Giants vs. Redskins: 5 Players To Watch On Thursday Night Football
Kirk Cousins
Sep 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrates after a touchdown by Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) against the St. Louis Rams in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Last season against the Giants, Kirk Cousins was a disaster. He turned the ball over five times, fumbling in the first half and then throwing four interceptions in the second. He showed all of the negative tendencies that his game possess, but thus far this season Cousins has looked like a different player.
Cousins was quoted saying that he is more confident this season, and the coaching staff says that he is showing more poise; responding better to negative plays. Last season the negative play snowballed on Cousins against the Giants, and he is looking to avoid that problem this time around.
While he will be without one of his best weapons in DeSean Jackson, Cousins has a strong run game to back him up. Morris and Jones have been a handful thus far through two games, and it has helped Cousins minimize his mistakes and keep the Redskins in both games. They almost pulled off an upset of the Dolphins in Week 1 before completing one in Week 2 against the Rams.
Both teams have much more daunting defensive lines and pass rushes than the Giants do, but Cousins stood in the face of adversity and delivered relatively well. He has completed 75.9 percent of his passes through two games, which is a huge improvement over his 61.1 career completion percentage. With more poise, confidence and a run game to rely on, Cousins looks like a better player.
Will Cousins be able to bounce back from his horrific game against the Giants in 2014? In his first road game of the season against a team desperate for a win, Cousins needs to show that poise and confidence the coaching staff has been talking about to come away with a successful night.
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