When Washington Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden named fourth-year quarterback Kirk Cousins the 2015 season starter, the proclamation sent ripple effects around the Beltway. How could Gruden do this when all spring and summer he had been praising the growth of incumbent starter and once franchise-savior Robert Griffin III?
Fans would take to the airways and social media and display mixed emotions. Some were in the Gruden-and-Cousins camp and some were — and still are — upset about the change and support Griffin.
Whatever the differences, most fans feel the move was not handled properly. All along an open competition in minicamp, through training camp and the preseason would have allowed an extremely knowledgeable fan base the chance to perform their own eye test. If Cousins or even Colt McCoy clearly appeared as the winner of a battle with Griffin, then most intelligent fans would have been comfortable with the final result.
All through minicamp, it was notable how good — even at times really good — Griffin looked.
Even Gruden mentioned that they could see progress with him. Yet over the course of a few months and two preseason games, Griffin has fallen completely out of favor. This seems strange. Is Cousins a first-class person and a very good young quarterback prospect? He sure is and that is not to be debated. Is he a possible franchise signal caller? Only time will tell.
One thing that is for sure is the improper handling of the quarterbacks on this roster.
Colt McCoy technically lost his job to an injury in 2014 and was not even allowed to compete this year to get it back. That makes no sense in the big scheme of things. Due to his efforts, the Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys in a game in which most of America had written Washington off. This had people in D.C. thinking he had resurrected his career and could be the same guy who once took the Texas Long Horns to the National Championship game.
Cousins, for everything he does well, will give opposing defenses opportunities to cash in on turnovers. This was evident in last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. His two turnovers proved to be costly. Gruden and team personal can’t hide that fact.
On the flip-side, it’s evident that no other quarterback on the roster can read a defense with the comfort and ease that Cousins does.
The issue then is what system or game plan is in place here?
Washington ran the ball against the Dolphins 37 times for 161 yards. Maybe some of that had to do with a young offensive line or even the injury to star wideout DeSean Jackson? Regardless, there was a concerted effort to run against a highly vaunted front four. Most fans will take that approach all day considering it is traditional “Redskins Football.” The team’s most successful playoff teams — from Larry Brown to John Riggins to Clinton Portis to Alfred Morris — had that approach.
The question must be asked again then… was a quarterback change needed if the idea is to run the ball more this season? As mentioned above, this is not a debate over who should be the quarterback but about the scheme itself that is now being used for whoever that quarterback is.
Back in 2012 (which seems like ten years ago now), the Redskins went on a run of seven straight wins. They won the division and made the playoffs. Their offense was a running attack based off of the read option. Everyone figured the offense would not last in the NFL as an every down setup but it is still effective when it is made a heavy fabric of an offense.
Last night, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick — who has had his struggles in the pocket — was running plays to his skill set. He rolled out and he showed the read option. But more importantly, he was aided by an impressive running attack led by running back Carlos Hyde. It looked like something that is being done by the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills with Tyrod Taylor and, to a lesser extent, now by the Tennessee Titans with Marcus Mariota.
In other words, Gruden was never a good fit for Griffin but was one for Cousins. And that problem lies at the feet of Redskins President Bruce Allen, who obviously made the hire.
How can you make that hire if you’re trying to get your franchise quarterback back to the form that had the league abuzz in 2012?
Griffin has not forgotten how to play football. Legendary Redskins Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs even said so. Not that long ago he mentioned Griffin’s success in winning the NFC East, saying that is a hard task to accomplish at all, let alone as a rookie.
Yes, the system was tailored for him and for his strengths but isn’t that the point of a coach… to get the best out of his players?
The fact that the system which worked for him was on full display this past weekend in the form of a consistent running game tells me that the Burgundy and Gold did not exhaust their means with Griffin. They did not do what most programs are doing to find out what they have in all of their signal callers, who have struggled as well.
If the plan all along was to get Cousins in as the starter, fine. Just make the decision and don’t put up a smoke screen.
Making the move to Cousins seems like a move made in desperation that, if it works, keeps everyone happy.
But if it fails, the team could be minus what they had in their favor before the beginning of 2014: a new coach and two young signal callers with huge upside.