The Green Bay Packers take on the Washington Redskins at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. This Wild Card matchup is set to kickoff at 4:40 PM. ET.
The playoffs are here and the Wild Card round features several intriguing matchups. Perhaps the biggest question mark in this round is Green Bay. They have struggled against superior and inferior opponents all season. Yet they find themselves with a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. They’ll go up against this year’s surprise tournament entrant: the Redskins. Experts picked Washington to finish dead last in the NFC East, but they finished with four straight victories to clinch a spot in the NFC’s worst division this year.
Last week, the Redskins beat the Cowboys in a meaningless game. Most thought the Redskins would rest their starters. However, before pulling their starters, they built a sizable lead. Kirk Cousins continues to display all the qualities of a franchise quarterback. His poise in the pocket, along with his decision-making, has elevated the Redskins this season. On the season, Cousins has thrown for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Cousins is completing 69.8% of his passes.
The Packers blew a huge opportunity to secure a home playoff game when they lost to the Vikings in week 17. The Packers offensive line struggled to protect Rodgers all game. The Vikings sacked Rodgers five times and faced pressure on numerous drop backs. Rodgers threw for 291 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His last second Hail Marry pass to the end zone could have tied the game, but it fell incomplete.
A player to watch in this game for the Redskins is Jordan Reed. Against the Cowboys, Reed had four catches for 45 yards. It was not a high impact game for the tight end. On the season, Reed has 952 yards on 87 receptions. He also has 11 touchdowns on the year. Reed is a vital weapon against the Packers secondary.
A player to watch in this game for the Packers is Eddie Lacy. In a crucial week 17 showdown to decide the NFC North title, Lacy rushed for a mere 34 yards on 13 carries. Ouch. In such an important game Lacy didn’t show up to play. Neither did the rest of the Packers offense. On the season, Lacy rushed for 758 yards on 187 carries. That’s an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. That’s not bad. What is troubling is the touchdown total. Lacy has only three rushing touchdowns on the year. The Packers offense relies too heavily on Aaron Rodgers and his struggling receiving core. The meager touchdown total by Lacy puts more pressure on Rodgers to score points. If the Packers are going to win this playoff game and do anything in this post season, they’ll need to run effectively in the red zone.
The Packers’ Super Bowl hopes are dwindling fast. They are routinely a favorite to win, but they don’t pass the eye test. Experts and fans alike keep waiting for the Packers of old to appear but that seems less and less likely each offensive series. After an entire regular season without Jordy Nelson, it’s become clear that the rest of the Packers’ receiving core is painfully mediocre. Even if they manage to beat the Redskins, the Packers don’t have enough in the tank to overcome the elite NFC playoff teams. On the other hand, the Redskins have finally found a balance on offense and are playing inspired football.
Redskins Vs Packers Wild Card Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Redskins favored to win the game by 1 point. The over/under on total points scored is 45. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
Kirk Cousins has never been in the playoff spotlight before. Rodgers will have that advantage. It’s hard to bet against Rodgers. So don’t. At least, don’t bet against him this week.
Play: Packers +1 @ BetOnline.ag
NFL Betting • NFL Playoffs • Wild Card Weekend