FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins remembers the first team meeting he had as an NFL player. It was 2012 after he was drafted by Washington. Cousins said he didn't really know the league yet, but soon he and his teammates gained all the basic knowledge they needed for the next few months.
"[Then-Washington head coach] Mike Shanahan walks in the team meeting and first thing: 'We've gotta win the NFC East,'" Cousins said. "Why do you have to win [your division]? You get a home playoff game. That's a game-changer.
"So, that's kind of always where it starts if you want to laser in your focus on what we are trying to do objectively this year.