33. Packers 35, Redskins 18 (2016)

Green Bay had lost in the NFC North championship game the previous week against Minnesota, so its consolation prize was a trip to the nation’s capital to battle the 9-7 Washington Redskins on Wild Card Sunday. The Packers had struggled all season on offense with injuries to star wide receiver Jordy Nelson and the offensive line, as well as drops and the out-of-shape Eddie Lacy. After struggling early in the game, the Packers rebounded to win convincingly.

I mentioned Green Bay’s offense struggled early. Well, it was so bad that their offense gave up the first points to Washington, as Rodgers was sacked for a safety on their second drive of the game, and the home team led 2-0 early in the game.

A huge play in the game happened on the Redskins drive following the safety. Kirk Cousins found DeSean Jackson over the middle and he ran to the right pylon and scored what looked like a touchdown. But after review, it was clear that Jackson’s foot hit the pylon, but the ball was well outside the end zone, so the Redskins had to settle for a first down at the Packers 1. Well, three plays and Washington lost six yards and Washington was forced to kick a field goal and it was 5-0 Redskins.

In the early second quarter, it looked like Washington was ready to run away with the game. Cousins went back to pass and found an open Jordan Reed in the end zone from 24 yards out and Washington was in control, ahead 11-0 after a missed extra point.

Then the Packers woke up. Boy, did they ever. Green Bay would score 17 points in the final 10 minutes of the half. After a penalty gave the Packers a first down, Rodgers would find James Jones open over the middle of the field for 34 yards to move Green Bay inside the Redskins 40. That would help lead to the Green and Gold getting on the board. Rodgers, who caught the Redskins with 12 men on the field, had the ball snapped quickly and rolled out to the left and threw it to Randall Cobb for the touchdown to cut it to 11-7.

After the Mike Neal trifecta (sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery), Green Bay was in business once again, near midfield. That would lead to a Mason Crosby field goal and the deficit was cut to 11-10.

The Packers were able to take the lead just before halftime. Facing a 3rd-and-2 from the Washington 30, Rodgers threw a perfectly thrown pass to Davante Adams, who made a nice catch along the sideline for 20 yards. Two plays later, he found Adams wide open in the end zone for the touchdown and Green Bay had come back to lead 17-11 at the half.

The lead did not last long, though, as on the first possession of the second half, Washington was able to re-take the lead. The Redskins converted a 4th-and-1 on a Cousins 17-yard pass to Reed, and then Cousins took it in from three yards out to give Washington an 18-17 lead.

Lacy would not let the Packers be denied. On this drive, he rushed for 41 yards on two plays to put the Green and Gold in scoring position, where James Starks finished off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Packers a 24-18 lead.

The Packers put the game away on their next drive, going 76 yards in 10 plays to put Green Bay ahead by 14. With Green Bay at the Washington 24, Starks cut to the left and ran 22 yards inside the Washington 5. Starks received a nice block from Jones to help him along the way. Lacy plowed in from two yards away to give the visitors a 30-18 lead. The two-point conversion was also successful on a pass from Rodgers to former Badgers standout Jared Abbrederis and the lead was 14.

Green Bay would tack on a field goal and the Packers would win and advance to the Divisional Round against Arizona, where the Packers would see their season come to an end in overtime.