have to judge these guys on more than just a single game or a season and a half of coaching.

Whether you like Gruden or not, give him some credit for driving a stake in the ground back in August and saying we're giving Kirk sixteen games. No QB carousel. Ignore the incessant noise from the local media and stick with it. It was the right approach whether Cousins proved to be a capable QB or not.

[riggofan]

I don't think a game manager is what Kirk is. I think it's a part of who he is. He still has yet to enter an off-season as a starter and benefit from a playbook/offense that is catered to him. I don't believe we've seen his full potential, he could be a very good QB with in time. He's already shown an ability on multiple occassions to mount a game winning/leading comeback. So, while he's shown the traits of a manager. I think that's selling him short.

Yeah we'll see, CLL. But your comment about the off season work seems right on point to me.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Yeah we'll see, CLL. But your comment about the off season work seems right on point to me.

I think it's only fair to believe that being the focal point of the offense is a big deal. When fans/pundits speak of Brady, Rogers, Peyton, Eli, Big Ben, Luck... What do they speak about? Consistency. They speak about continuity (the very thing that I'm arguing to potentially uproot in another thread lmao, the irony). So I don't think it's a stretch to think that having an off-season dedicated to Kirk and only Kirk would result in tangible improvement throught the subsequent season.

So thank you for effectively proving myself wrong. LMAO

[SkinsJock]

I think that Kirk Cousins has improved a lot this season - Scot & Bruce will make sure he's back here next season

the coaching staff has helped Kirk a lot & they need to start having more faith in his ability

Kirk Cousins was a backup QB who had a problem of turning the ball over & playing tentatively, possibly because he was nervous about turning the ball over - over the course of the season & without the fear of being replaced like he was last year, Kirk Cousins has clearly shown that he has improved as a QB and a leader of the offense - Kirk Cousins is continuing to improve and can do even better

Jay Gruden and the game planning needs to reward him with some better play calling

[Chris Luva Luva]

Kirk Cousins was a backup QB who had a problem of turning the ball over & playing tentatively

He was a backup by definition of his draft position. I think that Kirk could have been a day 1 starter for us or any other team.

possibly because he was nervous about turning the ball over - over the course of the season & without the fear of being replaced like he was last year

Agreed. In addition to not having an off-season to develop chemistry with the first team offense. Also, Jackson was gone for the 1st half of the season.

Kirk Cousins has clearly shown that he has improved as a QB and a leader of the offense

I think we'll see his leadership evole into something more vocal and outward. Especially if they make the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins is continuing to improve and can do even better

I agree

Jay Gruden and the game planning needs to reward him with some better play calling

By trusting him, as you stated earlier.

[riggofan]

Jay Gruden and the game planning needs to reward him with some better play calling

By trusting him, as you stated earlier.

Do you guys think its possible though that Gruden has protected Cousins with his play calling this season to a certain extent? We all know Cousins has admitted that the INTs are always in the back of his head ("Is this the throw that costs me my job?") Might Gruden be reluctant to call those more aggressive and challenging plays?

Gruden has definitely been protective/defensive of Cousins in press conferences this year. Its almost been laughable at times.

My point is that I think those two have been walking a fine line all season because of the RG3/QB situation and Gruden's own shaky status. Isn't it possible that the play calling has been more conservative as a result of that?

[Chris Luva Luva]

Do you guys think its possible though that Gruden has protected Cousins with his play calling this season to a certain extent?

He's protected both himself and Cousins. If Gruden failed with both QB's, he most definitely would have been fired. So I think Gruden's reluctance to let Cousins loose is a calculated decision.

Gruden has definitely been protective/defensive of Cousins in press conferences this year. Its almost been laughable at times.

I think he got a stern reprimand for that. I think it has less to do with Cousins and more to do with him being a professional. Even tho I think RGIII deserved it.

My point is that I think those two have been walking a fine line all season because of the RG3/QB situation and Gruden's own shaky status. Isn't it possible that the play calling has been more conservative as a result of that?

Yes. I think that if they make it into the playoffs, you'll see the reigns slackened a bit.

[SkinsJock]

My point is that I think those two have been walking a fine line all season because of the RG3/QB situation and Gruden's own shaky status. Isn't it possible that the play calling has been more conservative as a result of that?

I do think that Gruden's play calling has been conservative to help both Cousins and the O line but IMO Cousins has shown that it might be more helpful to himself and the offense to be a little less predictable