It can't feel good to be a veteran quarterback in the NFL and get benched, only able to watch the action on the field from the sidelines, knowing your team isn't' having you be part of the action. Of course, being benched is more complicated than that, and when the Las Vegas Raiders benched Kirk Cousins last weekend during the team's game against the New England Patriots, there was more to it. They wanted to give rookie Fernando Mendoza a chance to take the field.
But the good news is that Week 6 is a fresh week for Cousins and the Raiders, and some stats show that he has a unique chance to shine against the Buffalo Bills.
Kirk Cousins has a chance to bounce back in Week 6
USA Today has released its take on the "risers and sleepers" on each NFL team after the action in Week 5, and one of the risers is Cousins. In the piece, Elisha Twerski of the outlet says not to sleep on him.
"Through five weeks, Cousins ranks as fantasy's QB6," he notes in the piece. "The veteran has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of five contests and surpassed 240 yards in all but one."
He adds this tidbit: "In Week 6, he'll be taking on a Bills team that's ceded the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks with MNF pending."
So, those who weren't happy to see Cousins benched last week can look ahead and know that he has a real opportunity against the Buffalo Bills. Of course, the Bills are hungry to keep their winning streak going, and they're 4-1 for the season. But Vegas also wants to get above its three wins this season, so expect a competitive game.
