Kirk Cousins isn't afraid to lead as Redskins' starting quarterback
ASHBURN, Va. - Quarterback Kirk Cousins stands by his position that the Washington Redskins remain 'Robert's team.' But in the huddle, where he now operates, he says he has to take charge.
In Sunday's 37-34 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Cousins made his first start since Robert Griffin III suffered a dislocated left ankle. He threw for 427 yards and three touchdowns before misfiring in the final minutes with an interception and three straight incompletions during the Redskins' last try to get in range for a tying field goal.
The Redskins say Griffin will need about six to eight weeks to recover. Preparing for a Thursday night home game against the New York Giants, Cousins was asked at the end of his Tuesday news conference whether he's at the point where it feels like his team.
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'It's a tough dynamic to fully answer. I think that as a quarterback, if there is any doubt in the other 10 guys in the huddle looking at me that, 'Can this guy get it done for us? Can he move the ball?' then I've already failed,' said Cousins, a fourth-round draft pick in 2012 when Washington selected Griffin No.2 overall.
'So when I say that this is Robert's team, I don't mean that I can't step in and have an authority and make sure we move the football,' Cousins continued. 'But I won't change my statement that this is Robert's team. ... He was drafted high for a reason. He's had success here. He's done a lot of good things. He's done nothing to have that be any different.
'So this is his team, and it's my job as a backup on this team to hopefully when he comes back give him a team with a good record and put him in a good spot to have success down the stretch. By no means does that say that I can't go in there as a backup and hopefully get the job done.'
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Still unknown is what will happen if Griffin does return this season and Cousins has been winning games. Last week, Washington coach Jay Gruden said, 'We'll cross that bridge when it comes.'
Against the Eagles, Cousins threw his lone interception to set up a field goal that gave Philadelphia a 10-point lead with just under six minutes left. Cousins followed with a touchdown drive. On Washington's last series from the Philadelphia 41-yard line, Cousins' last three passes were incomplete.
'I thought we did a lot of good things,' said Cousins. ' ... At the same time, you don't like the turnover. You don't like how we finished in crunch time. But we'll learn from it and get better.'
The Giants and Redskins both go into Thursday night's game with 1-2 records in the NFC East. This will be Cousins' first Thursday night start with a short week of practice.
'It would be nice to go outside and throw the passes you're going to throw in the game and work on the patterns and pass concepts ... against the defenses you're thinking you're going to see,' Gruden said Tuesday.
'But we're in the (indoor facility) right now going through a walk through, so it's a little bit different tempo. ... But he's doing a good job and that's all we can do. Just watch the tape, study the game plan and get yourself mentally prepared and come Thursday night hopefully it all clocks for you. But he's done a nice job.'
Cousins noted that he wasn't sacked in Philadelphia, so it won't be as much of a test for him physically as it will be for his teammates.
'Selfishly, physically, I don't feel terrible. I am not the right guy to ask because I am not in a position that is getting banged every snap,' he said.
It will be another test -- in a hurry.
'It is a great opportunity to be in the national spotlight and try to show this entire league what the Washington Redskins are about,' said Cousins. 'So hopefully we can put on a good show and get a win.'
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