Cousins, Redskins beat Bears 24-21 for first road win
CHICAGO (AP) With a few more performances like this, Kirk Cousins just might be embraced in Washington.
For now, that still is a game-by-game proposition.
Cousins threw for 300 yards and a touchdown Sunday, and the Redskins hung on for a 24-21 victory over the Bears after Gould missed a 50-yard field goal.
''I have had games where people wanted to run me out of town, and the next week when we win, I'm the greatest thing since slice bread so I don't know,'' he said. ''I think it's week to week. I keep trying to grow and build on each experience I had whether it is positive or negative and trust if I do that good things will happen.''
Cousins had one of his better outings, completing 24 of 31 passes on a soggy but unusually warm 62-degree afternoon.
Washington (6-7) remained tied with Philadelphia for the NFC East lead and moved a half-game ahead of the New York Giants, who play Miami on Monday.
The Redskins went ahead by three early in the fourth quarter on Dustin Hopkins' 47-yard field goal and finally won a road game after dropping their first five this season and nine in a row dating to last year.
The Bears (5-8) were in position to score after Jay Cutler hit Alshon Jeffery with a 50-yard pass to on the Washington 35. The usually reliable Robbie Gould, who missed the potential winner at the end of regulation in last week's overtime loss to San Francisco, got a chance to redeem himself. But his 50-yarder sailed wide right with 1:40 left, giving Chicago its second straight loss.
Here are some things we learned from Washington's victory over Chicago:
KICKING WOES: For more than a decade, Gould was as accurate as any kicker to play in the NFL - but not lately.
After making all 15 attempts in his first six games, Gould is 11 of 17, three of those misses coming the past two weeks. The recent slump has raised questions whether the 34-year-old kicker's best days are in the past.
''I think it's been unfortunate it's come down in the two games to where they're pivotal kicks, and unfortunately, we came up a little short and didn't connect on it,'' coach John Fox said. ''We're not going to lose faith in guys.''
STREAK ENDS: Washington picked up its first road win since beating Dallas on Oct. 27, 2014. Now that they finally came out on top away from home, the Redskins will try to do something else for the first time this season - win two in a row. They last did that when they took out Tennessee at home and won at Dallas last season.
''We have everything we want still in front of us,'' coach Jay Gruden said. ''It keeps us alive, it keeps our heart beeping, heart pumping, guys should be excited to come back to work on Monday.''
CUTLER COMES THROUGH: While the Bears fell to 1-6 at Soldier Field, Cutler came through with a big performance under difficult circumstances.
He threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns despite getting sacked three times after a gut-wrenching week for his family.
A body believed to be that of his brother-in-law Michael Cavallari was discovered Thursday in southern Utah. Cutler is married to reality TV personality Kristin Cavallari.
A BIG REED: Tight end Jordan Reed had his way with Chicago's linebackers, particularly Shea McClellin and Christian Jones, and wound up with nine catches for a season-high 120 yards and one touchdown.
It wasn't the first time he shredded the Bears. Two of his three highest yardage totals have come against them, including a 134-yard performance in 2013.
STRUGGLING AT HOME: The Bears dropped to 1-6 at Soldier Field, and that barely begins to tell just how rough they've had it at home lately.
For the second straight week, a team that came to Chicago 0-5 on the road picked up its first win. And since the start of last season, the Bears are 3-12 at home.
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