The Green Bay Packers entered their playoff contest against the Washington Redskins needing to rebound. The Redskins were up 2-0 after linebacker Preston Smith sacked Rodgers for a safety.
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Green Bay fell behind 11-0 early in the second quarter before Rodgers, who completed only one-of-eight passes for 11 yards in the opening quarter, got the Packers’ attack in gear on an unseasonably warm, windy day in the USA capital. And it was missing early Sunday, when Washington led 11-0.
Green Bay scored 17 unanswered points to end the first half and take a six-point lead into halftime.
The Packers had one first down in their first four series, which included 11 yards in 13 plays. “But for these guys to battle the way they did, I’m very proud of these guys and I really like the future of this football team”. “And you have to go back and kind of live with those for a while because you know that if you could have avoided that, who knows which direction the game goes?”
Twenty-four of those yards came on a second quarter touchdown connection with Kirk Cousins.
Rodgers and the offense answered immediately, driving 80 yards in 11 plays, doing most of the damage on the ground. “Usually that’s the difference when you lose a ballgame”.
As was the case throughout much of the regular season, the Washington Redskins were unable to get their running game going in a first-round playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. – Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the Packers scored on five straight possessions en route to a 35-18 victory over the Washington Redskins.
“We overcame a lot”, Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall said.
Those rush guys got to Cousins early and often. 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.
On Sunday evening, we learned the Arizona Cardinals will kick off their playoff season by hosting the Packers in what will be a rematch of a Week 16 matchup in which the Cards dismantled Green Bay 38-8 in Glendale. “Ball was coming out so quick, it was hard to get there”. “They were right there at the line of scrimmage and we tried to sub in a nickel package, and they got us”. He was also a target in the passing game, catching 19 passes for 304 yards – 78 of which occurred on a catch-and-run in a victory over the New Orleans Saints on November 15. The Packers passer started out 1-for-8 for 11 yards.
“We got the tempo up, and they couldn’t keep up”, said Rodgers, 21-for-36 for 210 yards and no turnovers. They didn’t sub and we were still able to make some things happen.
Yet just when looked as if Green Bay were building unstoppable momentum, Washington conjured an impressive long drive of their own. Lacy burst out of the backfield for a 30 yard run on a crucial scoring drive late in the third quarter. It was the Packers’ fifth sack of the game. I think I walked away sort of feeling like now this loss I think catapults our offseason to enable us to have a little bit of an edge and say, ‘Okay, where did we fall short?
“The playoffs brings that out of all of us”. “A lot of you probably thought that was lip service, but we just needed a game like this to get our mojo back and get our confidence going”. We came together today and we played for each other. Despite making his first start in the postseason, Kirk Cousins threw the ball all around the yard, connecting with Jordan Reed for multiple large gains.
McCarthy said Rodgers was “exceptional, just in handling everything”.
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Cousins wasn’t at his worst, but he wasn’t at his best, which was going to be required of him for the team to continue its win streak from the regular season into the playoffs.
