Washington Redskins: Terrelle Pryor will help Kirk Cousins throw deep

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t known for the long ball, but Terrelle Pryor may improve that part of his game.

There’s no denying that the Washington Redskins offense has taken strides forward under quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, Cousins hasn’t been perfect. And one noticeable deficiency in his game has been the deep ball. The good news is that may be about to change in the 2017 season.

Can Terrelle Pryor spark some down field bravery in Cousins? Cousins averaged approximately eight yards per pass last season. He completed 67 percent of his passes thrown, so getting the ball out and to the desired targets isn’t the issue. This is about getting confident in the deep pass downfield and believing in the receivers. Pryor helps that.

For me, Pryor is the X-factor for the 2017 season. When you hear about player making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, rarely is it successful. Pryor is the exception as he posted a 1,000-yard season at receiver. Are you kidding me? Consider it risk or promise of things to come.

According to CBS DC’s Brian Tinsman, Cousins likes what he sees in Pryor:

"“I like it because I’ve never had a conversation with a receiver like I’ve had with him where he said, ‘Yeah, it was two-invert, so I took it to the post. It was quarters on the backside,’” Cousins said.  “He really can see it and he’s going to hold me accountable, so you take the good with the bad. I love it.”"

What makes Pryor interesting and one to watch this season is that he also carries the mind of a quarterback. That shouldn’t be shunned, but embraced. He can see the route from Cousins’ point of view and forecast what needs to be done for completion of the play.

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Having someone like this on the team should help Cousins build momentum and confidence in the deep ball, which will help the Redskins get in the red zone more often.