Washington Redskins vs Green Bay Packers

The Redskins would go down the field and appear to score on a DeSean Jackson touchdown, but a review called it back and they had to settle for a field goal, which derailed some big momentum to jump on Green Bay early.

It is a wildly encouraging development for Rodgers and the Packers, who hadn’t scored at least 35 points in a game since way back in Week 3 at home against Kansas City, and had only once before in their illustrious postseason history overcome a playoff deficit of at least 11 points, that coming in 2007 at home against Seattle in the Divisional round (trailing 14-0 before winning 42-20).

It looked like the same old problems early against Washington when the Packers fell behind 11-0 and couldn’t move the ball. Washington’s defense held the Packers’ rushing attack to 17 yards on nine carries in the first half, but Eddie Lacy and James Starks started rolling in the second half. They had all of 11 yards – yes, just 11 – after one quarter.

COUSINS’ DAY: Nearly three hours before kickoff, folks gathered outside a stadium tunnel to greet Redskins players – and when QB Kirk Cousins got off the team bus, a chant arose: “You like that! And usually that’s the difference when you lose a ball game”.

Green Bay used the last two quarters of this NFC Wild Card game to score 18 unsanswered points en route to a 35-18 victory over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. He didn’t have to resurrect his advice from previous year, when he and the Packers offense was looking as sideways as it did most of this season, and in the first quarter of this game. You guys get on him about any and every little thing.

Cards QB Carson Palmer has had an MVP-caliber season, but Arizona’s ability to run the ball has kept defenses guessing all year. The Redskins went right back to Reed on their next third down play where he just ran past the Packers safety on a double move. Aaron Rodgers dropped back and was quickly by the Redskins defensive line, starting the game with a safety.

Left guard Josh Sitton wants to re-watch the film before he explains how the Packers can improve.

“I’m not a big fan of moral victories”, said Redskins nose tackle Terrance Knighton, who will be a free agent in March.

He was inactive for all but one game – October 18 at the New York Jets, when the Redskins had to scratch seven injured players.

Cousins had a good game in his own right and wasn’t necessarily the reason Washington lost the game.

– Russell Wilson, Seahawks, was 13 of 26 for 142 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 21 yards in Seattle’s 10-9 win at Minnesota.

On the next posession, the Packers scored for the fifth straight drive. Washington QB Kirk Cousins, making his first career playoff start after a breakthrough season, was 29 for 46 for 329 yards. Basically, it looked like most of their past 10 games.

“I’ve talked a lot the last couple of weeks about being able to turn it on, and a lot of you probably thought that was lip service”, Rodgers said. OK, we made the playoffs but we want to advance in the playoffs and we weren’t good enough to do that, so what do we have to change?

Washington coach Jay Gruden said once Rodgers got it going, the Redskins were overmatched. We came together today and we played for each other.

Later, Cousins connected with tight end Jordan Reed for a 24-yard score and, after a missed extra-point attempt, it was 11-0. When Rodgers dialed up the pressure and the tempo, the defense was unable to respond, earning two penalties for twelve men on the field during substitutions and allowing the Packers to drive down the field just before halftime and increase their lead to six.

Rodgers played fast. The rest of the offense followed and it was the Redskins’ undoing.