Smiling, per usual, Kirk Cousins stuck to his statements of the past. In his mind, the Redskins remain Robert Griffin III’s team. Even after Cousins throws for 427 yards in his first full game taking over for Griffin.
The Redskins will likely have a curious scenario to manage in a couple months. Griffin, who was out of a hard cast and in a walking boot Tuesday at Redskins Park, is expected to spend 4-6 weeks rehabilitating his dislocated left ankle. At that point, there will be a much larger sample of Cousins’ work which to assess. If he continues to have success, what then?
“When I say that this is Robert’s team, I don’t mean that I can’t step in and have an authority and make sure we move the football,” Cousins said Tuesday. “I won’t change my statement that this is Robert’s team. I still stand by that. He was drafted high for a reason. He’s had success here. He’s done a lot of good things. He’s done nothing to have that be any different.
“This is his team and it’s my job as a backup on this team, hopefully when he comes back, give him a team with a good record and put him in a good spot to have success down the stretch. By no means does that say I can’t go in there, as a backup, and hopefully get the job done.”
Cousins started 12-for-13 against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. He went 18-for-35 from there. His 427 passing yards were the fourth-most in team history for a regular-season game.
Until Griffin returns, Cousins will be in command. He says he understands his role as the backup, and Griffin’s status, but also the importance of convincing his teammates they can have success now.
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“I think that, as a quarterback, if there is any doubt in the other 10 guys in the huddle looking at me, that, ’Can this guy get it done for us? Can he move the ball?’ I’d already failed,” Cousins said.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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