What do you think of Jayden Daniels and Kirk Cousins squaring off this season?
They are set to do battle in Week 17, on Dec. 29, in what will be a home game for the Commanders against the Falcons.
Cousins was the lone starter for the 2015-17 seasons for the then-Washington Redskins. There are fans out there that to do this day, possess a disdain for Cousins. They seem to never be able to accept the fact that he did have some success in Washington.
He is often blamed for the 2016 season finale loss to the NY Giants. It is true the Redskins could have qualified for the playoffs with a win that day; however, they fell 19-10 to the Giants.
It is also true that Cousins did throw two interceptions that day.
Of course, as long as we are interested in truth, it is also just as true that Washington, after ten games, was 6-3-1, and then Trent Williams was suspended four games by the NFL for his continued use of marijuana, having already failed drug tests that season. As long as we are talking “truth.”
Cousins did not deliver a playoff win for the Redskins. It is also true that though some vocal fans want to continue to bash Cousins, the Washington offense has not been the same since he last played in Washington.
Another glaring fact is Washington has not even finished with a single winning season record since 2015 and 2016 when Cousins was under center.
Some are quick to say, “Well, 9-7 and 8-7-1 are barely winning seasons.” Of course, that is obvious. It is also just as obvious that Washington has struggled so much at quarterback since his departure, with all their quarterbacks being much less effective than Cousins was in Washington.
Which leads us to Jayden Daniels. Please, please, let’s not weigh him down with outrageous expectations just yet. Yes, he was the second player drafted. However, it will still be his first season in the NFL, and he will not have played against the level of defenders he will see this his rookie year.
He will be learning, and the pace of the game will sometimes be much faster than he has seen. So, let’s keep things in perspective this season and remember Daniels is not the Messiah.
But wouldn’t it be great if he could lead Washington to their best season since Cousins?
