Packers find playoff success in setting the tempo

Fortunately, that is exactly what the Packers need: freedom to look forward and focus on their next battle against the Cardinals team that beat them 38-8 in Week 16.

The Green Bay Packers started off the season red-hot and then faded further and further back into the middle of the NFC and some even wondered if they would make the playoffs.

The Cardinals wrapped up their regular season with a disappointing 36-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but it also didn’t mean much. The Cardinals had made it to the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh Steelers in Tampa Bay, Florida, Feb. 1, 2009.

His quarterback, Kirk Cousins, made his first playoff start after a breakthrough season and was 29 for 46 for 329 yards.

The Arizona Cardinals await the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoff Saturday night at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Carson Palmer is completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Much like that year, the Cardinals are coming off a successful run to the NFC West crown and the Packers squeaked by to earn a wild-card berth after Rodgers and the rest of Green Bay struggled down the stretch.

The morning after the Packers solid play against Washington fans took to sports talk radio to discuss the win and what comes next – a rematch in Arizona against the two-seeded Cardinals.

“We just needed a game like this to get our mojo back and get our confidence going”.

Berger, from Newaygo, started at center and endured one of the coldest games in National Football League history – minus-2 degrees at kickoff – but the Vikings came up short to the Seattle Seahawks, 10-9. “Don’t know a whole lot about it. So we’ll see how it goes”.

The Cardinals had a franchise best record of 13-3 during the regular season, and there is a lot to study for the Packers.

“This is the way I learned it, the traditional West Coast offense built around making the quarterback successful”, McCarthy said, “and the best way to do that is to have a strong run game, play run and pass, and playing as fast as you can”. “We’re going to have to play that way moving forward”, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said.

Palmer threw for just 129 yards and a score with a pick on 12-of-25 passing and rookie running back David Johnson rushed for just 25 yards on 11 carries. “And then you get the quarterback in there, now they’re two hours longer”.

Obviously, the Packers are led and guided by Aaron Rodgers, who had yet another stellar season and looked fantastic in the win over the Redskins. “And our players really got a kick out of it, and I think it’s just a fun overall engagement”.

REED OPTION: The Packers knew all about Redskins tight end Jordan Reed, but they still couldn’t stop him: He had nine catches for 120 yards and a score.

With big plays and speed down the field, the Cardinals put together offensive outputs that can only be dreamed about.