TICK… TICK… TICK… BOOM!!

Packers Explode for 35; Smash Skins to Advance

BOOM!!!

The bomb finally went off. In their second largest offensive output of the season the Green Bay Packers are moving on to the Divisional Round against Arizona after they overcame an 11 point deficit and blew up the season for the Washington Redskins 35 – 18 in sloppy, rainy D.C.

For too many weeks now the Packers offense had been the subject for analysis, criticism, derision and confusion as to what’s wrong with it. On Sunday night the offense most thought the Packers would have showed up in the 2nd quarter as the Packers outscored Washington 35 – 7 over the last 3 quarters. The offensive explosion had been many weeks in coming and rather than another dud this bomb finally went off and the Skins paid for then privilege of bearing witness.

At first it looked as if the malaise plaguing the Pack would put a period at the end of the sentence to punctuate the placid end to the year. The Packers had an injury list as long as the line at a great Brat stand. LT David Bahktiari was missing and Mike McCarthy’s decision to move All Pro Josh Sitton back his natural LG slot and replace him at LT with J.C. Tretter paid enormous dividends. Last week Sitton was game but overmatched at LT and Lane Taylor struggled at the guard position. The move turned out perfectly as Tretter, a former tackle in college not only held the line he played well. Not perfect but well enough to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and off his back. McCarthy also made adjustments in the protection packages by keeping the backs in longer to help out on the left side, a move that did wonders for Aaron Rodgers’ psyche.

But the start was anything but smooth. Tretter was shaky early as he was beaten outside and Rodgers was dropped in the end zone for a safety to give the Skins a thin 2 – 0 lead. It took time for Tretter to find his rhythm but when he did the Pack got moving. The Skins threatened to put the Pack away fast but once again arrogance, cockiness, brashness or just plain stupidity entered the showboating mind of Washington’s DeSean Jackson. As Jackson took a Kirk Cousins pass and headed to the end zone he nonchalantly stepped inside the pylon with his left foot but kept the ball in his right hand. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix’s desperation lunge shoved Jackson out and the officials at first ruled it a touchdown.

But upon review the replay showed Jackson’s foot never came down in bounds nor did the ball cross the plane of the goal line. This is the same DeSean Jackson who famously spiked the ball at the 1 yard line as an Eagle in his rookie year and after encouraging the crowd on Monday night against Dallas this year took a punt, ran right, doubled back to his left and was dropped after giving away almost 25 yards going backwards – and he fumbled the ball. With the embarrassing showboating and hotheaded antics of Jackson and the Bengal’s Vontaze Burfict and Adam ‘Pac Man’ Jones the lessons are lost on the immature and self-centered. At one time when Jordy Nelson was drafted ahead of DeSean Jackson many Packer fans were up in arms. Jackson has talent but it comes with the maturity level of a petulant teenager. For whatever reason Jackson does not do enough to simply do his job and has shown that quality repeatedly throughout his career.

There are no coincidences in some bold facts. The choice of Nelson over Jackson has proven to be the greater long term investment and Nelson is a model team player while Jackson is obsessed with the DeSean Jackson promotion machine. In the embarrassingly ugly AFC battle between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Burfict looked as if he was out to intentionally hut some of the Steelers. He succeeded in separating Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulder and also succeeded in separating WR Antonio Brown form his senses. The head high hit drew two flags and when Jones shoved Steeler assistant coach Joey Porter he too drew a flag, all of which occurred with under a minute left. Added to together Jackson’s hot dogging stunt, Burfict’s almost criminal act and Jones inability to control his temper all 3 will now have an entire off season to contemplate their actions. No doubt Burfict, Porter and Jones will all get a call onto Roger Goodell’s carpet and all should be a lot lighter in the wallet.

While Jackson’s actions won’t warrant a fine the Packers just may want to cut him in on the post season money. After Jackson’s lazy brilliance the Packer defense rose to stuff the Skins and keep the game at a very manageable 5 – 0. The greater benefit was the momentum gained by the defenses excellent goal line stand. Talented players like Jackson and Burfict and Jones will never quite understand why they are bounced from team to team. They are as much a babysitting nightmare as they are violent. Teams that will tolerate their boneheaded play will also have to bear the weight of the consequences when – not if – the next selfish “Hey look at me!” moment flares up and it typically keeps teams like the Bengals and Skins from advancing. Not as long as someone is gullible enough to keep signing them to enormous contracts they get the full package that comes with their talent.

How very different this game could have been had Jackson simply done his job completely. All it took was a reach, a lunge, a dive, a shift of hands and the Skins go up 9 – 0 and have all the momentum. Instead Washington settled for a 5 – 0 lead and after Kirk Cousins hit TE Jordan Reed on a seam route the missed extra point had Washington up 11 – 0. The Skins were winning, yes, but were not exactly dominating in the process.

Momentum is a very fickle and funny character. When McCarthy’s challenge of Jackson’s TD was overturned just keeping Washington to a field goal was a major victory for the defense. Somehow even Reed’s TD didn’t seem so imposing. While the Packers looked to be continuing the doldrums of the last 10 games, something strange and wonderful happened.

The real Packers showed up. It was at that point Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, James Starks and the offense finally shook the overbearing overcoat of futility they had been wearing for far too long. The offense finally showed up en masse. Rodgers, Lacy, Starks, Cobb, Adams, Jones and the retooled offensive line finally did what many had expected the Packers to do all season.

The wind was a factor and the Pack had the wind at their backs in the 2^nd and 4^th quarter. Tretter and Sitton plugged the leaks that permeated the offensive line on the left side in last week’s loss to Minnesota.  Rodgers started clicking with his receivers. Lacy began to pound inside. James Starks held on to the ball and was elusive outside. Mike McCarthy got creative and ran Randall Cobb out of the backfield. As the Skins tried to get a substitution Rodgers caught them with too many men on the field and after improvising and finding a place to set up he nailed Cobb between the numbers for the Pack’s opening score.

The defense never left. If anything the defense has been playing so well it has gone unnoticed. Only once in the final 7 games had the Packers defense allowed more than 20 points. Mike Neal made the first big splash defensive play on the Skins next series when he had a strip sack and fumble recovery at the Packer 46. The old Packers would have jumped on the mistake and made the opponent pay dearly for it. After missing in action since early October the offense finally made a team pay for its mistakes.

8 plays and 30 yards later Mason Crosby closed the gap to 11 – 10. It can be argued that the ensuing 3-and-out turned the momentum of the game. Once upon a time the Packers moved the ball literally at will. They used every man on the field, Rodgers spread the ball around and the hurry up offense had the defense panting in exhaustion. McCarthy began to add his backs in protection packages and Tretter more than held his own. The most welcome sight was seeing Davante Adams snag a 20 yard sideline toss a la Jordy Nelson to keep the drive alive. When Rodgers hit Adams in stride in the left corner of the end zone near with only 28 seconds left in the 2^nd half it was reminiscent of the days when Rodgers did what he pleased.

Washington opened the 3^rd quarter in style and threatened to make a game of it. Captain Kirk engineered a 5 minute drive that ended with Cousins faking the entire defense on a pass play and running it up the gut to give the Skins the last lead they would have at 18 – 17. The old Packers would have responded immediately. And just like in the old days Rodgers marched them right back down the field. Mixing short to medium passes Lacy finally broke free. His run of 11 yards for a first down was followed by a 30 yard jolt to the 4. James Starks came in a promptly swept into the end zone to give the Pack a lead they wouldn’t surrender.

The defense rose again with another 3 and out. And again the offense punched the ticket to extend the lead. After opening the game with 3 punts in the first 3 series Green Bay scored on 6 on their next 7 drives. The Redskins looked overwhelmed and the pressure of their first playoffs in ages caused them to crack. Green Bay looked solid on both sides of the ball and the defense once again mixed big hits, sacks, turnovers and huge stops to shift the momentum. Clay Matthews ran wild and Julius Peppers was playing with his hand in the dirt at DE.

Now the Packers get to visit the scene of the crime back in the desert heat when they travel to face Arizona on Saturday night. The last time the Packers got schooled by a count of 38 -8 and the Cards had all the answers. If anything could be taken away from the game that could be viewed as a positive it is the Packers saw just how fast and how good Arizona really is.

But the Cardinals have not seen this from the Packers. If Green Bay can match the speed and the tempo of the Cards, if the defense can get a few stops and if the offense can continue to build on what they started in Washington in the first round it could be a fun ride.

For now the Packers will bask in their “Packs is Back!” moment. That moment ends on Tuesday when it’s back to work and on to face the #2 seed Cardinals.