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Redskins: AFC Wild Card matchup an example of quarterback importance

By Ian Cummings

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 07: Running back LeSean McCoy #25 and quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills walk off the field in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Field on January 7, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 07: Running back LeSean McCoy #25 and quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills walk off the field in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Field on January 7, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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You can learn a lot from watching a bad quarterback. Even more from two bad quarterbacks.

Sunday’s AFC Wild Card matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills provided us with a contest of complacency. The guise and deception of ‘good enough’.

It was a matchup between Blake Bortles and Tyrod Taylor. Two quarterbacks with very different backstories, both in a similar place, on the front lawn of the pantheon of signal callers. Both of them starters in the league, yes. But hardly winners.

The final score of the game was 10-3, surefire evidence of the sheer lack of offense that was present. Watching Bortles and Taylor weigh down their respective units makes it clear just how many more bad quarterbacks there are, compared to the good ones. And it shows just how important finding a good quarterback, and keeping them around, is. It’s essential, if a team wishes to win in this league.

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In all reality, there are less than fifteen true starting quarterbacks in the National Football League. And for three years, the Redskins have had one of those quarterbacks. This offseason, they risk running out of road, unless they can make their own.

The most logical option would be to sign Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal. Why? Because he’s not Blake Bortles. Or Tyrod Taylor. He’s a quarterback you can win with. But as Cousins said himself just days ago, it’s not as simple as ‘should I stay or should I go’. And if he does end up leaving, there are limited options. The Redskins could choose Alex Smith as a stop gap, if they play their cards right. Or they could risk drafting their next quarterback of the future, with no guarantee of success.

Only one thing is known in all of this uncertainty. To win in the NFL, you need a quarterback. A starting quarterback. In Sunday’s AFC Wild Card game, there were no starting quarterbacks. One of them had to win, but Blake Bortles won’t be beating the Steelers next week. Because the Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger. They have a starting quarterback.

Sunday’s matchup showed us how important the signal caller is, week in and week out. Competent ones don’t grow on trees. No quarterback is destined to win or lose, but when a quarterback has the ability to win, and the ability to make the necessary plays, you know. The Redskins have a number of options, but they can’t be indecisive.

Next: Grading the Washington Redskins' rookies in 2017

The Cousins situation is under their control. It’s up to them to make sure they aren’t stuck without a quarterback in 2018 and beyond. Because if they fail, they’ll never get farther than Blake Bortles and Tyrod Taylor. ‘Starters’. But not good enough.

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