The Washington Redskins have high expectations for the 2014 season with new head coach Jay Gruden leading things and while he has Robert Griffin III as the starter now, there is a chance he could be replaced at some point by Kirk Cousins whether it be for an injury or if he struggles for an extended period, as Washington is looking to bounce back from a 3-13 season.
According to ESPN.com, Joe Theismann made some comments about RG3 and Kirk Cousins, saying that Cousins has outplayed Griffin this preseason, but that Griffin is the starting quarterback. Jay Gruden is going with RG3 and there is no doubt about that, but the team also knows that Griffin could get hurt at some point like he did last season and that could mean Cousins gets some starts again. There is a good chance that Cousins will make a start in 2014 and it comes after he had 854 yards last season with four touchdowns.
While not everyone agrees with Theismann, there are many in the DC area that have not been totally impressed by Griffin and would want cousins to start. Griffin went five of seven for 20 yards in the last game of the preseason and he was sacked three times in that game and also threw an interception in the second half. The Griffin and Cousins debate could go on for a while, but clearly Gruden is going with RG3 to start the season.
The Redskins have a very favorable early schedule and that could be very important as they try to put the struggles of the 2013 season behind them. The team opens the season with the Houston Texans on the road before playing at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars and those are matchups with two of the worst teams in the league from last season and are winnable games. The Redskins have a bye in Week 10 and that stretch of games leading into the off week could decide how the team ends up.
The Redskins play against the Arizona Cardinals on the road to start a three game road stretch in four games and that also includes games against the Cowboys and Vikings. The Dallas game is on Monday night football, while the lone home game is against the Titans and that is a winnable game as well. After the bye week the team opens with the Buccaneers in Week 11 and then plays on the road for a tough game against the 49ers. The team has another stretch of three games in four weeks on the road and those are against the Niners, Colts and Giants, while the Rams are the one home game.
The second half of the schedule has the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles in the division and they all are in the final three games of the season. The last two are at home and once again that stretch could decide who wins the NFC East, which was decided last season in Week 17.