Despite Jay Gruden's assurances, Redskins still incompetent

If the proceedings on Saturday night in Maryland were any kind of audition for the Redskins starting quarterback job, then Kirk Cousins may have brought the NFL unemployment rate down a little.

He went 20-for-27 for a touchdown and an interception in Washington's eventual 31-13 exhibition victory over the Ravens in place of Robert Griffin III, who either was or was not concussed and who will either start or not start Week 1 of the regular season.

Information coming out of Redskins Park has been vague lately, and when not vague, directly overturned or contradicted. First, Griffin had a concussion. Then, maybe the team said he had one so he didn't open his trap to the press. Then, he was cleared to play on Saturday. Then, he wasn't. Then, a report emerged that Cousins would start the season in his place. Then, Jay Gruden refuted it.

Whatever is actually happening in Daniel Snyder's private mental hospital only God knows, and he's not talking. So it falls to us to figure it out for ourselves.

The Redskins (3-0) coughed up an early 13-0 deficit owing to some poor special teams play and Cousins' ill-fated screen pass that was intercepted by Terrell Suggs. Alfred Morris was stuffed on a 4th-and-1 and Cousins fumbled a center exchange. But it was how he recovered from those errors that impressed his coach.

"To see him have a slowish start, throw the interception and bounce back and get those two drives in the other half was impressive," Gruden said afterwards.

Washington would come away with touchdowns on their next four possessions, the first two supplied by Cousins. A pass meant for Andre Roberts bounced into the mitts of Jamison Crowder for a 10 yard score and Cousins would engineer an 82 yard drive capped off by Chris Thompson's 1 yard gash.

But it was the little things that made the difference. Cousins stood firm in the pocket. He made his reads confidently. He made largely the right decisions. Passes for receivers arrived on time and where they could catch them, a novel concept under Cousins' predecessor. He didn't try to take the game into his own hands.

And, most importantly, he remained on his feet. After a legendarily poor showing last Thursday against Detroit, the Redskins' blockers were par for the course against a sturdy Ravens front and Cousins wasn't sacked. Griffin was brought down three times all told by the Lions rushers and knocked around thrice more. 

Now Jay Gruden finds himself with a decision. Does he finally pull the plug on RG3 and go all-in for Cousins or McCoy, who himself led two scoring drives while going 10-for-12 on Saturday? Much of that decision, he says, depends on the health of his presumed starter.

And that, between a pair of neurologists and league protocol, is still up in the air.

"I'm not going to announce anything. There's no controversy," he said. "As far as who's starting at every position, we're going to evaluate that as a staff. I'm not going to make any announcements right now, that's for sure."

It's that lack of announcement that creates the quarterback controversy he wants to avoid. And the seeming incompetence that he denies is native to his organization which first approves of, then denies, the appearance of Robert Griffin in the game plan. Add the fact that after this long an offseason with apparent security at the position, there suddenly is anything but also illustrates that incompetence.

As of Sunday morning, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins. And after his effort this preseason compared to his alleged superior, that's how it should be.