Darrelle Revis, the New York Jets fantastic cornerback, was asked the other day for his general impression of Washington, the Jets’ opponent Sunday.
“They run the ball very well,” he began.
Washington is 12th among 32 NFL teams in rushing, but, OK, maybe he saw something on film that is still a secret to most the rest of the football world.
Revis was then asked about Kirk Cousins, Washington’s decidedly mediocre quarterback. Revis danced around the question as if he were covering a wide receiver, blanketing the question but never making contact. He said the Jets would probably try to force Cousins to throw on the run.
“We’ve just got to play our defense,” Revis finally said.
The days before an NFL game are usually reserved for buttering up an opponent – who wants to supply the other team with extra motivation? Revis was careful not to slam Washington or Cousins, but he was hardly burying Cousins with praise, either. This is how it goes.
Todd Bowles, the Jets’ coach was somewhat more enthusiastic about Cousins, saying: “He’s poised. He’s a young quarterback still. He learned a lot from last year. He commands the team very well. He knows the offense inside out, reads defenses well, he’s tough, he’s gritty, and he makes big throws when he has to.”
That is true. Cousins does have five touchdown passes in five games for Washington (2-3), which could jump into a tie for the NFC East lead this weekend if it beats the Jets (3-1) and Philadelphia (2-3), appearing to be back in form, upends the New York Giants (3-2).
But Cousins also has six interceptions – none more costly than his pass in overtime last Sunday that was intercepted by Atlanta defensive back Robert Alford and returned 59 yards for a touchdown in overtime that promptly ended the Falcons’ 25-19 victory.
Pretty much the only people in Washington who were happy to see the interception were the patrons at DC Libertine, a bar/restaurant in the Adams Morgan neighborhood who were awarded free shots for every Washington interception.
“That ain’t my cousin,” read the blackboard outside the bar.
Washington has been such a disaster recently that it was ranked 120th of 122 professional sports franchises on a variety of factors last week by ESPN, 11 spots lower than a similar rating last year and the worst of any NFL teams.
Robert Griffin III, or RG3, the 25-year-old quarterback whom Washington drafted second overall in 2012, has been so injury-prone that that the team does not want to play him, in part, because it would have to pay $16m next year if he can’t play because of an injury.
That pretty much leaves the job to Cousins, a fourth-round draft pick in 2012, who has never seen anything like the blitz-crazy Jets.
“They’re good across the board,” Washington coach Jay Gruden said this week. “They don’t really have a lot of weaknesses. They force quarterbacks to hold the ball a little longer than they want to. You have to make perfect throws against their tight, man coverage.”
Then Gruden said, ominously, “They also have some blitzes that I can’t even draw up.”
So, to review: if Cousins somehow leads Washington to victory in a game it is favored to lose by six points, the team could end the weekend in a first-place tie in an underperforming division. Or Washington could fold and finish low enough to start over with another young QB.
Not even counting the free booze, Washington’s football fans actually have a lot to gain by losing.
One of the knocks on Cousins is that he tends to lock onto intended receivers, but to his credit, Cousins sounds undeterred, saying this week of the loss to Atlanta: “Bouncing back is what you have to do. This game is going to have its ups and downs. You’re going to be great one week and have a setback the next. The guys who can bounce back and stay focused, stay the course no matter goes on around them, are the guys who are going to be successful in the long run. It’s going to be a point of emphasis for our team, for myself and as long as I’m playing to be able to compartmentalize each week and just move forward, learn from mistakes but not let it carry over at all in a negative way.”
There was a little bit of good news: wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who has missed all but the first quarter of the season opener because of a hamstring injury, and, despite feeling a “twinge” in practice Thursday, was listed as questionable to play against the Jets.
Also, when asked for an evaluation of his play through five games, Cousins was generally positive, saying: “I think it’s been a lot of good. I feel like I’m completing a high rate of my passes and avoiding sacks. If you want to be critical, I think turnovers jump out at you.”
He then said, “But, I think a lot of those turnovers, you go back and watch them, they’re a combination of factors. It’s not me just throwing the ball to a defensive player standing there all by himself, I think it’s a variety of factors.”
And, in fact, the game-losing interception against Atlanta, undefeated through five games, was the result of Washington wide receiver Ryan Grant, the intended receiver on the play, falling down on the play. Overall, Washington gave the Falcons a good game.
Cousins said: “I think we could be better in the red zone, coming away with touchdowns instead of field goals. But we’ve got to improve this offense quite a bit. I think getting DeSean back will help with some explosive plays. If we get Jordan Reed back healthy that will help as well. So, it’s a process, I’m only five games in, but I think I’ve done enough good things to feel good about where we are just knowing that we have to continue to get better.”
He sounded upbeat and confident – the way any quarterback is supposed to sound in the days leading up to a game. He knew the Jets will represent a test. Sheldon Richardson, the Jets’ Pro Bowl defensive lineman, returns from a four-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana. He said Monday that he was “coming to eat” – presumably, Cousins.
Sunday could end up being a long day at MetLife Stadium. But not all that much is expected of Cousins in the first place, and the starting job is his, at least for now. Cousins might not be Tom Brady, but at least he gets one shot at first place.
