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Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins posted a Total QBR over 60 just twice in his first six starts of the season, but he has delivered back-to-back 90-plus games in November. He surged?up the leaderboard?to sixth in the NFL by posting a personal season-best 94.1 Total QBR?on Sunday against Green Bay.If we look only at Weeks 7 through 11, Cousins jumps to third with an 83.5 during that time frame, trailing only Dak Prescott (87.5) and Tom Brady (84.2) and just ahead of Drew Brees (80.0).So what has changed for Cousins?Most importantly, he cut down on his turnovers. Cousins threw at least one interception in five of his first six games and fumbled three times. He was lucky enough not to lose any of them, but as weve brought up before, simply fumbling is a damaging play, even if recovered by the offense.Since then, Cousins has thrown just one pick, and it wasnt a particularly damaging one. It came on a third-and-14 at the Redskins 37-yard line with 2:33 left in the second quarter of an eventual tie against Cincinnati in London. The interception came 44 yards downfield -- in effect it was about as good as an average punt would be, with the Bengals taking over at their own 14.Cousins did fumble three times against Detroit in Week 7 (losing one), but hasnt put the ball on the ground since, and all three of his fumble-free games ended with a Total QBR over 75.Cousins has also taken advantage of favorable third-down situations, and that has helped fuel his QBR rise.From Weeks 1 through 6, no team had a shorter average third-down distance than the Redskins, needing about 6.5 yards per third-down for a conversion. The problem was, Cousins and the offense werent converting. Cousins had a 23.7 raw QBR on third downs early on, garnering just 23 first downs on 57 pass attempts (40.3 percent) while taking four sacks, throwing two interceptions and fumbling two times.Since then, Washington has had slightly more advantageous third downs (6.4 yards needed for a first down), but Cousins has dramatically raised his QBR to 92.3 on those plays, third-highest in the league from Weeks 7 through 11.The main driver (aside from avoiding the turnovers, as weve already covered) is converting those third downs into first downs. The Redskins as a team are converting 55.2 percent of their third downs since Week 7, including 54.5 percent of his pass attempts, third-highest in the league. These are all up sharply from Weeks 1 through 6, when the Redskins converted 37.7 percent of third downs (12th-best) and Cousins completed 40.4 percent of his pass attempts (14th).So by cutting down on turnovers and greatly improving his efficiency on third downs, Cousins has been able pull the Redskins back into the thick of the playoff hunt. ESPNs Football Power Index currently gives the Redskins a 51.3 percent chance to make the playoffs.A look at Cousins progression this season:For more from ESPN Analytics, visit the ESPN Analytics Index.? Nike Air Max Billigt . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Nike Air Max Billigt Rea . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.reaairmaxsverige.com/air-max-97-rabatt/max-97-herr.html . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Off White Skor Sverige . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Nike Air Max 98 Rea . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. RIO DE JANEIRO -- So the plumbing and electricity in the athletes village took several days to fix. Who cares?But no Pokemon Go? Thats an outrage!If there were ever a more First World problem for the Zika-plagued, water-polluted Rio Olympics, its Brazils lack of access to the hit mobile game, which has united players the world over.Since debuting to wild adulation in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand this month, the game from Google spinoff Niantic Inc. has spread like wildfire, launching in more than 30 countries or territories -- but not Brazil.For athletes and other visitors caught up in the wave, not having access is just one more knock against an Olympics that officials are racing to get ready. The opening ceremony takes place next Friday.I wish I could run around in the (athletes) village catching Pokemon, New Zealand soccer player Anna Green said Friday. I just cant get it on the phone. Its fine, but it would have been something fun to do.What will she do instead? Train, she replied.Niantic didnt reply to a request for comment on when the game might be released in Brazil. And though social media rumors point to a Sunday release for the game, similar rumors in Japan resulted in heightened expectations and the sense of delay before its debut there last week.This week, British canoer Joe Clarke tweeted -- with a broken-hearted sad face -- a screenshot of his player on a deserted map near the rugby, equestrian and modern pentathlon venues in Rios Deodoro neighborhood. The map was devoid of PokeStops -- fictional supply caches linked to real-world landmarks. No Pokemon monsters to catch either: There was nary a Starmie nor a Clefairy to be found.Sorry guys no (hash)pokemon in the Olympic Village, tweeted French canoer Matthieu Peche, followed by three crying-face emoji. Getting equal billing in his Twitter stream was a snapshot of a letter of encouragement from French President Francois Hollande.Players with the app already downloaded elsewhere appear to be able to see a digital map of their surroundings when they visit Rio. But without PokeStops or Pokemon, the game isnt much fun. It would be like getting on a football field -- soccer to Americans -- but not having a ball to kiick or goals to defend.dddddddddddd.Many competitors in the athletes village took it in stride, though. Canadian field hockey player Matthew Sarmento said it would give him more time to meet other athletes. But he would have welcomed Pokemon during downtime in competition, adding that sometimes its good to take your mind off the important things and let yourself chill.Athletes might not get Pokemon, but theyll have access to 450,000 condoms, or three times as many as the London Olympics. Of those, 100,000 are female condoms. Officials deny that its a response to the Zika virus, which has been linked to miscarriages and birth defects in babies born to women who have been infected.In Pokemon countries like the U.S., PokeStops are being used to attract living, breathing customers. In San Francisco, for example, dozens of bars, restaurants and coffee shops have set up lures that attract rare Pokemon, along with potential new patrons looking to catch them.Thats presumably one reason why Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes -- plagued by a host of bad news from player robberies to faulty plumbing -- urged Niantic investor Nintendo to release the game in Brazil.Everybody is coming here. You should also come! Paes wrote in Portuguese on his Facebook page , adding the hashtag (hash)PokemonGoNoBrasil -- Pokemon Go in Brazil.His post generated responses such as this: The aquatic Pokemon died with superbugs.Paes didnt respond to requests for interviews.One video circulating virally, with more than 3.5 million views, shows one fan identifying himself as Joel Vieira questioning how Brazil can host the Olympics but not Pokemon.I cant play! I am not allowed to know how it really feels to see the little animals on my cell phone, he said on the video . Because we dont have it in Brazil, yet. But we are having the Olympics.The Olympics kick off next Friday. Will Pikachu be there to witness it? The world is watching with baited Poke-breath.---Business Writer Ryan Nakashima reported from Menlo Park, California. AP writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Rio de Janeiro also contributed to this story. ' ' '