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Team Notes week 3 2016

NEWS, NOTES, RUMORS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF
Directly from the desk of FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris. The good; the bad; and yes. ... Even the Bears. There is no better way to jump start your weekend than browsing these always educational -- often irreverent -- team-by-team, Fantasy-specific offerings. ...Access specific teams by clicking on a team name in the schedule appearing directly to your left or by clicking on a helmet below; return to the helmets by hitting the link labeled "Menu" following each teams notes. ...
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Arizona Cardinals
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Kyler Murray, Desmond Ridder, Clayton Tune
RBs: James Conner, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado
WRs: Zay Jones, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal
TEs: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim
Atlanta Falcons
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside, Kirk Cousins
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson
WRs: Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Van Jefferson, Scott Miller, Jared Bernhardt, Josh Ali
TEs: Kyle Pitts, MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick
Baltimore Ravens
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
RBs: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon, Keaton Mitchell
WRs: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace
TEs: Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Mark Andrews
Buffalo Bills
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Josh Allen
RBs: James Cook, Latavius Murray, Ty Johnson
WRs: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty
TEs: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris
Carolina Panthers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear
WRs: Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan
TEs: Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Hayden Hurst
Chicago Bears
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman
RBs: Khalil Herbert, D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame
WRs: D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Tyler Scott, Trent Taylor, Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown
TEs: Gerald Everett, Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Jake Tonges
Cincinnati Bengals
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jake Browning, Joe Burrow
RBs: Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams
WRs: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones
TEs: Irv Smith Jr., Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox
Cleveland Browns
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley, Deshaun Watson
RBs: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr., Nick Chubb
WRs: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell
TEs: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant
Dallas Cowboys
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
RBs: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot
Denver Broncos
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham
RBs: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine
WRs: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson
TEs: Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich
Detroit Lions
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater
RBs: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight
WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green
TEs: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell
Green Bay Packers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
RBs: Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon, Patrick Taylor
WRs: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, Malik Heath
TEs: Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Josiah Deguara, Luke Musgrave
Houston Texans
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum, Davis Mills
RBs: Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
WRs: Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Noah Brown, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell
TEs: Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan
Indianapolis Colts
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, Anthony Richardson
RBs: Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull
WRs: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery
TEs: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods
Jacksonville Jaguars
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke
RBs: Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson
WRs: Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, Jamal Agnew, Christian Kirk
TEs: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Elijah Cooks
Kansas City Chiefs
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, Carson Wentz
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WRs: Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson
Los Angeles Rams
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett
RBs: Kyren Williams, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers
WRs: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson
TEs: Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long, Davis Allen
Miami Dolphins
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
RBs: Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Christopher Brooks
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft
TEs: Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill, Tyler Kroft
Minnesota Vikings
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, Sam Darnold
RBs: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham, Kene Nwangwu, Cam Akers
WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor
TEs: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, T.J. Hockenson
New England Patriots
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, JaMycal Hasty
WRs: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Matt Slater, Kendrick Bourne
TEs: Hunter Henry, Pharaoh Brown
New Orleans Saints
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Derek Carr, Jake Haener
RBs: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller
WRs: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Lynn Bowden, Michael Thomas
TEs: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham
New York Giants
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, Daniel Jones
RBs: Devin Singletary, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray
WRs: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard
TEs: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick
New York Jets
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Siemian, Tyrod Taylor, Aaron Rodgers
RBs: Breece Hall, Israel Abanikanda
WRs: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Mike Williams, Charles Irvin
TEs: Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, C.J. Uzomah, Kenny Yeboah
Oakland Raiders
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Brian Hoyer
RBs: Alexander Mattison, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
WRs: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson
TEs: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted
Philadelphia Eagles
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
RBs: Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny
WRs: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins
TEs: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam
Pittsburgh Steelers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky
RBs: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
WRs: George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin
TEs: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington
San Diego Chargers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Easton Stick, Justin Herbert
RBs: Gus Edwards, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, J.K. Dobbins
WRs: Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis
TEs: Donald Parham, Stone Smartt
San Francisco 49ers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Brock Purdy, Josh Dobbs, Brandon Allen
RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk
WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray
TEs: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Brayden Willis, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu
Seattle Seahawks
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Sam Howell, Geno Smith
RBs: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
WRs: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young
TEs: Noah Fant, Will Dissly
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RBs: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn
WRs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Russell Gage
TEs: Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham
Tennessee Titans
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Will Levis, Malik Willis
RBs: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut
WRs: Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook_Ikhine, Tyler Boyd, Kyle Philips, Colton Dowell, Chris Moore
TEs: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco
Washington Redskins
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 21 September 2016Despite losing twice at home, and facing all sorts of problem areas, head coach Jay Gruden wants everyone to "stay positive" and "understand we still have 14 games left" and believe that "all our goals are still reachable."
If those phrases make him sound as if he's living in denial, there is no denying this: A loss next Sunday at the New York Giants (2-0) would leave Washington in a big hole in the NFC East, three games out of first place just three games into the season.
"To be 0-2 at home - losing to the Cowboys, losing to the Steelers - is kind of a shock to everybody," Gruden said Monday. "We expected great things this year. We still do."
As the Associated Press notes, a year after winning their division behind a career season from Kirk Cousins, the Redskins have reason to wonder what is going on with the QB . He has one touchdown pass and three interceptions, including an end-zone pick on third-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's not going to be perfect every week, that's for sure. And no quarterbacks are. It's just a matter of handling his business, going into work the next day and continuing to get better," Gruden said. "Keep his head up and stay confident, stay poised."
Gruden continued: "Sometimes he puts a lot on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great, there's no question about it. And sometimes, if he feels like he's not playing to the standards that we all have set for him, he feels like he's letting everybody down."
There have been problems in the red zone. And on third downs. Cousins' passer rating of 78.5 ranks 27th in the league.
He has not been very accurate: Against Dallas, Cousins overthrew wide-open receivers DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder on plays that very easily could have been TDs.
"It wasn't good enough, obviously," Cousins acknowledged. "I need to play better."
His teammates would agree.
Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that multiple offensive players have begun to complain about Cousins, pointing to a lack of decisiveness, erratic play, and confusion.
Florio asked the source whether the players who are griping would prefer Colt McCoy. Said the source, "At least he'd play with poise."
I suspect this is not something a win or two can't fix.
In addition, there are reasons beyond the obvious that help explain Cousins' struggles.
No quarterback has thrown more often than Cousins' 89 attempts through two games (Jacksonville's Blake Bortles has the same number), and Washington has run the ball a grand total of 29 times, a division of labor that might not serve the Redskins well against the Giants' revamped defense .
"We're not happy with the run-pass balance. Based on the numbers, we're obviously not a 'run-first' team. I'd be standing up here looking like a fool if I said we're a 'pound the rock'-type team right now,'" Gruden said. "First two games, the proof is in the pudding, the numbers."
As the Sports Xchange notes, general manager Scot McCloughan likes to say how much he values a powerful running game. It's how he constructed his rosters in San Francisco and Seattle as an executive. But that's not what he has in place now. That 89 to 29 pass to run ratio is astounding.
McCloughan might blanch at it, but then again what is the coaching staff supposed to do? The talent level at tight end and wide receiver far outpaces what's at running back.
In addition to sounding an optimistic tone Monday, Gruden did say there is plenty his players and coaching staff needed to improve - on offense and defense.
"We've just got to do a better job communicating on defense, making sure we're in the right spot, getting the calls out to the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line. Offensively, making sure we know exactly where to go with the ball, when to go to it, and just do a better job of letting the players know what we're trying to accomplish with each play call, both (on) offense and defense," the coach said. "The players have got to understand what we're doing and do it to the best of their ability."
Still, as ESPN.com's John Keim put it, "If the Redskins are going to climb out of an 0-2 hole, then Cousins has to lead them."
He had a strong finish in 2015, helping the Redskins make the playoffs -- even as the defense continued to have some issues. Not a whole lot has changed in that area. The Redskins already face an absolutely must-win game after only two weeks. In order to turn this around, Cousins must play better.
A few final notes here. ... DeSean Jackson didn't practice on Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. Gruden said that Jackson got hurt sometime in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
As you'd expect, Jackson's status for this week's game came up for discussion but an answer didn't come. Gruden said during his press conference that he has no idea about whether Jackson will be able to play at this point in the week.
The team will practice twice more before setting injury designations for the game on Friday, but it would seem unlikely that Jackson will be on the field if he isn't feeling well enough to work on Thursday or Friday.
Tight end Niles Paul caught a 17-yard pass against the Cowboys on Sunday. It was his first reception since Week 17 of the 2014 season, Paul missed all of last year with a fractured and dislocated left ankle.
TE Vernon Davis played in his 150th career game on Sunday against Dallas.
Rookie receiver Josh Doctson had one reception for 57 yards against the Cowboys. It was the longest reception by a Redskins rookie wide receiver since 2001. He was targeted on four other occasions, with most of those coming in the red zone on fade routes.
DEPTH CHART
QBs:
RBs: Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez
WRs: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle, Mitchell Tinsley
TEs: Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, John Bates