Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith will face-off on Monday Night, and it will be very important for Cousins to do most of the heavy lifting in this game. Smith has Kareem Hunt to hand the ball to, and that will lighten the load a lot for him. Many people were taking Cousins in fantasy because they thought that he would have to do everything in this game, and I happen to agree. It is much easier to get Cousins to pass for 400 yards when he has no running game, and it is much easier for the Chiefs to hide Smith from that Redskins defense. The comparison between the two is obvious as neither are superstars, but tonight Cousins has to give his team the best performance in order to win.
What about Tyreke Hill?
It is true that Tyreke Hill can do a lot for the Chiefs tonight because he will be the receiver of many passes from Alex Smith, but the Chiefs are not desperate for Hill to perform well. The Chiefs can dump off to Travis Kelce a few times, and they will be fine. The Chiefs could easily win this game if the offense has a decent game, but the Redskins need a lot more from their offense to win this game.
League-wide audition
Kirk Cousins is probably auditioning for the 49ers if they want to sign him in the offseason, but there are plenty of teams who might bid for him. There is a reason for the Colts to give him a go, and the Jets might want to sign him instead of drafting someone.
The Dolphins could make the change, or we could see him go to Jacksonville if this Jaguars staff falls out of love with Blake Bortles. It all depends on what people want, and Cousins has to be very good every game to make sure that he gets that long term deal that he is looking for.
The Chiefs' defense
Cousins could make a statement if he cuts up the Chiefs' defense, and that would be a good indication that he can play on an elite level.
We are still having a conversation about how good Cousins is, and he can put a lot of that to rest if he has a good game tonight. He will have to do everything for the Redskins, but he is more than capable. He just needs to show us that he is ready to be the leader who puts the team on his back. He has to get by a very good defense in Kansas City that will not give him an inch.
That means passing into small windows, forcing plays to extend, and getting the ball to people who can make plays. Anything less is just not good enough, and it could hurt his stock in the offseason.
Kirk Cousins has to keep making statements in every game, and he needs to outshine someone like Alex Smith so that he can make a case for a big contract.
