National Football League

RG3, Kirk Cousins dilemma isn't as tasty in Washington anymore

Published Sep. 26, 2014 9:37 a.m. ET

Alex Marvez

Without taking a single snap, Robert Griffin III looks a whole lot better Friday than he did 24 hours earlier.

It was nothing the ballyhooed quarterback did himself but rather what his Washington Redskins replacement failed to accomplish.

Through seven quarters of relief work, Kirk Cousins appeared well on his way to giving RG3 the Wally Pipp treatment. Then came a disastrous outing in Thursday night's 45-14 home loss to the New York Giants that showed Cousins isn't exactly the NFL equivalent of Lou Gehrig in his prime.

Cousins unraveled in the second half. We're talking Heath Shuler bad — and that 1990s Redskins bust never got picked off three times in a five-play span like Cousins did during the third quarter.

The more Cousins attempted to dig out of this hole, the deeper he sunk. Cousins was intercepted again on Washington's first fourth-quarter series and the Redskins went three-and-out on their only other meaningful possession before the pummeling came to an end.

"When he gets down like that, he starts trying to force some balls and trying to create a spark offensively," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "There was no spark there."

A fiery quarterback controversy already was ignited in Washington before this debacle. Until RG3 is healthy enough to return from his dislocated ankle, every Redskins game is a chance for Cousins to stake his claim for the starting job.

Not only had Cousins sparkled against Jacksonville and Philadelphia, Griffin had done nothing in the preseason or a Week 1 loss to Houston that indicated he was entitled to keep his first-string spot after returning from injury.

The excitement created by Griffin's 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year season already was tempered by his disastrous 2013 campaign. Rather than eagerly anticipate his return, some Redskins fans were already wondering what Griffin's trade value would be in the 2015 offseason with Cousins claiming bell-cow status.

Not so fast.

Cousins isn't necessarily the savior the Redskins were seeking when trading the farm to St. Louis to draft RG3. Cousins also shouldn't be judged solely on Thursday night's stinker. There were mitigating factors like an offensive line that struggled with protection and yet another Gruden game plan that proved far too pass-happy before Cousins' implosion. Gruden called 19 first-half pass attempts and just seven runs despite having Alfred Morris in the backfield.

Even if Cousins and Co. were sharp, there is no guarantee the Redskins could have kept pace. Washington's porous defense made Giants quarterback Eli Manning (five touchdowns) look elite again for the first time in years.

No matter the excuses, though. Reality has still set in.

We were graphically reminded that Cousins has only six NFL starts. Like with Griffin, he's trying to master a new offensive system after two years under deposed head coach Mike Shanahan. There will be more growing pains for Cousins ahead — especially with Washington's next two opponents (Seattle and Arizona) fielding nasty defenses — as Griffin continues his recovery.

When Cousins fares well, a segment of Redskins faithful will hope Griffin takes his time in rehabilitation. When Cousins struggles, the outcry will be, "When is RG3 back and what's taking so darned long?!?"

Such is life when a team's most important position is unsettled.

Ideally for the Redskins, Cousins quickly learns how to keep his composure and rebounds from this nightmarish effort. Gruden being forced to make a tough choice between Cousins and Griffin in November when the latter should be ready to return isn't a bad thing.

A far worse circumstance would have Cousins struggling to the point that reinserting Griffin becomes a no-brainer. At that point, Gruden would have to go all-in on Griffin for the rest of the season to finally resolve the issue that must get settled before the Redskins can move toward becoming a bona fide Super Bowl contender again for the first time in decades. It's the question that Washington thought it had answered when selecting both Griffin and Cousins in the same draft class.

Is there a franchise quarterback on this roster?