ASHBURN, Va. -- The mutual admiration before a game leads to quotes that can cause a little eye-rolling. That wasn't the case when Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins discussed New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Cousins was blunt about Brady.
"He's the GOAT -- he's the greatest of all time," Cousins said. "He's done it for a reason. I have really only talked to him once but I did tell him the one time I talked to him, 'I study you, you do it at the highest level.' So he's kind of set the standard for all of us to follow. It's a high standard to meet. That's the goal, certainly, every year, every offseason to work and to prepare to try and play at the level he does week-in and week-out."
Cousins and the Redskins got a chance to watch Brady up close during their three-day practice session in 2014 training camp. Redskins coach Jay Gruden said that when he was a younger coach, Brady was the quarterback he watched most. He still studies him.
"He is usually the guy that I put on first to learn about the quarterback position," Gruden said. "His mechanics in the pocket are perfect. His reads, his leadership, his accuracy, he’s got great touch on the football when he needs it, his pocket presence is outstanding, but there is really not anything you can say negative about the guy. Obviously, we’re going to have to get him off his spot. We’re going to have to rush the passer in order to have a chance, somehow, some way.”
As for Cousins, he won't get a chance to learn a lot from Brady on Sunday when the Redskins visit New England. He'll be too busy talking with coaches about his own offense.
"That's more of an offseason thing," Cousins said. "But it's a great opportunity to go up against a guy of that caliber."