Cousins Can Up His Game Even Further With More Use of His Legs

by Jamual Forrest

In quarterback Kirk Cousins’ Wednesday press conference he was asked if there was a difference in his game when he’s able to run the ball. In response, he stated “Yeah, you know, when you play man coverage, that’s sometimes something the defense can be susceptible to is the quarterback running but I don’t try to abort the play early or quit on a read in order to just run.” He’s right – you don’t want to give up on a play too quick as a quarterback; however you don’t want to get caught looking downfield too long when defensive coverage seems sound.

As good as Cousins’ mobility is, he has only 96 rushing yards on the season with a 2.8 yards per carry average. He’s not as shifty as Aaron Rodgers but he has similar speed to him and others like Andy Dalton and Matthew Stafford who all have over 4 yards per carry on the ground. Their ability to scramble is an extension to their ability to be an effective passer. If Cousins can buy into using his legs more it can take a defender out of coverage as well. To this point, Cousins added, “[y]ou want to give defenses a lot to think about and when the quarterback is an element to run the football that certainly is one more thing to factor into the coverages you call and the preparation you do. So it’s a great thing to have, but you never want to sacrifice it or sacrifice other elements of your game to run the ball.” He certainly gave the Bears defense a lot to think about in week 16, where outside of the 2 touchdown keepers, he had 2 scrambles for 21 yards and 2 third down conversions.

In the first Giants game earlier this season, he had a lot of success throwing the ball, but he had just 1 rush for negative yards. With the assumption that their starters are playing and the Redskins already in playoff mode, it is vital that Cousins continue to use his legs, especially against a secondary that does well against the pass and a defensive front that is 9 th in quarterback hurries. As far as big picture though, this is an asset that Cousins needs to implement more often to extend drives and make a play with his legs because he is capable.