When the Washington Redskins take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, all eyes will be on quarterback Kirk Cousins; named the team’s 2015 starter last week by Head Coach Jay Gruden. Barring a total meltdown in play, Cousins is poised to have a breakout year and perhaps put a strangle hold on the position.
This year’s offense should look different from a passing standpoint. Cousins can see the field and, due to his maturation as a signal caller, possesses a calmer presence in the pocket than backup QB Robert Griffin III.
The offense under Griffin was set up more as a game management offense with feast-or-famine execution. It incorporated big plays but also for downs and series at a time that did not move the sticks. There are different variables that play into those situations that could be debated and discussed for days at a time but regardless, Gruden feels Cousins gives his offense the best chance to succeed.
There are three things that the offense will have to do more of with Cousins at the helm:
1. Run the football – Whether it is Cousins, Griffin or Colt McCoy as the starter, the team needs to get back to running the ball. Pro Bowl running back Alfred Morris has been one of the league’s most consistent backs over the past three seasons with the third-most yards rushing in that time. Morris, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, has rushed for 3,962 yards and 28 touchdowns on 876 carries.
Pairing him up with bruising new rookie RB Matt Jones (University of Florida) should take the burden off of Cousins to have to win games with his arm.
Sprinkle in speedster Chris Thompson on 3rd downs and Cousins will have a bevy of backs to help lesson the load on him having to do everything on his own.
2. Utilize the tight ends – It has been no secret around the beltway that when the Burgundy and Gold have had success in their offensive packages, it is because tight end Jordan Reed has played a vital role in moving the chains underneath. With injuries to fellow tight ends Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen, the team will look to Reed to finally display his Pro-Bowl-caliber potential and help bring along the newly-signed Derek Carrier (San Francisco 49ers) and Anthony McCoy (Seattle Seahawks). Having a safety valve at tight end could work wonders when Cousins is in a bind.
The league’s new hybrid position where catching and spacing has become vital is a young signal callers best friend and Cousins should utilize the teams trio of athletic tight ends.
3. Take chances down the field – In 2014 (Gruden’s first year) the Redskins took few chances with the deep ball because the time to throw deep was often not there. Porous pass protection combined with Griffin holding onto the ball too long took away the opportunity. The biggest plays of the season were DeSean Jackson’s 81-yard reception against his former team (the Philadelphia Eagles), Pierre Garçon’s 70-yard catch against the Tennessee Titans and Andre Roberts’ 61-yard snag against the New York Giants. Most of those plays however were the product of short routes that opened up into big gains by the receivers. Jackson’s was the only reception during which a deep throw (from Cousins) was caught in stride.
These things will play off of each other and allow the offense a chance to show improvement in Year 2 of Gruden’s system.
If they don’t work, Cousins will possibly struggle and not be at his best. Turnovers were critical for him last year and, as Gruden himself said, Cousins now has a chance to take the quarterback position and run with it.
Sunday against Miami’s vaunted defensive front four, the world will see if Cousins and the offense can rise to the occasion. With a young offensive line in front of him, the Michigan State product will have to get the ball out of his hands quickly… this important element could be the determining factor that has him remaining under center rather than Griffin or McCoy eventually getting the nod.
The 2015 season is finally here and Cousins and the quarterback position have several question marks. A good start to the season against a formidable defensive opponent will do a lot to quiet the critics at least for one more week.