ASHBURN, Va. -- The last thing Kirk Cousins wants to do is get caught up in playing on Monday Night Football. But he doesn’t want to ignore the moment either, so he plans on taking it all in.

“It would be a shame if I didn’t,” Cousins said.

It’s the first time Cousins will start a game on Monday night. Cousins has started two other prime time games, two on Thursday night: blowout losses to the New York Giants in which he threw a combined six interceptions. He also lost to Seattle at home on a Monday night.

Monday night carries a different significance. And, yes, Cousins was a little corny in talking about it, but he was honest.

“I remember sitting as a high school kid and staying up late with friends and you’re just kind of looking at the stars,” Cousins said, “and you make a wish on a shooting star and my wish was to play in the NFL. So the fact that you get to live that dream, you forget it because you’re so involved in the job. But there’s no doubt I feel I’m living a dream.”

The Redskins need that dream to have a happy ending to remain in first place in the NFC East -- and to even their record at 6-6. Cousins’ play of late has been a pleasant dream for Washington: He’s the NFL’s top-rated passer in the last five weeks with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.

But playing on Monday represents another notch in his career.

“Knowing there will be people back in my hometown of Holland, Michigan watching me play on Monday Night Football,” Cousins said, “is something that if you were to have told me that would happen in high school, I would have told you that you were smoking something. It’s a dream for me and it’s a thrill.”

But he added, “It’s always a balance to recognize that, but also execute the job at hand and not treat it like it’s too big.”