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Jay Gruden praises Cousins for thriving in post-Griffin era

Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins could secure a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, and head coach Jay Gruden couldn't be more proud of Kirk Cousins.

Cousins has thrived since the Redskins placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him March 1, completing 67.3 percent of his passes this season for 4,630 yards and 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Gruden raved about his performance this year, and his handling of the transition from Robert Griffin III.

"I think he's been a stud, that's the only way I can put it. He really has. It's not easy," Gruden told The MMQB's Albert Breer. "Not just handling the pressure he has, but also taking over for Robert. Robert was a big-time player here with a huge, huge fan base, and this really hasn't sat well with a lot of them. So to handle that - every time you throw an incompletion, 'Boo, I told you, he's not the guy.' He throws an interception, I mean, God forbid. He's handled it great."

Gruden also lauded Cousins for thriving in Washington's searing media market.

"That's the big thing I think our guys do well, and what I'm most proud of as a coach, being able to handle adversity in this market," Gruden said. "Every time you lose a game, or you have to punt or you don't score in the red zone, the coordinator has to go, the head coach needs to go, the quarterback needs to be cut. It's pretty extreme. But these guys have stuck together and handled all the rough patches."

Cousins is quietly developing into a top quarterback, and the Redskins could finally reach a sustainable level of stability with him at the helm.

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