Redskins ready to defeat Packers at home

By Grant Gibson

Just a few games into the 2015 NFL regular season the NFC East had become the laughing stock of the league. The Cowboys couldn’t function without Romo, Chip Kelly’s new Eagles team was no good, it was impossible for the Giants to close out a game, and new starting quarterback Kirk Cousins seemingly didn’t have what it takes.

By week seven none of the teams in the east had a winning record and the Redskins brought up the caboose at 2-4, meeting expectations. The match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedEx Field was ominously deemed a “Code Red” by head coach Jay Gruden, hoping to find a spark in his players. On the very first play from scrimmage Jameis Winston threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to put the Bucs up 7-0. To make things worse halfway through the second quarter, Cousins fumbled the ball, and let Tampa return it for a touchdown, making the score 24-0. The Redskins campaign was in shambles as 2-5 became an almost unavoidable scenario.

After that play Washington mounted a 31 point comeback march comprised of 4 touchdowns, an onside kick, and multiple priceless defensive stands. The moment Cousins hit tight end Jordan Reed to win the game FedEx Field was louder and prouder than it had been ever been since RG3 led them to the NFC East title in 2012. “You Like That’s” and HTTR’s were flying in every direction around the DMV. The victory formed a tidal wave of confidence that led Washington to win seven of their final 10 games. After that there were more must win’s. Against the Saints, Giants, Bills, and Eagles. Captain Kirk and the Redskins won them all. All four of these games at took place at home.

The Skins may be 9-7 overall, but at home in Landover, Maryland, they are 6-2. Maryland is where they will face the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday. The Packers travel to Washington coming off a hard loss to their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings while the Redskins are currently enjoying a well earned 4-0 win streak. Green Bay is a good team, one whom the Redskins must play their best football against to defeat. But right now they are playing their best football and their is no sign of slowing down.

The offense has been the better half of the squad this season and it has three main weapons. Kirk Cousins at quarterback is the steady hand the team needs to guide them through tough games. He is proven to be much more dependable than RG3 and has played every single offensive snap so far, besides the week 17 rest he received midway through against the Cowboys. #2 and #3 are Pro-bowl Worthy tight end, Jordan Reed, and constant deep threat receiver Desean Jackson. There are so many key players who have made key plays throughout the season but when other teams prepare for the Redskins offense, the two pass catchers they focus on the most must be these two. The combo of Jackson who can run past defenses before the ball is even thrown and Reed who bulldozes through multiple players per catch forces opposing defenses to cover the whole field, and cover it well.

The Packers have great players like Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, and Clay Matthews. However they have not been playing their best and everyone knows it. Going into their first playoff game in three years the Washington Redskins are playing at their highest level in years and should have every bit of optimism that they can win in the playoffs and make a Super Bowl run.

To make it simple, this game will come down to quarterback play. Both teams and fan bases definitely look to their QB’s as leaders. Rodgers is obviously the most well established athlete. Countering this, Cousins is one of the hottest playmakers going into the playoffs. And what he lacks in experience can easily be remedied by preparation. Kirk Cousins is as prepared as anyone. Believe it or not he has a color coded chart specifying his routine for every 15 minutes of the day. “Kirk will be well prepared,” said teammate Deangelo Hall on an interview with USAToday.

With his daily planner by his side, “You Like That” towels waving from the stands, and the confidence generated from a breakout season in his mind, there is no reason to not bet on #8 and the Redskins this Sunday.

Redskins: 31

Packers: 24

Packers will defeat the lesser experienced Redskins

By Andy Kostka

A 10-6 season is nothing to be ashamed of, but for the spoiled Packers fan I am – a fan who never lived through worse than a fluke 4-12 season in 2005 – those six losses leave me dreading a matchup in Landover, Maryland. Dread or not, the Packers know how to win in a Wild Card game, and the Redskins have yet to show their might against a single winning team – they’re 0-3 this season against teams with a winning record.

Without Jordy Nelson, the going has been tough for Green Bay. The Packers’ number one receiver was lost for the whole season to a knee injury during preseason. The deep threat the Packers have been prolific with in past seasons seemingly vanished with James Jones, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb unable to produce like Nelson.

Granted, the Redskins’ defense is ranked 28th in the NFL, and an experienced professional like Aaron Rodgers can shred the defense apart, with or without Nelson.

In addition, the hot streak that Kirk Cousins has been on has all been against subpar defenses. Cousins’ four touchdown day against the New Orleans Saints was against the 31st rated Saints defense. His one touchdown, one interception day against the Carolina Panthers was against the sixth rated Panthers defense. For once, the Packers’ defense is not a weakness, and Cousins will have to face the Packers’ sixth rated passing defense on Sunday.

Since 1998, my lifetime, the Packers have had five starting quarterbacks. Only nine starts since 1998 were made by other quarterbacks than Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have only had four different head coaches since 1998, and Mike McCarthy and much of the Packers’ staff still have the experience of the 2010 Super Bowl victory.

The ravine in which separates the Washington Redskins organization and my own – for I am an owner of the fan-owned Green Bay Packers – is remarkable. 17 starting quarterbacks have limited the Redskins to five playoff experiences, compared to the Packers’ 13 playoff experiences. Also, the Redskins have had eight different head coaches.

In playoff football, I have to back the team who has the experience, and that is the Packers. As the Wild Card team, I do not feel the pressure against a Division Winner like the Redskins, especially since they won the NFC East. In 2010, the Packers won the Super Bowl as the Wild Card team.

Two weeks prior, the Packers earned one shellacking delivered by the Arizona Cardinals, and one offensively inept performance to lose to the Minnesota Vikings and lose the NFC North title for the first time since 2010.

The Redskins have gone 7-3 in the last ten games while the Packers have gone a meager 4-6. Despite the slip in form from the Packers, Green Bay know the winning way. It won’t be a blowout for the Packers, but a ticket to the Divisional Round is all that the Packers can focus on.

In the playoffs, it’s a fresh start. For either the Redskins or the Packers, they can shake the bad season off and start fresh.

As freshness goes, I pick the NFL MVP, Super Bowl Champion, and four-time Pro Bowl selection Aaron Rodgers to overcome Kirk Cousins, who only back in October of this season was seen as a poor quarterback option for the Redskins.

Either way, the under-performing Packers and the overachieving Redskins are on a collision course. I just expect the Packers to come out on top.

Packers: 24

Redskins: 21

Graphic by Kevin Pan