It wasn't the prettiest of games but a win is a win and you never have to apologize for that. The real story was the benching of Cousins at halftime and going with Colt McCoy. Here are a few thoughts on the game:
1. What up Cuz? The bench, that's what. I like Cousins. He seems like a really nice guy but you can't be turning the ball over 2-3 times a game and expect to win. He has made some really nice passes while the starter but he has made some equally frustrating throws that leave you scratching your head. What has been more troubling is the look on his face recently seems to indicate that his confidence has taken a hit. He just didn't look like a guy that knew he could make the plays needed to win games. Apparently he struggled in the Friday practice and that probably had as much to do with his benching as the INT he threw that led to a Titan TD. So in comes McCoy and on his first drive he throws a short sideline pass to Garcon who takes it 70 yards for a TD. Quite the spark. Colt made some nice throws and led a late game winning drive to give the Skins the win. All of a sudden everyone has forgotten about Kirk and the new guy is in town and people are excited about Colt. It's interesting because RG3 has been practicing and will practice this week so with Dallas coming up on Monday night, who will get the start at QB? If RG3 is completely healthy and has enough practice under him, I'd say give him the nod. If there is any question about his health or having enough practice, go with Colt. I think Cousins has played himself out of the position. Again, I feel bad for the guy because he blew his chance. He had a real opportunity to seize the QB position here in D.C. or some place else but he didn't perform. Will be interesting to see what becomes of him.
2. The other change. While everyone was caught up with the change at QB, they may not have noticed that Polumbus was relieved of his duties in favor of Tom Compton for a few drives. It isn't any secret that Polumbus has struggled this year at RT. Being a UFA, I imagine this is it for Polumbus and the Skins are hoping to replace him with either Compton or Morgan Moses.
3. O-Krapo stinks. He just can't get it done. I like the guy and want him to be good but I have been watching him more closely each week and he isn't doing anything. He just can't get to the QB. He either takes a really wide turn to get to the QB making it easy for the QB just to step into the pocket to avoid him or more often, he tries to bull rush but isn't big enough to take on large LTs in this league. Adding to fans frustration is that he probably partially tore his pec muscle again which will sideline him for some time (this may be a good thing). The guy hasn't been effective and has had his injury woes. I bet the collective fan base is thrilled we didn't lock him up long term this past offseason. Will be interesting to see what we do with him this offseason.
4. D Jax. This guy made some really nice catches. I just wish we could get the ball to him more.
5. Morris? The run game which has been so good the last few years is stagnant. The line isn't creating many running lanes and Morris isn't breaking some of the tackles he did in previous years. Wondering if Helu would be a better option as he is a bit quicker and a much better receiver out of the backfield.
In the end, it's a win and the Skins needed one. Winning and losing is contagious. Good teams find ways to win and bad teams find ways to lose. Felt like the last few weeks, the Skins were beating themselves and seemed almost comfortable with keeping games close. Again, will be interesting to see who starts at QB next week but if they could some how pull off the upset against Dallas, all of a sudden they are right back in the mix. The Titan win was one game and it's nothing to get overly excited about but you have to start somewhere.
In other relevant NFL news:
1. GB has hit their groove. They cruise to a win over the struggling Panthers. They could make a case for the top team in the NFC.
2. Problems for the Pears. Cutler throws picks. He LOVES to throw picks. Bad INT and a couple of inopportune fumbles led to the Fins beating Chicago at home. The miscues led to B. Marshall going off in the locker room. Things may be unraveling for Trestman.
3. Problems in Seattle. Two straight losses for the Seacawks coupled with the trade of one of their best offensive weapons in Percy Harvin have to get folks wondering what is going on in Seattle. Still think this team is a top team in the NFC but they have to regroup and pull it together.
The NFL is like a soap opera. Each week brings about more drama. Until next Sunday, have a great week!
2 comments:
It was a badly needed win for sure. I have to admit that Gruden made a nice adjustment. Reading that Cousins is struggling, he went with Colt. I also think it helps Cousins that he was benched to save him from causing more turnovers and shattering his confidence even further. At the very least it shows that Gruden has some awareness and resolve to make the switch. I have not seen enough from Colt to know if he is a viable backup option for Griffin but he played well enough to win. That's all you can ask for. I like Cousins. He's a gunslinger but the skins aren't good enough to make up for that many turnovers. The counter argument could be the skins aren't good enough to win without taking some risks from which there could be many turnovers. I think this injury to RG3 should really highlight how valuable RG3 is. I cant wait to see him return. It would be great to see him come back and reel off a few wins. At 2-5, the road is tough to be competitive again, but if they can win 5 of the remaining 9, there would be reason to be optimistic. I would really hate to see this team continue on the losing trend even with the superstar back at QB.
I am pretty happy about the Packers. They look like they are finally firing on almost all cylinders. Rodgers is playing at an MVP level with 18 tds and 1 int. I have two concerns. Lacy hasn't been very good with any consistency and they don't have a solid tight end in my opinion. Andrew Quarless hasn't been great as of yet. The Packers haven't been great on defense either. They are near the bottom in total defense. But fortunately their offense is good enough to overcome it and still win. Green Bay also uses the 3-4 which I am not a fan of. I'm just hoping the 3-4 Blitzburgh defense that has been so unsuccessful recently in Green Bay can come to life at the end of the season when its time to make a run for the title.
Gruden gave Kirk every opportunity to succeed and Cousins blew it. I am sure he is tremendously disappointed both for the team and himself as he wants an NFL starting job. This was a great opportunity for him and he blew it.
Colt is fine but he is limited. In his post game conference, he was emotional in getting the opportunity. I'm sure he is very appreciative and wants to do well and maybe having to take a step back will help him move forward. We'll see as he will most likely be the starter against Dallas. I wish him well but I am not expecting big things from him. There is a reason why he is on his third team in three years and was the third stringer on the team.
Not many teams are able to recover from that many turnovers. If you are turning the ball over 3-4 times a game, there is a good chance you will lose no matter what team you are on.
As far as RG3, it seems like Gruden is taking his time with him and wants him to come back only when he is fully healthy. The doctors have to clear him for full contact and RG3 has to show that he can practice as full speed and be effective. Doesn't look like it will happen this week. If Colt manages a win this week, I would imagine Gruden and company would be willing to give RG3 more time. However, if the Skins lose and Colt is terrible, I'm sure RG3 and everyone else will want him back sooner. For me, I just want him back healthy as we need to see what we have in him. It's tough because he will be coming back mid season with everyone else in mid season form and for him it will be like opening day. I'd be most interested in seeing how he performs after having a couple of games under his belt. Really want to see what we have in him.
As far as GB, things change from week to week but right now they look like they are right there at the top of the NFC. However, as you mentioned, their defense isn't great and they need to get more balance to their offense with a better run game. They have a pretty favorable schedule with only three teams of the remaining nine on their schedule having a winning record.
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