It is unclear exactly what it will take for the Washington Redskins to bench Kirk Cousins, but two straight losses is clearly not it. Head coach Jay Gruden named Cousins the season starter following a concussion to Robert Griffin III and appears to be set on trying to make things work as the team has just two wins on the season. While Griffin was active in Week 6, the Redskins had no plans on playing him and still do not with Cousins healthy.
According to Gruden, Cousins is the starter and it will stay that way. He told the media the plan is to stay consistent at the quarterback position as he has no intentions of a competition re-opening in Washington. After saying that the wind was a factor for Cousins and his interceptions, Gruden was forced to backtrack on the comments and make it clear he is not coddling the quarterback.
"I'm not trying to make excuses for anybody," Gruden said, via Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. "It wasn't good enough by anybody - not Kirk, not myself, not the offensive line, not the coaching staff. There's nobody in this locker room who played good enough to win a football game Sunday afternoon. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I'm not trying to baby anybody."
Gruden made it clear he is not thinking of the long-term at the quarterback position. He believes Cousins gives them the best chance to win right now. When asked about the quarterback's ability to play at an elite level, Gruden answered, "Hopefully that'll be answered here in the new few weeks, in the next five, six, seven, eight games."
It is clear the Redskins have no plans of putting Griffin in at quarterback which begs the question of what they plan on doing with him at the end of the year. With Cousins struggling and in need of an extension, Griffin could find himself at risk of getting released or traded. That appears to be the best option for Washington as they continue to show signs of distancing themselves from the top draft pick.
For now, the Redskins are focused on Week 7 and trying to get a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to John Keim of ESPN.com, the team is not expected DeSean Jackson to be active for the game. The receiver looked good in practice until he tweaked his hamstring again last Thursday. Gruden said nothing is set in stone for Jackson as the team will monitor his progress moving forward.
Until Jackson is healthy, Jamison Crowder is the best playmaker the team has right now. Against the New York Jets, he had 40 yards receiving to lead the group. Matt Jones did not play which mean Alfred Morris was the workhorse and he produced just 21 yards on the ground. Overall, the Redskins cannot blame just Cousins for the lack of production as he continues to get very little help from those around him.
