There are plenty of arguments both for and against playing your starting Quarterback in a week 17 game that, mathematically speaking, will have zero impact on the standings at the end of the season; at the end of the day, it’s primarily about striking a balance between wanting to be as sharp as possible entering the post-season against minimizing the risk of injury.
For Kirk Cousins, there may be another factor weighing on his mind. For you see, Cousins is standing on the brink of history.
Cousins Redskins Records
Throughout season 2015 Kirk Cousins has had his ups and downs as he took the reigns of the offense as the starting Quarterback for the first time. As we’ve all seen though, the longer the season has gone on the better he has played, as his familiarity and level of comfort under center grows before the eyes of the fans, his teammates, and his coaches alike.
What many people may not realize is just how much better he has played.
There are, as you will see below, an absolute plethora of records that Kirk Cousins has either already beat, or is standing on the precipice of doing so. Many of these records could conceivably be achieved in a good half of football as well, so it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility that Cousins could start this week, play the first half, and then sit for the second half, content with a season well-played.
Here is the situation as it currently stands:
- After the week 16 game against Philadelphia, Cousins currentlysits on 3,990 passing yards. The Redskins have only had two Quarterbacks post 4,000 yard seasons in franchise history (Jay Schroeder in 1986 threw for 4,109, and Brad Johnson threw for 4,005 in 1999).
- Schroeder’s 4,109 is the Redskins franchise record for passing yards in a season. Cousins is a mere 120 yards shy of breaking that record.
- Schroeder also holds the team record for passing attempts in a season with 541. Cousins is 14 pass attempts away from breaking that record.
- Cousins is currently one of only four NFL Quarterbacks to throw a touchdown pass in every game in the 2015 season, along with Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Blake Bortles). If Cousins throws another touchdown this week, he will become the first Redskins Quarterback to throw a touchdown in all 16 games of a regular season since 1978 when the 16 game season format was adopted.
- Tied with Joe Theismann on 15, if Cousins does throw another touchdown pass this week he will be in sole possession of the second-longest streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass in Redskins franchise history.
- Assuming Cousins starts, he will be the first Redskins Quarterback to start all 16 games in a season since Jason Campbell did so in 2009. It would be only the 12th time in team history that this has occurred.
- Cousins has already set the Redskins franchise record for completions in a season, currently on 367.
- Cousins has already set the Redskins franchise record for 300-yard passing games in a season, currently on 7.
- Cousins can set a new team record with a fourth consecutive 300-yard game this week, as the current consecutive record is 3.
- Currently ranked first in the NFL in completion percentage on 69.5, Cousins would become the first Redskins Quarterback to lead the NFL in this stat since Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen did so in 1970.
- If Cousins plays this week and records a passer rating of 100.0 or better, he will become the first Redskins Quarterback since at least 1960 (when the stats were first recorded) to do so in six consecutive games.
- With 26 passing touchdowns to his name in 2015, Cousins is 2 touchdown passes away from equalling Sonny Jurgensen and Mark Rypien for third most touchdowns in a Redskins season. He is 3 touchdown passes away from equalling Joe Theismann for second most touchdowns in a season, and (an admittedly unlikely) five touchdowns away from overtaking Jurgensen’s team record.
With Head Coach Jay Gruden announcing at his Thursday press conference that Cousins “would start” against Dallas this week, it appears likely that Cousins may end the 2015 season as the Redskins new clubhouse leader for passing yards and pass attempts, and become the first Redskins Quarterback to throw a touchdown in every one of the 16 regular season games.
Keep your record books handy as you watch the game this week, Redskins fans.
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