ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden was visibly upset after the gut punch his team took in last minute of a 19-16 loss to the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys on Monday.
His quarterback, Kirk Cousins? Not so much.
Oh, he wasn’t happy with the outcome, the results, but he liked the process just fine.
Cousins was almost giddy when he was asked in a postgame press conference if there were any positives he could take away from the touchdown drive he led with two minutes left that tied the score at 16-16.
“I love that question, because you’re thinking positive, and that’s the way we need to think around here,” Cousins said. “There is something positive to take from that. [In a] results-based business, the result wasn’t what we wanted, but in the process, we did some good things. We can build on that and start to create something long-term that could be pretty special if we continue to find ways to plan and give good effort. I appreciate that question, and thank you for staying positive.”
After a game like that, no one on that team should love answering any questions.
I’m not criticizing Cousins, but when he said “in the process, we did some good things,” let’s face it — he means he did some good things.
Primarily, the one particular thing he did that was good was not making the big mistake that cost his team the game. There was almost a sense of relief that said, well, someone screwed up — in this case, DeSean Jackson, whose backward punt return and fumble gave Dallas a 16-9 lead with less than two minutes left — but it wasn’t me.
“I think that roller coaster is what the NFL is like week in and week out,” Cousins said. “That’s why it is such a special league and why there is such an attention on the games because of how exciting [they are], and you never know what is going to happen down the stretch. The margin for error in this league is so small. You know, if you leave any time on the clock in this league, anything can happen. It was a roller coaster, but again, as a quarterback and player in this league, I think it’s important to stay steady throughout, no matter what stretch of things are going, and just stay boring and consistent. That typically leads to best results.”
I don’t think Cousins would have been using words like “special” and “exciting” to describe what happened if he had fumbled the ball — or thrown one of those patented Kirk Cousins interceptions.
Those interceptions, though, are becoming rarer as the season goes on — and, given the pressure that ate at him last season and wound up sending him to the bench because of those interceptions, I certainly understand a sense of relief on a night where he completed 22 of 31 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions for a 101.4 passer rating.
Compared to other quarterbacks who have faced this good Dallas defense, Cousins had every reason to feel good about the process.
The week before, the soon-to-be-crowned MVP, Cam Newton, completed 16 of 27 passes for 183 yards, no touchdowns, and a 79.7 rating. Before that, $77 million Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 13 of 21 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 90.3 rating. Before that, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, the soon-to-be-crowned NFC Rookie of the Year, completed 22 of 39 passes for 264 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 55.9 rating.
The Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson against the Cowboys’ defense this year? He completed 19 of 30 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception for an 81.2 rating. Two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning, in two games against Dallas? He completed 20 of 26 passes for 193 yards, no touchdown and no interceptions for a 70.7 rating in the season opener, and 13 of 24 passes for 170 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 76.7 rating the second time, six weeks later.
The fact is that Cousins’ performance against Dallas was among the best in the NFL this season — and, given the lack of a running game to support him, with just 73 yards on 26 carries, it was even more impressive.
The facts are that in the first six games of this season, Cousins threw for six touchdowns and eight interceptions. In the six games afterward, he has 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
So, you’ll have to excuse Cousins if he feels good about the process, even in a gut-punch loss like the one Monday night to the Cowboys. The narrative that had defined him — Tommy Turnover — is no longer part of that process.
⦁ Thom Loverro is co-host of “The Sports Fix,” noon to 2 p.m. daily on ESPN 980 and espn980.com.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.