Daily Slop: Cousins Shines in First Start; Are you now Convinced the Redskins are a Complete Team?

Redskins 38, Browns 21: Ten Observations | WashingtonExaminer.com
Dallas beating Pittsburgh also means the Cowboys control their playoff chances. There’s a real chance the finale will be for the NFC East title. Yep, just like everyone thought a month ago. There’s also a chance that the loser of that game ends up with nothing.

Cousins shines in first start | WashingtonExaminer.com
The 54-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson. It came after four series in which the Redskins gained no first downs. Cousins ran a bootleg to the right; I thought this would be a big part of the game plan, but did not see it much early. Anyway, it worked as Hankerson ran from the backside. "I could have run it for a good gain, but just felt like it was a lot of space over the top," Cousins said. "There was no safety there to take it away and let it rip, and I trusted Hank to make me right and Hank did that." Hankerson said, "As I’m running across the field I see the safety come down and I looked back at the quarterback and I see Kirk winding up to throw it and I knew he was throwing to me. He did a great job reading the coverage and getting the ball out."

The Redskins Blog | Cousins Wowed By Text From Kurt Warner
Cousins said the text from Warner congratulated him on a good game and told him to let him know if he ever needed anything throughout his career. The Michigan State product said he grew up watching and studying the career of Warner, who won league MVP in 1999 and 2001 and won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams. "I’ve always respected him as a player and a man," Cousins said.

Are you now convinced the Redskins are a complete team?
If you were not before, are you now buying into the Shanahan Plan? Are you convinced he’s built a complete team capable of beating anyone in the NFL? Did winning with Kirk Cousins and a well-rounded effort do anything to change that perception?

Injuries suddenly piling up on Redskins’ offensive line
But they ended Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns minus two starters on the offensive line. Right tackle Tyler Polumbus suffered a concussion and center Will Montgomery suffered a knee injury. According to the Redskins, Montgomery suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament. Montgomery said the injury occurred when a Browns defender blocked by Redskins left tackle Trent Williams fell into his leg.

Leonard Hankerson records first two-touchdown game
It marked the first multiple-touchdown game of the second-year Miami product’s career. It was also only the second time this season that a Redskins receiver has had multiple touchdowns in the same game. (Santana Moss had two in Week 7.) "Any touchdown is special. I’m just glad I was able to go out there and help my team come out on top," said Hankerson, who on the season has 36 catches for 521 yards and three touchdowns (all career highs).

Cousins: 'This Isn't My First Rodeo'
"[Cousins has] got a lot of confidence and you can see that in practice," Shanahan said post game. "He knew it was a challenge, and I thought he stepped up and just got more comfortable as the game went on."

Jackson, Kerrigan Set Tone For Defense In Win
"Again, Rob Jackson, that dude is just playing out of his mind," linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. "He's grown as a player, and he's going to continue to get better."

Redskins, Cowboys or Giants: Who will win NFC East? - NFL.com
Redskins have the edge The Redskins currently are in first place. They'll claim the division title if they win out against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cowboys the next two weeks. With just four conference losses so far, the Redskins also stand a better chance than most of lucking into a wild-card spot even if they finish 9-7.

Open thread: Casserly on Cousins' trade value - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Charley Casserly tells us what he thinks the Redskins could get in a trade for Kirk Cousins. Do you think the Redskins should look to trade him this offseason? If so, do you agree with Casserly's assessment of his value? Or is it way to early to be talking about this? By the way, bonus credibility if you confess that you railed against taking Cousins in the fourth round at the time. Check out the video and let us know...

Need to Know: Will the Cowboys game get flexed? - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Normally the Sunday night game is determined 12 days before the game is played. But on the last weekend they wait until the Week 16 games have been played (and next week’s slate will be over on Sunday, not Monday night game on Christmas Eve). So look for word on when Redskins-Cowboys will be played a week from today.

DALY: Don't try to grasp it, just enjoy Redskins' ride - Washington Times
"It’s something you can feel, but it’s hard to explain," Barry Cofield said after the Washington Redskins' 38-21 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, their fifth straight.

Kirk Cousins' NFL potential, as told by Michigan State's Mark Dantonio - Washington Times
"He's very goal-oriented. And then attention to detail. And I think he's a very confident young man," Dantonio said in a phone interview Wednesday. "He's mature beyond the college years he was here and he's able to lead. He's a tremendous leader on the field. … Physically I think he's a gifted athlete, he's got a great arm, all those different type of things. But I think playing quarterback a lot of times is more than just throwing the football. It comes down to the ability to lead and being able to get in and out of the right call and the decision-making process."

RGIII celebrates Redskins touchdowns in Cleveland
"This is the team that I play for, I play for those guys in there," Griffin told reporters after the game. "And if I can’t help them on the field, I can certainly help them on the sidelines….When you’re not playing, you try to make sure you stay engaged in the game….It was good to see it from that perspective."

Coach Mike Shanahan making the right decisions in the building process - The Washington Post
COLUMN | With a backup QB and a patchwork defense, Redskins validate Mike Shanahan’s decisions.

Kirk Cousins Wins it for Redskins / WWE Slammy Award Winners | 4th & Pain with Adam Carriker and Chuck Carroll
The Washington Redskins didn't need RGIII to beat the Cleveland Browns as Kirk Cousins shined in the first start of his NFL career. Plus, Adam Carriker and Chuck Carroll hand out their own WWE Slammy Awards!