Kirk Cousins: ‘We need to improve, obviously’ after three consecutive losses

A loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday marked the sixth consecutive defeat Kirk Cousins has sustained as the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback.

Cousins, in fact, hasn’t led his team to a victory in a start since his rookie year, when the Redskins defeated Cleveland, 38-21, on the road in Week 15.

“At the end of the day, in this league, it’s about winning — winning the division, getting into the playoffs, winning in the playoffs — and that’s something that we’re trying to do here,” Cousins said Wednesday. “We need to improve, obviously.”

Cousins took over as the Redskins’ starting quarterback prior to a Week 3 loss at Philadelphia, and though he threw for 427 yards against the Eagles, he has failed to come anywhere near such a performance.

He threw four interceptions against the New York Giants in Week 4, then was held in check by a stingy Seattle pass defense on Monday.

“You play this game in this league, and the other team is very good, too, so you’ve got to bring your highest level,” Cousins said. “Your margin for error is very, very small, and you know, we have to understand that, and our approach, day to day, week to week, is just really to be attentive to the details and attentive in our preparation to make sure that all bases are covered so that the margin of error goes our way.”

Robert Griffin III, who dislocated his left ankle in a Week 2 victory over Jacksonville, is at least a month away from a return.

Even though he’s essentially holding Griffin’s place, Cousins said his status as the temporary starter hasn’t changed his leadership style or the way he has taken command of the team.

And, if Cousins starts to change anything at this point — even after the Redskins have lost three consecutive games — he believes that it would be a sign of weakness.

“As a leader, you just stay positive, you set a great example, try to motivate your teammates in the best way possible, try to influence guys to hopefully raise their level of play,” Cousins said. “But I don’t think my approach to leadership or how I’m going to lead is going to change, whether we’re on a three-game losing streak, a three-game winning streak. If I start to change who I am as a person or as a leader based on the conditions around me, that doesn’t make for a very good leader. I think I need to be steady no matter what’s going on.”