Once a fourth-round afterthought, Kirk Cousins is now the lead man in D.C.

After serving as the primary backup for three years, Kirk Cousins has seized his opportunity to shine, helping put Washington in a position to make a playoff run

This wasn’t the way things were supposed to work out this year in D.C. At least not for Robert Griffin III.

The former Offensive Rookie of the Year and beloved upstart quarterback was supposed to regain controls of the offensive and start all 16 games this year.

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RG3 was supposed to carry the offense in his hands, while his backup Kirk Cousins was supposed to carry a clipboard in his.

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But as fate would have it, Griffin would get knocked out of a preseason game with a concussion, giving Cousins a chance to establish himself as the starting quarterback. The script was suddenly flipped, and Washington’s former fourth-round draft pick supplanted the first-round pick from the same draft class.

Earlier in the season, it seemed like the only person who believed in Cousins was his former head coach, Mike Shanahan.

“He’s a guy that has the potential to be a Pro Bowl quarterback, year-in and year-out,” Shanahan said, according to Clinton Yates of the Washington Post. “I think he’s a guy that can take your team and win a Super Bowl. And that’s the biggest compliment I can give somebody.”

Shanahan has always been Cousins’ biggest supporter, so the claims were easy to consider balderdash. The first juncture of Cousins’ 2015 season didn’t feature a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, either.

The soft-spoken Michigan State alumnus started the season slow, leading Washington to a 3-4 record entering the bye week. At that point, Cousins had tossed nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not great numbers at all.

But once DeSean Jackson returned to the field, things started heating up for Cousins and the ‘Skins. Since Jackson’s week 9 return against New England, Cousins has thrown 13 TDs compared to only three INTs.

Cousins posted the best possible quarterback rating — 158.3 — against New Orleans, and he’s had a rating surpassing 100 in five of his last seven games. He’s not just filling up the stat sheet, either. Cousins is showing poise and leadership, which are two things his predecessor lacked.

In a crucial week 4 game against Philadelphia, Washington blew a lead late in the game. After being up 13-0, Washington was outscored 20-3. Cousins delivered, though, completing a 90-yard drive by rifling a gutty pass and finding Pierre Garcon for the go-ahead touchdown.

That wasn’t Cousins’ only clutch moment of the year, though.

Against Tampa Bay, Washington was down 24 points. A lot of quarterbacks would’ve tried to get everything back in one play, and the Cousins of 2014 would’ve been guilty of the same thing. But not this Cousins. Not Captain Kirk.

Cousins was cool under pressure and threw a touchdown with 24 seconds left to complete the largest comeback in Redskins history. Cousins looks like a completely different quarterback this year, and he’s the main catalyst for Washington’s rise.

The 27-year-old, nice-guy quarterback has been the best quarterback in the division this year. In fact, Cousins’ 69.7 completion percentage is good for best in the league among quarterbacks with a minimum of three games starting.

He’s done a fantastic job spreading the ball around to guys like Jackson, Jordan Reed (criminally underrated), Pierre Garcon and rookie Jamison Crowder.

Oct 25, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrates with family members in the stands after the Redksins

Cousins has done more than just lead Washington to first place in the NFC East. He’s also proven to Washington he’s the guy who can lead this team for years to come.

It’s worth remembering Cousins has never had the luxury of entering the season as the if he were the starting quarterback. Every season, he’s come in with the expectation to be a solid backup who can play in spurts, but a player who is incapable of leading a team. It’s safe to say that ceiling has been shattered by Cousins.

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He’s not a guy with Cam Newton-like swagger or Tom Brady-like rah-rah vocal leadership. Cousins chooses to lead by example, and he’s doing a damn good job of it.

“He may grow into that type of role but there are great ways to lead – you don’t have to be a vocal leader or yell at guys to lead,” head coach Jay Gruden said, according to Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com. “I think if you lead by example, by your work ethic and holding people to high standards, he’s in good shape. He’s doing a good job of that.”

Gruden isn’t wrong by saying Cousins isn’t a very vocal type of guy. Cousins’ biggest verbal outburst of the year came after the Tamp Bay game when he yelled “You like that!” to reporters.

Cousins has a low-key demeanor, but his teammates believe in him.

“It’s the nature of our sport. It’s a prove yourself sport,” left tackle Trent Williams, according to Czarda. “Nobody’s going to be behind you if you haven’t done anything and everybody wants to see you play. So Kirk embraced that and came out here to show people what he’s got.”

Getting that kind of endorsement from the heart of the team speaks volumes about Cousins’ development. For the first time in his career, he’s not just stand-in at quarterback. He’s the lead man.

It’s easy to lampoon Washington for its woeful decisions over the years. But this organization deserves credit for nabbing a second quarterback in the 2012 draft. The move, which seemed inconsequential at the time, may have saved this season for Washington.

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Although he was once considered to be nothing more than trade bait, Cousins won’t get a chance to hit the open market in the offseason.

For those of you who think Cousins may end up fizzling out like RG3, it’s important to remember Griffin’s success came mostly in a gimmicky offense focused on the read-option. While Cousins has displayed a surprising ability to run the ball, he’s a pocket passer, not a run-first guy.

Cousins and the ‘Skins need to finish the season strong, though. A win Saturday at Philadelphia would clinch the NFC East and silence more doubters.

So whether you like that or not, it might be time to start taking Cousins and the Redskins seriously.