Kirk Cousins — Week 8: 19 of 26, Four Touchdowns

Kirk Cousins had his best game of the season against the Jets: 19 of 26 for 247 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, sacked once, plus a 1-yard touchdown run. Over 27 dropbacks he was worth +16.4 expected points added (EPA), what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, +0.61 per dropback. The +16.4 was his highest this season, ahead of +11.5 in Week 6. His completion percentage over expected (CPOE), how often he completed passes against what their difficulty predicted, was +15.1.

The throw that defined his day came down 30-28 on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Second and 11 at his own 42: he threw short left to Ashton Jeanty, who caught it 2 yards behind the line and ran to the Jets' 13 for 45 yards, +3.7 EPA and 18.4 points of win probability, the estimate of each side's chance to win. Five snaps later, on third and 2 at the 2, he threw short right to Jalen Nailor for the touchdown and a 35-30 lead after the extra point.

Third down was where he did his work. His first touchdown came down 3-0 in the first quarter, third and 12 at the Jets' 12, short left to Brock Bowers. His second, down 23-14 in the third, was a 2-yarder to Bowers on third and 2. In between he converted third and 3 and third and 7 with 12-yard throws to Nailor, and his three runs up the middle, 3 yards on third and 2, the touchdown from the 1 and 1 yard on third and 1 with 3:26 left, all worked. The miss: third and 2 at his own 40 late in the first quarter, sacked by Will McDonald IV for 9.

It was well above his season. Through Week 7 he was at +0.13 per dropback, +36.5 EPA on 274, with a CPOE of -2.0. Last week against the Rams it was 26 of 44 and -7.4 passing EPA.

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_Data via nflverse._