|
 The victory set up a date for Green Bay on the road next weekend
against the Arizona Cardinals, completing the match-ups for the
Divisional round of the playoffs as all four road teams were
opening-round winners for the first time.
The Seattle Seahawks, 10-9 winners on Sunday against the Minnesota
Vikings, play NFC top-seeded Carolina Panthers, while AFC top seeds
the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England
Patriots entertain the Kansas City Chiefs.
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 U.S. capital.
From that point on, the Packers outscored the hosts 35-7.
"We just needed a game like this to get our mojo back, to get our
confidence going," said Rodgers.
"The playoffs brings it out in all of us. It's a one-and-done
mentality. The focus goes up, the intensity goes up."
Rodgers, who had struggled down the stretch of the regular season as
Green Bay dropped their last two, found his touch and confidence and
the Packers ran off 17 points to head into intermission leading
17-11.
Washington, winners of four in a row to end the season, responded at
the start of the second half, with quarterback Kirk Cousins scoring
on a three-yard quarterback draw that put the Redskins back on top
18-17.
[to top of second column] |
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 one with two-point pass
conversion to put the Packers on top 32-18.
Green Bay added a field goal and the spirited defense, which
registered six sacks, stopped Washington on fourth-down conversion
attempts three times to clinch victory.
Washington coach Jay Gruden said once Rodgers got it going, the
Redskins were overmatched.
"We couldn't get them off the field, and Aaron did what he did,"
said Gruden. "We just failed to make plays after they took the lead
in the third quarter. After that it was a snowball effect."
Rodgers, the league's reigning most valuable player, finished with a
pair of touchdown passes, completed 21 of 36 passes for 210 yards
and led the Packers to points on five successive drives for the
first time this season.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York. Editing by Steve Keating.)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
