ASHBURN — Even the Washington Redskins’ general manager warned this situation was unlikely to happen.
Back in training camp, Scot McCloughan caused a minor stir by saying his team would not “be the best team out there this year,” though McCloughan assured there would be demonstrable effort to at least leave opponents aching after a game.
As it turns out, that was enough for the assumed-not-there-yet Redskins to win the NFC East division title, slide into the playoffs at 9-7 and be prepping Monday afternoon to host a game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. A record-setting first-year quarterback was also beneficial to that drive.
It took until the last play of the regular season’s final game for the Redskins’ playoff opponent to be determined. Once a “Hail Mary” attempt from Aaron Rodgers was deflected away, Washington knew it could begin to prepare for the ever-dangerous Rodgers and experienced Packers.
The Packers will be making their seventh consecutive playoff appearance. The common threads in each have been Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy. The duo’s one Super Bowl was won in 2010, when the Packers entered the playoffs at 10-6, were 10th in points per game and second in points allowed. They went on a roll, winning road games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears. In Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25.
“Back when we went on a run in 2010, I don’t know if there was anybody in that locker room that knew that we could do that,” Rodgers told reporters on Sunday. “There was a belief. But, you have to go out there and do it.”
SEE ALSO: Kyshoen Jarrett out for Washington Redskins playoff game
Meager beginnings to great reward. It’s the path the Redskins want to put themselves on during this postseason, their first since 2012, when Robert Griffin III stunned the league. Though, it’s easy to poke holes in their playoff contender status. Bookmakers have placed them as the second-least likely team in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl. Houston, being last is your problem. The Redskins also have not defeated a team that finished the season with a winning record.
“Some of the teams we’ve beat would be over .500 if we didn’t beat them, so you have got to look at it like that,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said.
Gruden will have his cup half-full, please.
Rodgers has not been his usual scalpel-wielding self this season. His 60.7 percent completion rate was the lowest of his career. His previous low was 63.6 percent, which was in 2008, his first season as a starter. His 6.7 yards per pass attempt were also a new low. Green Bay has had trouble driving the ball deep downfield during the season.
A couple more current dings on Rodgers’ well-heeled resume: His 92.7 passer rating was the lowest of his career as a starter. In the last 10 games of the season, he did not surpass the 100 mark.
The flip is the heat Washington enters the playoffs with. Winners of four consecutive games, including three on the road, the Redskins have not carried a better vibe during the season. Kirk Cousins’ revelatory year carried the team through a 6-2 second half of the season. Upon reflection, spite was a driver.
“Everyone counted us out at the beginning of the season,” running back Alfred Morris said. “Even now, we’re like last in the rankings of the teams that are in the playoffs, but that doesn’t matter. We know what we’re capable of doing. We have a lot of weapons. We have the capability of doing something special this postseason. We fought back in the opportunity of being in the postseason and now we’re going to make the most of this. I think we have the team, the talent, the drive the hunger to want to do something. Not just show up, but take over and make something special happen.”
To do so, they will have to counter Rodgers’ and Green Bay’s vast playoff experience. Cousins will be entering his first playoff game as a starter. Rodgers has played almost an extra season of games just in the playoffs. He has appeared in 12, started 11 and thrown 23 touchdown passes. The Redskins do have some playoff experience. Strong safety Dashon Goldson has been to the Super Bowl. Morris, center Kory Lichtensteiger and left tackle Trent Williams were starters on the team that made the playoffs in 2012. Gruden was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals when they reached the playoffs each year from 2011 through 2013.
“A lot of these guys have been through the playoffs and been to the playoffs,” Gruden said. “They’ve actually helped this team along — the young guys along — all season long and that’s a big part of why they’re here and the success we’ve had is because of the veteran guys that we’ve got to help these guys along. So, I’m not too worried about the playoff experience. The big thing you worry about is your opponent and we just have to focus in on how attack them and how to get after the quarterback on Sunday.”
McCarthy was able to draw from all those seasons in the playoffs for clarity.
“Playoff season is here,” McCarthy said. “We know how to win. We know what it takes to win, and we have a clear understanding of things you can’t do to win.”
At this time, in this season, the Redskins are still figuring those things out. They think they have found a formula behind Cousins and a defense that was ranked 10th in points allowed in the league. McCloughan’s suggestion that the team would grind turned out true. They just added some wins to it, which caused the Packers’ playoff pedigree to be the next obstacle.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.