Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for over 100 yards in his first preseason start last week. (Getty)
It’s Kirk Cousins’ team now.
That’s what Wasington Redskins coach Jay Gruden told reporters on Monday when he named the 27-year-old as the team’s starting quarterback for week one of the regular season. Cousins, who is also expected to start on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, replaces the injured Robert Griffin III under center. RGIII sustained a concussion in week two of the preseason and has yet to clear post-concussion protocol.
Cousins will need to prove that he’s deserving of the very clear support he’s gotten from Redskins coaches in his final preseason game. He was 20-for-27 for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Baltimore Ravens last week.
Here’s what you need to know about the final preseason week of the year:
The Basics
Who:
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Washington Redskins
When:
Thursday, September 4, 7:30 ET
Channel:
The game will be broadcast locally in Jacksonville on WJXT 4 and NBC 4 in Washington. Click here to check out a full TV schedule.
Where:
FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Line:
Redskins -4.5 via Oddsshark
Last Meeting:
Redskins 41, Jaguars 10 on September 14, 2014 in Landover
Scouting the Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars may be without tight end Julius Thomas for longer than they originally anticipated.
Thomas, who singed a five-year, $46 million contract during free agency, broke a bone in his hand during the Jaguars’ preseason opener against Pittsburgh. He was originally expected to return for the regular season opener on September 13, but new reports are suggesting otherwise. Jacksonville general manger Dave Caldwell explained the situation on Monday:
We thought that it’d be touch-and-go for the opener, hopeful that he’d be ready. But if not, worst-case scenario (would be) around Week 3. And now really worst-cast scenario could be Week 4 as we’re going into Indianapolis, if he has to have the surgery.
Thomas caught 108 passes for 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, earning a Pro Bowl berth both years. The surgery will likely keep him sidelined until week 4 forcing the Jaguars toturn to Marcedes Lewis, a familiar name in Jacksonville. Lewis, who has been playing throughout the preseason, was the team’s starting TE for the last eight seasons and took a pay cut this offseason to stay with the squad.
Scouting the Redskins
Oh, Washington. This has been one interesting week for you guys.
A little over a week after Redskins front office and head coach Jay Gruden said, once again, that Robert Griffin III would be the team’s starting quarterback in week one, that same group came out on Monday and named Kirk Cousins the starter. This comes after RGIII failed to pass concussion protocols last week before the Redskins squared off against the Baltimore Ravens.
According to USA Today, Griffin won’t undergo post-concussion tests again until next week and Gruden was quoted as saying “It’s Kirk’s team.”
But wait, there’s more. Shortly after Washington made its Cousins-related announcement, a fan posted a short writeup on Instagram criticizing the team for its treatment of RGIII, saying the quarterback deserved better. Totally fine, right? Until Griffin’s Instagram account liked the post. Social media blew up as speculation ran rampant about what the “like” meant, eventually requiring RGIII to make a statement on Instagram. He blamed an intern. Seriously.
At least, it’s almost the regular season.
Editor’s note: Heavy’s partners at DraftKings are gearing up for another football season. Sign up now with DraftKings promo code HEAVY and get a $600 deposit bonus with no season-long commitment.