LANDOVER — Instead of being lauded with cliches about fine wine, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers entered the weekend among the supposedly vulnerable. Verbal jabs popped him. His numbers were down, key offensive linemen were hurt and Green Bay moved into the playoffs devoid of offensive rhythm.
His seven consecutive playoff appearances were overlooked. That he, like every other quarterback playing on the road during wild-card weekend, was opposed by a quarterback who had not won in the playoffs, was shrugged off. Rodgers’ start on Sunday validated the reduction in angst about his presence as an opponent. The low blood pressure did not last.
Rodgers worked his way to 210 passing yards. His quarterback rating was 93.5. He threw for two touchdowns with no interceptions; moderate numbers that are more appreciated given his black hole first quarter.
Green Bay scored on five consecutive possessions at one point in the evening during its 35-18 win against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. The Packers will play the Arizona Cardinals next Saturday night. Washington goes home a surprising division winner appearing unprepared for the next level of NFL competition, sent to the end by Rodgers.
“Aaron did what he did,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “Had a great game.”
Rodgers was on his back in the end zone less than five minutes into the game. Rookie outside linebacker Preston Smith charged in from the right side, corralled Rodgers and threw him down on the burgundy “K” in the end zone for a safety. The sack jumpstarted Rodgers’ early misery.
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He began the game 1-for-8. Whether on the move or hemmed in, he couldn’t make it work. At times, it was his fault — like when he missed an open Richard Rodgers on a third-down throw or later Randall Cobb working into the end zone. Others, the Redskins used the preferred blend of pressure and coverage to stifle Rodgers.
During the week working up to the game, Washington feared Rodgers’ mobility. Gruden explained that Rodgers’ habit to step up in the pocket or break it laterally, then produce a completion, was what separated him from other skilled quarterbacks in the league.
To prepare for Rodgers’ movement, Washington turned Robert Griffin III loose during practice. Griffin, who was again inactive on Sunday and is likely in his final days with the Redskins, portrayed Rodgers on the scout team.
Rodgers’ awareness and ability to turn a flag thrown on the opponent into a big play were also concerns. Those are the more subtle parts of Rodgers’ game, his way of his way of making stomping on someone’s toe a knockout blow. He caught the Redskins with 12 men on the field Sunday, turning what was a third-down incompletion into a first down. It was Green Bay’s first third-down conversion of the day.
“They were right there at the line of scrimmage and we tried to sub in a nickel package and Aaron got us,” Gruden said. “Had an incomplete pass. Instead of fourth down and they’re punting again, they got the first down and went down and scored on that drive.”
He also later threw a touchdown pass when two flags were thrown against Washington during the play. Again, they had 12 men on the field, plus were offside. It was Rodgers’ third touchdown pass of the season on a free play.
Rodgers was not pleased a week earlier. He lamented the Packers’ inability to play even a full half well, saying after their end-of-the-regular-season loss to the Minnesota Vikings that they played just one good quarter. That was less than the two good quarters they had been averaging, he groused.
The first quarter against the Redskins appeared another launching point for that kind of waffling day. But, when the Packers increased the pace of their offense, “We got the tempo up and then they couldn’t keep up,” Rodgers said, they shed the restraints that had dumped them into a wild-card round game following Rodgers’ poorest season as a starting quarterback.
After the wayward first quarter, Rodgers was 15-for-28 at the half. His second quarter run of 14-for-20 dragged the Packers to a halftime lead. The only time he was sacked was Smith’s burst past the day’s left tackle, J.C. Tretter, who typically is a backup center. Protection improved, time in the pocket improved, and the Rodgers always viewed as the factor lording over the Redskins all week emerged as the troubling force he was feared to be.
“When he started clicking, it was hard to stop him,” defensive end Chris Baker said.
During a time-sucking review with 1:18 to play and the game decided, Redskins defenders looked into the almost-empty stands. Rodgers wandered on his own with both hands in an oversized front pocket. He had moved to 7-5 in the playoffs, advancing out of the first round for the fourth time in six seasons. Sounds of doubt had been replaced by departing car engines.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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