In week three of the National Football League season, the Green Bay Packers will travel east to face the Washington Redskins. Both teams will look to rebound from disappointing results. The Pack tied the Minnesota Vikings while the ‘Skins, failed to build momentum off their week one beat down of the Arizona Cardinals, by being manhandled by the Indianapolis Colts. The key matchup this week will be the Green Bay Packers quick passing game.
Key to Victory: Green Bay Packers Quick Passing Game
In the past decade, the Packers have consistently overwhelmed opposing defenses with their unstoppable offense. The triggerman, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is the engine that drives this supercharged race car. The Pack nearly lost Rodgers for the season when Chicago Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris sacked him and landed on his legs.
In the end, Rodgers gutted out a performance of a lifetime, when he stepped back onto the field and proceeded to complete the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history.
But, how did it happen? In the second half of the Bears game, Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin took the ball out of Rodgers’ hands to protect him as much as possible. The quick passing game nullified the vaunted Chicago Bears pass rush.
In the second half of the Bears game, Rodgers went 17 of 23 for 273 yards and a passer rating of 130.7. The Bears pass rushers did not even touch him once. Getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as two seconds after the snap made it impossible, even for Khalil Mack, to generate pressure.
Aaron Rodgers on Quick Routes
In 2016, Pro Football Focus rated Rodgers as the best quarterback in the NFL on slants, and Davante Adams was ranked as the second best receiver in the league. “Rodgers led all quarterbacks with a rating of 142.2 on slant routes. He completed 36 of 48 passes for nine touchdowns and 438 yards; only one of his passes was dropped,” wrote Eliot Crist.
On ins-and-outs routes, Rodgers was rated as the second-best quarterback to Matt Ryan. “Rodgers led the league in completions, yards, and touchdowns. He completed 105-147 passes for 1,227 yards and nine touchdowns. […] Rodgers had six passes dropped and an adjusted completion percentage of 75.5 percent,” according to Crist.
Washington Passing Defense
This week, the Green and Gold will square off against a fantastic Washington team. In Week One, Washington demolished Arizona to the tune of 24-6. They held Sam Bradford to a QBR of 25.9 and a passer rating of 57.6. The Cardinals offense did not score until the fourth quarter, and all they could muster were two measly field goals.
In week two against Andrew Luck, the ‘Skins defense played well. They forced a fumble and got two interceptions courtesy of safety D.J. Swearinger. They contained Luck to only 177 passing yards, a QBR of 46.8 and a passer rating of 77.2.
After two weeks, the Redskins have the number one ranked passing defense allowing a league-low 161 yards per game. They rank second to the Los Angeles Rams in scoring defense allowing 13.5 points per game. And this defense has more interceptions (three) than they have allowed touchdowns (two).
Washington has a solid pass rush led by linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. They have a lot of players who bring a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks such as nose tackle Ziggy Hood, linebacker Zach Brown, and defensive end Jonathan Allen.
Conclusion
Washington is a team that is either hot (week one) or cold (week two). A home game against a Super Bowl favorite is the kind of game where Washington will show up ready to play. They have a great defense that is led by a stingy and playmaking secondary. The Packers have to use the quick passing game to force the Redskins defenders to play off. Green Bay has a better quarterback but also the deep and talented receiving corps that can and will outlast Washington’s secondary.
Green Bay 27-17 Washington
