After slow start, Rodgers, Packers overwhelm Redskins

He may need to repeat this performance next Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals.

-Though the Packers did not win the the division, this is the sixth consecutive season where they are the last NFC North team standing.

Just a meandering team now with a broken offense and an average defense. “Great to watch the game yesterday and to see them play nearly a complete game of football”.

But now? Now, the word “maybe” comes to mind.

At issue for the Packers is the team’s travel plans.

Still, they swept, and Aaron Rodgers suspects for the same main reason. The Packers have a lot to learn after the last meeting between the two teams, and Saturday night will be all about execution. “(Packers) coach (Mike) McCarthy does a good job of telling us to keep the external, external, and the internal, internal.

So let’s talk about the playoffs.

Now awakened, Green Bay followed with a field goal and touchdown for a 17-11 halftime lead. Yet Rodgers began to pull a Rodgers straight away after that. In the receiving end, James Jones rushed for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 50 receptions. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another but lost one fumble and was sacked six times.

In the second half, the running game took over. Tretter really seemed like he settled in following the safety, where quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked, allowed by the Packers offense early in the first quarter.

But Rodgers, mixing in an effective running game with James Starks and Eddie Lacey carrying the ball, directed Green Bay on a pair of touchdown drives, capping the second on with two-point pass conversion to put the Packers on top 32-18.

They did it because Rodgers turned the volume up on the Redskins’ defense.

They launched some new fan activities last week at the start of the playoffs, including the “Letters to Lambeau” program where fans got a chance to send their favorite players notes or drawings ahead of the game.

But a thrilling victory against the Redskins in the wild card round should at least make the formidable Cardinals worry a bit. It starts with the quarterback. The Packers have found out that they don’t have a true number one receiver outside of Nelson. The Redskins also couldn’t protect Cousins in the final three periods, when they were outscored 35-13. “I don’t know if you guys got the memo on that”.

“I want to be where I am wanted”, said Cousins via ESPN, “and you want to be with people who believe in you and we are going to find out – because we haven’t discussed it much yet – how much I am wanted and where that’ll go”.

This is the Cardinals’ first playoff bye in their history, which doesn’t include many postseason appearances. The 36-year-old Palmer’s is nearly incredibly bad; that is to say, he has zero playoff wins under his belt.

The divisional matchups should look familiar, because three of them are rematches from the regular season.

A week before that game, Denver played at Pittsburgh and the Steelers won, 34-27. But the Packers’ victory in Washington meant a ton. Green Bay finished the game with Randall, nickel back Casey Hayward and little-used undrafted rookie LaDarius Gunter as their primary cornerbacks.