Kirk Cousins — Week 9: Three Interceptions
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Wednesday, Nov 11
Cousins completed 22 of 32 passes for 216 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, on four interception-worthy throws against the 49ers, and ran in a 2-yard score, in Las Vegas's 38-17 loss at San Francisco.
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The full read
Kirk Cousins had his worst game of the season against the 49ers, a week after his best: 22 of 32 for 216 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, never sacked, plus a 2-yard rushing touchdown in a 38-17 loss. Over 32 dropbacks he was worth -12.9 expected points added (EPA), what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, -0.40 per dropback.
The charting puts it on the throws. Four of his 32 were interception-worthy, balls a defender should have caught, 12.5% against 2.5% through Week 8, the highest rate of the 28 charted teams this week, and San Francisco held 3. The pass rush was not the cause: the 49ers sent five or more on 7 of his 32 dropbacks, he left the pocket 4 times, and he was never sacked. The rest of the ball was catchable at his usual rate, 71.9% against 71.1%.
The play that broke it was his first of the second half. Down 21-10, first and 10 at his own 30, he lost the ball, recovered it at the 23 and threw for Tre Tucker; Jaden Dugger intercepted at the 35 and returned it for a touchdown, -8.1 EPA and 9.1 points of win probability, the estimate of each side's chance to win. Two later completions ended in fumbles, Brock Bowers's at the San Francisco 26 and Michael Mayer's at the 1. In the fourth quarter Renardo Green intercepted him in the end zone on second and 13, and Malik Mustapha on fourth and 11.
In between, he hit Bowers for a 21-yard touchdown deep over the middle on second and 4, 28-16 before the extra point, +2.6 EPA. Off play-action he went 6 of 7 for 66; off straight dropbacks, 16 of 25 for 150. He scored the Raiders' first touchdown himself, 2 yards up the middle on second and 1 in the second quarter.
Through Week 8 he was at +0.16 per dropback, +47.6 EPA on 301 dropbacks, with five interceptions in eight games; his previous low was -0.18 in Week 7. His completion percentage over expected (CPOE), how often he completed passes against what their difficulty predicted, was +5.5 here against -0.4 coming in. The completions were there; the giveaways were the cost.
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_Data via nflverse. Charting: FTN Data via nflverse._
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