Washington Redskins: 5 Must-watch games on 2019 schedule

2. Minnesota Vikings, Week 8 (Oct. 24 – Thursday Night Football)

You knew this one was going to be on the list, right? Squaring off against former quarterback Kirk Cousins in a Thursday night game (one of just two primetime games the Redskins have in 2019) should be fun. The only way this could’ve gotten any better is if it was home for Washington. Sadly, it’s at the Minnesota Vikings home stadium.

There’s no denying Cousins was a very good quarterback for Washington. That being said, though, there’s a very strong argument that they were never going to get over the hump with him at the helm.

Cousins brings a lot to the table but struggled in big games and was often criticized for stat-padding (getting his numbers up at the end of already decided games. His ineffectiveness in big-time games for the Redskins wore on fans quickly.

Now, he’s in the spotlight with Washington once again — this time, it’s a primetime game against the Redskins. Will he continue to flounder in that spot, or will he show growth?

Most importantly, how will the Redskins stack up against him? The Vikings are a very solid all-around team with a great offense. This is no easy game for the Redskins. They were 13-3 just two seasons ago (last year, in their first season with Cousins, they went 8-7-1). Can the Redskins prove they made the right move by letting Cousins walk in free agency? Or will things go sour and make them second-guess that decision?

What makes this most fun is that all three quarterbacks would add intrigue to the game. For Dwayne Haskins, he’s the new future of the franchise at quarterback. He could show that the Redskins moved on swiftly and are better off for it.

If the quarterback is Colt McCoy, he was the backup to Cousins while in Washington. There were times when fans wanted him in the game over Cousins (and Robert Griffin III). To be honest, this seems like a tradition with Redskins fans.

They always want the backup in over the starter. Then once they get their wish, want the backup in over the starter again (except the roles are reversed now). It’s a cycle that will hopefully end with Haskins. In any case, can McCoy prove that he could lead just as well as (or even better than) Cousins did?

Finally, if Case Keenum is the starter, things get interesting for both sides. Keenum was the Vikings starter the year they went 13-3. They decided to let him walk last free agency though and sign Cousins, promptly having a much worse year in 2018. In fact, they didn’t even make the playoffs. Keenum has his chance for revenge, just like Cousins does.