BLUE 1,026 Posted September 19, 2014 By KEVIN CHROUST STATS Writer (AP) -- The Washington Redskins' 2012 draft class was highlighted by the selection of first-round pick Robert Griffin III. The importance of fourth-round selection Kirk Cousins grows with each passing week and each new injury, the latest of which could put Cousins in line for the majority of the team's quarterback duties in 2014. Cousins will start his fifth NFL game Sunday in Philadelphia as the Eagles try for their first 3-0 start since 2004. Griffin is out indefinitely after dislocating his ankle in last Sunday's 41-10 win over Jacksonville, which also saw wide receiver DeSean Jackson exit with a Grade 1 sprain of the AC joint in his left shoulder. Jackson, though, said he expects to return to Philadelphia in uniform after being cut by the Eagles in late March and signing with the Redskins (1-1) a few days later. "I felt I put it out on the line for them when I played there and I've done what I've done to help that organization win games, so as far as if they congratulate me, if they boo me - whatever the case may be - I'm ready for whatever it is," Jackson told the team's official website. "If it's all on me, I'm playing. I don't plan on missing this game." The Eagles' focus might be on not missing the first half. A 30-27 last-second win in Indianapolis last Sunday made Philadelphia the first team in NFL history to overcome double-digit halftime deficits in a 2-0 start. "No one should be patting themselves on the back anywhere," said coach Chip Kelly, whose team has totaled six first-half points. "We're fortunate to be 2-0. We've done a great job of coming back in both games, but there is a lot of work in every aspect of the game that we need to work on. So that's the great thing about this group, they understand that." Nick Foles has led both comebacks with the latest being a 21-for-37 effort with 331 yards, though he threw his second interception to match his 13-game total from last season. "We really need to get things going," Foles said. "There's a lot of stuff that, even though we won like we did, there's a lot of stuff to improve on. That's the exciting thing for us, we need to improve." Foles' emergence from behind Michael Vick last year could give Washington hope for Cousins to follow suit. After Griffin's early exit last Sunday, Cousins went 22 of 33 for 250 yards with two touchdowns despite being without Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed, who missed the game with a hamstring injury and has yet to return to practice. Coach Jay Gruden looks at the shift as a team adjustment rather than one individual's responsibility. "We were trying not to make this about Robert when Robert was the quarterback," Gruden said. "We're going to try not to make this about Kirk now that Kirk's the quarterback. We've got to make this about the Redskins moving forward." After putting up promising rookie numbers, Cousins took a step back last season, completing just 52.3 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and seven interceptions in three starts and two relief efforts. All three starts ended in losses, though Washington's playoff hopes had already slipped away. "If we're comparing last season, the last three games to right now, certainly it's different," Cousins said. "Much earlier in the season, with a lot more to play for, and I think that creates a heightened sense of urgency." The defense certainly provided plenty of support against the Jaguars, surrendering 148 total yards. Washington's 234.5 average is the best in the NFL while its 13.5 points allowed average ranks fourth. It's likely Philadelphia will pose a more substantial test, but Washington will also be welcoming back Brandon Meriweather. The strong safety has completed a two-game suspension for an illegal hit in the preseason. "I'm tremendously ecstatic," cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "I'm just excited to have his attitude out there on the field back, the way he prepares, the preparation and we're all comfortable with each other." The Eagles may be without one of their top defensive playmakers after linebacker Mychal Kendricks suffered a calf injury Monday. Kendricks leads Philadelphia in tackles with 13, has one of the team's three sacks and three of the team's five quarterback hurries. If he cannot go, he'll be replaced by either Casey Matthews or Emmanuel Acho. The Eagles are 9-1 in regular-season contests since Nov. 3, averaging NFL bests of 33.0 points and 437.7 total yards. While they're 5-0 at home in that span, Washington has dropped seven straight on the road. Philadelphia won both meetings a season ago with LeSean McCoy running for 261 yards and three scores, but he's not the only running back who should now concern the Redskins. Offseason acquisition Darren Sproles accounted for nearly half of Foles' passing last Sunday with 152 yards on seven receptions. For the second straight week, he ran for a TD and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Source: Hosted.Stats.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted September 19, 2014 I'm not sure what to expect this time around. Kirk Cousins has another chance to prove he's legit. Let's see if he banks on it this time. Otherwise it's a long year for the Redskins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted September 20, 2014 This is one of my most anticipated games of the week. It probably shouldn't be, because it could get really ugly (either lopsided or just a really sloppy game)... I'm rooting for Kirk Cousins though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theMileHighGuy 656 Posted September 20, 2014 Eagles fly, shouldn't be close. - 34 - 18 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch 874 Posted September 20, 2014 I actually think this will be an entertaining game. Kirk Cousins has another chance to take the job from RG3 and show he's the better option for that franchise. I think he sees the field much better and is a lot more poised in the pocket than Rg3. It's going to be interesting to see how he does. I think our pass defense is much improved from last year. We are getting a lot of pressure on QB's and overall as a defense doing amazing on 3rd down only allowing a 23.1% conversion rate. Hopefully we can keep that up but our primary concern is stopping Alfred Morris. Last weeks outing against the Colts, our run defense didn't look particularly good. That part of our game has to be cleaned up in order for us to have some success against the Redskins. Defensively, the Redskins have been doing really well particularly against the pass. That's mainly due to their pass rush in which they are currently leading the league in sacks. Last week they got 10 sacks against the Jags. It is the Jags but at the same time that's still 10 sacks. Ryan Kerrigan and company are not to be trifled with. This somewhat worries me considering how long Foles has been holding onto the ball. However, we can help negate that by continuing to run screens which will keep the pass rush honest. The return of Desean Jackson also has adds an intriguing factor to this game. His speed is always a threat and I know he's had this game circled on this calendar as soon as he became a Redskins fan. He's eager to light us up but I hope we ruin his plans. I have us winning the ball game. 34 21 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 21, 2014 Eagles first-round LB Marcus Smith is active for Sunday's Week 3 game against the Redskins. Smith played zero defensive snaps in Week 1 and was inactive in Week 2. But with ILB Mychal Kendricks (calf) inactive, Smith is up for depth. Unfortunately, inside is not where he wins. The rest of the Eagles inactives: QB Matt Barkley, S Earl Wolff, T Kevin Graf, G Matt Tobin, DE Taylor Hart and WR Josh Huff. DeSean Jackson (shoulder) is active for Sunday's Week 3 game at Philadelphia. Fighting a sprain in his left shoulder, Jackson will be at less than 100 percent when he reaches over his head for passes. But he wasn't going to miss a revenge spot against the team that cut him, and will be a boom-or-bust kind of WR3 against the Eagles' leaky secondary. Also note that Jordan Reed (hamstring) was ruled out earlier in the week, leaving Niles Paul as a TE1 option again. The rest of the Redskins inactives: OL Morgan Moses, WR Santana Moss, QB Robert Griffin III, CB Tracy Porter, LB Akeem Jordan and DL Kedric Golston. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glanvilles Grits 142 Posted September 21, 2014 Kirk Cousins has made a few small mistakes, but man, he seems to be the perfect fit for Grudens offense. I can't imagine that if Cousins keeps playing the way he has up to this point, it would be easy for RG3 to regain the starting job as soon as he's healthy. So rooting for Cousins to keep that job. Seems like he's got all the tools at this point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted September 21, 2014 What a HUGE win for the Eagles, all things considered. Tempers escalating within the game, TWO offensive starters going out during the course of the game, and they still get the win. Obviously I'm not excited about giving up 500+ yards of offense, but still, it's great to be 3-0. Oh, and Kirk Cousins is LEGIT. If I'm a Redskins fan right now, fuck RG3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC 331 Posted September 24, 2014 (edited) #92 wants my fantasy qb dead Edited September 24, 2014 by BC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
