So much happened Thursday, let’s take a chance to look back on some comments that did not make the initial stories after the game.
Washington coach Jay Gruden on wrapping three games in 11 days, including playing last Sunday in primetime, then traveling for the Thursday afternoon game:
“I think they handled it great. We got a lot of work in Tuesday and Wednesday, and then fly on a plane, and then play here on Thanksgiving after a night game on Sunday was hard on these players, and coaches for that matter. Try and get a game plan together but they did. They were prepared. They were ready mentally and physically, but I think three games in 11 days is tough. I’m going to give them three days off, here, starting right [on Thursday night], and they’ll be back to work on Monday. This will be a good healing time to get their minds and bodies back into good shape, good spirits and come back Monday and be ready for the Arizona Cardinals”
Losing a second time to Dallas all but ends a chance for the Redskins to repeat as NFC East division champions. Gruden was aware:
“We’ve been in third place for a while now, so we have to understand where we are and what it’s going to take to get an opportunity to come back here in the future. We have to play our butts off. It starts with Arizona. We don’t have a lot of margin for error as do a lot of teams in the NFL at this point in time. The last five games of the year are critical.”
Kirk Cousins had another huge game, throwing for 449 yards. The total made him only the fifth NFL quarterback to post 400-plus yards, at least three touchdowns and no interceptions in a game this season, joining Drew Brees (Sept. 11 vs. Oakland), Tom Brady (Oct. 9 vs. Cleveland), Derek Carr (Oct. 30 vs. Tampa Bay) and Ben Roethlisberger (Nov. 13 vs. Dallas):
“We said it all along. When I was playing in 2012 as a rookie and 2013 and 2014, it takes time. Anyone who works in journalism and the media, you’re better now than you were five years ago. It’s just the way the world works and I knew if I just stayed at it and keep working, I would eventually improve, improve and improve. I think we’re seeing that from some degree on the field this season and last season. By no means do I feel this journey is over.”
Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins had a shaky day, going 2-for-4 on his field-goal attempts. He missed a 55-yard kick that Gruden thought Hopkins could make “nine out of 10 times.” Hopkins thought he had it:
“It’s a makeable kick. It’s not like it is out of my range. Looking at the ball, I thought I struck it well. I just led it right.”
Redskins defensive end Chris Baker had a sack, but the defense overall did little to stop the Cowboys:
“Winning and losing in the NFL, you know? One play here, one play there. You just have to find ways to make those plays. Dallas did a good job at always responding when our offense responded. We just have to get better on defense.”
Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant on rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott:
“Those rookies are leaders. We’re behind them 100 percent. They are phenomenal players. They are extremely blessed and we just want to be there for them. They’re [expletive] great.”
Dallas owner Jerry Jones watched the Redskins roll up 505 yards against his Cowboys:
“I am going to give Washington all of their due. We knew they were a really fine, outstanding offensive team. We will probably change some things up the next time we play them. Don’t discount that, that we could play them again. We will probably do that. I don’t know if I would want to do much different, if they would let us, on the offense. We would probably throw something a little different at them. Credit their quarterback who played at a much higher level than our first game. We actually had a lot of respect for their defense.”
Dallas coach Jason Garrett has helped guide his team to 10 consecutive wins. Washington has been the victim on the the bookends of the streak, starting it and losing again Thursday. The Redskins have lost two games to Dallas this season by a total of nine points:
“What they’ve done most of the year is they’ve done a good job of driving the football. It was going to be critical for us to get off the field on third down or slow them down in the red zone and force them to kick field goals. They missed a couple of field goals. They tried for another one. When you don’t cash in on those drives, it’s frustrating for an offense. They were up and down the field. But at critical moments on defense, we made some big stops that really changed the complexion of the game.”
Finally, some notes from the day:
· The Redskins gained 505 yards of offense. Including a 515-yard game last week, the Redskins have now recorded 500 yards of offense in consecutive games for the first time in team history.· The Redskins set a team record by recording their third 500-yard game this season, passing the two 500-yard games recorded in each of the 1950, 1981, 1989 and 1999 seasons.
· The Redskins recorded their seventh 400-yard offensive output of the season, tying the 1983 and 1989 Redskins for the second-most in a season in team history. The Redskins are one 400-yard game shy of tying the team record of eight, set in 2013.
· The Redskins have now reached 400 yards in back-to-back games and in five of their last six games.
· The Redskins exceeded 300 yards of offense in a 15th consecutive regular season game, dating back to last season, for the first time since a team-record 17-game stretch across the 1987-88 seasons.
· Cousins completed 41-of-53 passes for 449 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished the game with a passer rating of 120.7.
· The 449 passing yards were the second-most in a game in Cousins’ career, trailing only a 458-yard overtime game against Cincinnati in Week 8.
· Cousins claimed sole possession of the most career 400-yard passing games in team history with his third career 400-yard effort, passing Sonny Jurgensen and Mark Rypien (two each).
· With his second 400-yard passing game of the season, Cousins became the first player in team history to record multiple 400-yard passing games in a single season.
· Cousins has now thrown three touchdown passes in consecutive games for the first time since a three-game stretch in Weeks 15-17 of the 2015 season.
· Cousins pushed his passing touchdowns total this season to 20. His 2015-16 seasons mark the fifth time in team history a quarterback has produced back-to-back 20-touchdown seasons (Joe Theismann in 1983-84, Sonny Jurgensen in 1966-67 and 1969-70, and Sammy Baugh in 1947-48).
· Cousins added to his team record with his 18th career 300-yard game (including 17 in regular season play).
· The game was Cousins’ sixth 300-yard performance of the season, the second-most in team history. He trails only his own team record of seven 300-yard games, set in the 2015 season.
· Cousins has now exceeded 350 passing yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He is the first Redskins quarterback to accomplish the feat since Jay Schroeder in Weeks 8-9 of the 1986 season.
· Cousins’ 3,540 passing yards in 2016 now rank 10th-most in a single season in team history.
· Cousins has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 26 of 27 regular season games since assuming the starting role prior to the 2015 season, including each of the last 10 games dating back to Week 2.
· Cousins completed 18-of-26 passes for 216 yards in the first half, marking the sixth 200-yard first half of his career and his first since Week 16 of the 2015 season.
· Tight end Jordan Reed gained 95 yards on a team-high 10 receptions with two receiving touchdowns.
· Reed (2,546) passed Don Warren (2,536) for fourth-most career receiving yards by a tight end in team history.
· With two touchdowns Reed tied Clint Didier (19) for fourth-most by a tight end in Redskins history.
· Reed (241) surpassed Brian Mitchell (232) and Larry Brown (238) for 13th on the Redskins’ all-time receptions list.
· Cousins recorded the 65th touchdown pass of his career on a five-yard pass to Reed in the fourth quarter.
· Jackson finished the game with a season-high 118 yards on four receptions, including the touchdown.
· The 100-yard receiving game was the 29th of Jackson’s career and his first since Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh. It was Jackson’s ninth career 100-yard game as a member of the Redskins, tying Garçon for 10th most in team history.
· The Redskins concluded the first half with an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive culminating with a 20-yard field goal by Hopkins. The Redskins started the drive with 1:45 remaining in the half, marking the first points the Redskins had scored this season on a drive beginning in the final two minutes of a half.
· Hopkins scored eight points in the contest to post the 26th 100-point season in team history. He is the first member of the Redskins to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons since Graham Gano in 2010-11.
· Wide receiver Pierre Garçon extended his streak of consecutive regular season games played with a reception to 97, the sixth-longest active streak in the NFL (Larry Fitzgerald, 189; Brandon Marshall, 154; Steve Smith Sr., 137; Jason Witten, 129; Michael Crabtree, 104). Sixty-eight of the games in Garçon’s streak have come with Washington, the third-longest streak by a member of the Redskins since the 1970 merger.
· Wide receiver Jamison Crowder recorded a 38-yard reception in the first quarter. Including 44- and 53-yard receptions last week, Crowder has now recorded a reception of 35 or more yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
· Tight end Derek Carrier recorded his first catch of the season on a four-yard gain in the third quarter. It was his first reception since Week 14 of the 2015 season at Chicago.
· Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan started his 91st consecutive game, tied for second-most among active NFL linebackers. Kerrigan has not missed a start in his NFL career.
· Kerrigan pushed his season sack total to 9.0 with a sack in the second quarter. He enters Sunday’s game one sack shy of the league lead (10.0, three players tied).
· Kerrigan’s sack gave the Redskins a sack in a 19th consecutive regular season game, dating back to last season. Entering the game, Washington’s active streak ranked second in the NFC and fifth in the NFL.
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