If it was up to Joe Theismann, Kirk Cousins would lead the Washington Redskins into their Week 1 clash against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7 instead of franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The former Redskins quarterback delivered a candid assessment of RGIII during Saturday's broadcast on the Redskins Broadcast Network, and gave a rousing vote of confidence for backup Kirk Cousins.
"Let's stop beating around the bush," Theismann said, per the Washington Post. "Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has. Now, Robert is learning to work out of a pocket. He doesn’t look as smooth or as comfortable throwing the football. I mean, your eyes will tell you everything you need to know."
While Theismann realizes the job is RGIII's to lose, the situation would have been different if the pair entered camp on a level playing field, in his opinion.
"It’s going to be a decision that Jay Gruden is going to have to make,” Theismann said. “Right now, Robert Griffin III is his quarterback. Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe he would have to go to, because of the efficiency with which he has run [the offense]. Now Kirk, like I said, is basically a drop-back quarterback. I see Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, I see Kirk Cousins that way. …”
RGII struggled mightily during the clash with the Baltimore Ravens, completing 5-of-8 pass with one interception and three sacks, while Cousins put together an impressive performance with 14-of-20 passes completed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. However, there's an argument to be made that Cousins didn't have to face the first team defence when he entered the game in the second half, which could have explained RGIII struggles.
Theismann revisited the topic later in the game, saying RGIII's poor performance would be a major talking point around the football world and that it's not difficult to see why Cousins deserves the starting role.
“Your eyes don’t lie to you. Robert has struggled in the limited opportunities that he has had. And Kirk Cousins has seized the opportunities that he has had when it comes to playing the position and understanding the offense,” he said.
