Five years later, that locker room snub might seem like a petty thing to hold on to, an affront that has no relevance now. After all, Griffin is out of the league, while Cousins has been Washington’s starter for three seasons. The team, whose front office declined comment for this story, has paid him $44.3 million over the past two years under the franchise tag, and he might eventually become the NFL’s highest-paid player.
But to understand why the marriage between Washington and Cousins has always been an uneasy one, you need to understand the importance of that moment. It was a slight that planted a seed that sprouted into a belief. That belief, over time, hardened.
When are they ever going see me, Cousins wondered, as something other than a scrappy fourth-round pick?
Joe had a concussion and a cut ear, coach John Harbaugh said. They were stitching it up without any anesthesia, so he’s a tough dude. That’s as much as I know.
Flacco went 10 for 15 for 101 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin.
After losing four of five to fall under .500 for the first time this season, the Ravens put it all together with a showing that included a 63-yard interception return by C.J. Mosley and a 50-yard pick-six by Jimmy Smith.
We coached a lot better, obviously. And we played a lot better, Harbaugh said. It was just a much better game for us.
The Dolphins (4-3) came in with a three-game winning streak after rallying from 17- and 14-point deficits in the previous two weeks. There would be no comeback in this one, not against a swarming Baltimore defense that limited Miami to 196 yards.
