Game Preview, Week 14: Redskins at Packers
December 6, 2019
by Steve Thomas
With the Redskins riding the high of a two game winning streak, it’s reasonable to expect the team to continue their winning ways and get their third straight victory, right? Well, unfortunately, Washington has to head up north into Lambeau Field to take on the 9 – 3 Packers, so continuing their winning ways is unlikely. It’s not impossible, certainly, but a win in this game will require the Redskins to play a flawless game in hostile territory in what might end up being tough weather conditions as well. The Redskins have a history of winning a game they shouldn’t every once in a while, so they definitely have puncher’s chance here; all the same, though, I wouldn’t bet money that matters to you on this game. The Packers do have vulnerabilities, so it isn’t an impossible task, just a tough one. Let’s get on with the preview and see what the Redskins can do to get another victory.
Game time & location: Sunday, December 8, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET, Lambeau Field, Green Bay WI; Gates open 11:00 a.m. ET; parking lots open 9:00 a.m.
Television: Fox
Television announcers: Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber, Kindsay Czarniak
TV broadcast map: Click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Redskins radio network: Click here
Packers radio network: Click here
Satellite radio: XM: 225 (Packers broad.) Sirius: 137 (Redskins broad); internet: 831 (Redskins broad.)
Redskins roster: Click here
Redskins depth chart: Click here
Packers roster: Click here
Packers depth chart: Click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Packers: 15 – 18 – 1 (last 10: 4 – 6) (streak: 2 – 0)
Last meeting: W, September 23, 2018, 31 – 17
Early odds: Packers, -13
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Limit Aaron Rodgers
We all know that Rodgers, the future hall of famer, has a cannon for an arm and a history of amazing throws from strange, off-balance angles. He’s also mobile, which is something the Redskins historically don’t handle very well. Washington needs to figure out how to limit Rodgers’ ability to take over the game. They do need to put pressure on him, of course, but blitzing him relentlessly (which the Redskins would most likely not do regardless of the quarterback) will only leave the secondary vulnerable to a quarterback as good as Rodgers. Other than the obvious – keeping Green Bay’s offense off the field via long, time consuming drives by the Redskins – limiting Rodgers means playing tight, mistake-free coverage while getting pressure from the front four. It’s tough to imagine the Redskins being able to do that, but that’s what needs to happen in order to give Washington a chance.
Establish the run game
More than any other game this season, the Redskins need to establish and maintain a strong running attack like they did last week against the Panthers. Not only is the Packers’ defense fairly vulnerable to the run, but dominating time of possession is probably Washington’s best and only hope to win this game. The Redskins need to figure out how to limit opportunities for Green Bay’s offense, because the Redskins aren’t going to win a shootout-style game with anyone, let alone an expert in the genre like Rodgers. Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson need to come through in a big way this week.
Eliminate silly mistakes
The best thing bad teams can do when playing good teams is to go against type and eliminate silly mistakes that result in drive-killing penalties and turnovers. The Redskins have been better at that in recent weeks, but the Packers are a much more talented and accomplished team than the likes of a depleted Lions team or a Panthers team without its star quarterback. Washington desperately needs to play a clean game and avoid giving up cheap yardage and turnovers in order to maximize their admittedly small chance of winning.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Preston Smith vs Donald Penn and Morgan Moses
Remember Preston Smith? That guy who the Redskins let walk after he never quite lived up to his talent? The guy who I criticized on The Hog Sty many times for a lack of results? Well, Smith is the Packers’ leading rusher this year, to the tune of 10.5 sacks and counting. Yeah. I’m sure Preston isn’t at all motivated to play against the team who didn’t believe in him enough to even make an attempt to keep him. It’s not like the Redskins’ rookie quarterback who’s just now finally getting to the point at which he looks competent would be effected by big time pressure. Penn and Moses are critical this week, as this is not the game for Haskins to get rattled and become ineffective as a result.
Quinton Dunbar vs. Davante Adams
Davante is the Packers’ biggest receiving threat and Rodgers’ favorite target. Quinton is Washington’s best corner. This will be a great battle to keep an eye on, as limiting Rodgers’ open targets is one of the keys to this game. Rodgers will almost certainly do his thing and force some throws into tight windows, so Dunbar will need to be sharp this week. This battle will be critical to the Redskins chances to remain competitive.
Matthew Ioannidis vs. Elgton Jenkins and Billy Turner
As I said above, the key to playing Aaron Rodgers is to put significant pressure on him without sacrificing the team’s ability to play a robust and mistake-free coverage. Enter the Redskins’ leading sack artist, Matt Ioannidis. Washington needs Ioannidis, and for that matter Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne, to be able to penetrate the Packer’s offensive line and at least be disruptive. If they can’t, and Rodgers is allowed to sit back in the pocket for 60 minutes, this is going to be a long game for the Redskins.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (as of Thursday (active roster only)) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Redskins | Packers |
| WR T. Quinn, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | TE J. Graham, calf/wrist; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP |
| WR P. Richardson Jr., hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | WR R. Grant, illness; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| LB R. Anderson, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | CB T. Williams, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| T M. Moses, back; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | T B. Bulaga, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| G B. Scherff, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | CB K. King, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; game: Q |
| M. Sweat, quad; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | TE M. Lewis, NIR; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP |
| LB C. Holcomb, thumb; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | WR D. Adams, toe; Wed: FP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| LB R. Kerrigan, concussion; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | CB T. Brown, heel; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; game: Q |
| S M. Nicholson, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | DT T. Lancaster, neck/knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| RB A. Peterson, toe; Wed: FP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP | LB B. Martinez, hand; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| RB C. Thompson, toe; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | S W. Redmond, foot; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| S D. Everett, shoulder; Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | RB J. Williams, knee; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Redskins:
From a statistical perspective, Washington’s recent winning ways haven’t helped the offense much in most areas. The Redskins are last in the NFL – meaning the worst – in the following categories: total points scored, total yards gained, yards per game, passing yards, and third down conversions. They are second to last in time of possession and red zone efficiency. The big day against the Lions on the ground boosted their team rushing yards per attempt up to 4.6, good for 12th, which is pretty darn respectiable by 2019 Redskins standards.
The defense continues to tread mediocre grounds, giving up 290 yards (12th), and are 19th in total yards surrendered. They are terrible on third downs, ranked 30th. The Redskins are solidly middle of the pack in the run defense, surrendering 4.2 yards per attempt, which is ranked 16th, despite having faced some big-time running teams this season. Opposing quarterbacks have earned a collective 96.0 quarterback rating against the Redskins, so it’s entirely possible that a future hall of famer like Aaron Rodgers might have a field day if given the opportunity. He’s always a tough competitor regardless of the circumstances, so the Redskins certainly have their work cut out for them this week.
Record: 3 – 9 (3rd) (Away: 2 – 4; NFC: 2 – 6)
All-time franchise record: 603 – 599 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 32 (points) / 32 (total yards) / 32 (yards per game) / 28 (yards per play) / 32 (passing yards) / 28 (passing yards per att.) / 20 (rushing yards) / 12 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 173 |
| Yards per game | 262.4 |
| Passing
|
349 att (30th); 216 comp; 61.9% comp per. (24th); 6.5 Y/A; 1956 net yds; 11 TD; 11 Int |
| Passing leader | Keenum (188 att, 1343 yds (33rd), 67.0% comp perc (10th), 9 TDs / 4 Int, 94.8 QB rating (14th); Haskins (133 att, 801 yds, 54.1% comp perc, 2 TDs / 6 Int, 58.5 QB rating) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (646 yds (35th), 72 tgts (46th), 42 rec (60th), 5 TD, 15.4 YPC) |
| Rushing | 260 att (29th); 1193 yds; 4.6 Y/A; 99.4 Y/G (20th); 5 TD |
| Rushing leader | Peterson (147 att (19th), 642 yds (18th), 2 TD, 4.4 Y/A (25th), long 29) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 40 / 26 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 26:54 / 31 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 26.52% / 32 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 35.71% / 31 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 21 (points) / 19 (total yards) / 19 (yards per game surrendered) / 16 (yards per play) / 15 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 27 (rushing yards) / 16 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 290 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 361.4 |
| Opponent’s passing | 394 att (8th); 272 comp; 69.0% comp perc. (30th); 7.6 Y/A; 2758 net yds; 22 TDs; QB Rating 96.0 (22nd) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 375 att (31st); 1579 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 10 TD; 131.6 Y/G (27th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 36 / 9 / Ioannidis (7.5) |
| Tackles leader | Collins (102) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 13 / 4 / Dunbar (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 46.75% / 30 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 56.82% / 16 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 25.6 Y/R (5th), 26 returns, long 91 yards (5th), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 4.7 Y/R (31st), 19 returns, long 15 yards (30th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 24.3 Y/R (25th), 11 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 9.7 Y/R (28th), 30 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 49.9 Y/P (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 17 / 19 / +2 / 14
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 90 / 21
Packers:
What’s noteworthy about the 2019 Green Bay Packers is that they aren’t terrible in the run game, ranked 19th in total rushing yards and 21st in rushing yards per attempt. Rodgers is still Rodgers albeit a slightly diminished version of his statistical self in some ways, with a completion percentage of just 64.5%. That having been said, he’s only thrown 2 interceptions and still has a 102.4 quarterback rating. The Packers are 2nd in the NFL in the red zone and 7th in time of possession. They are fairly balanced in running plays and passing plays, being ranked 18th in both.
Defensively, the Packers are bad against the run, ranked 25th in rushing yards surrendered and 28th in rushing yards per attempt (4.7 yards per attempt). From a passing perspective, quarterbacks opposing Green Bay have a combined 87.6 quarterback rating. They’ve surrendered a total of 255 points, which is ranked 15th, but are ranked 28th in total yards.
Record: 9 – 3 (1st) (Home: 5 – 1; NFC: 6 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 752 – 574 – 38
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
11 (points) / 22 (total yards) / 22 (yards per game) / 19 (yards per play) / 14 (passing yards) / 15 (passing yards per att.) / 19 (rushing yards) / 21 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 289 |
| Yards per game | 340.0 |
| Passing | 417 att (18th); 269 comp; 64.5% comp per. (13th); 7.4 Y/A; 2863 net yds; 22 TDs; 2 Int |
| Passing leader | Rodgers (413 att, 3065 yds (9th), 64.4% comp per., 22 TDs / 2 Int, 102.4 QB rating (9th)) |
| Reception leader | Adams (644 yds (37th), 79 targets (37th), 52 rec (39th), 3 TD, 12.4 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 297 att (18th); 1217 yds; 4.1 Y/A; 101.4 Y/G (19th); 13 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Jones (159 att, 645 yds (15th), 11 TDs, 4.1 Y/A (29th), long 28 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 27 / 13 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:14 / 7 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 35.46% / 21 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 70.0% / 2 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 14 (points) / 28 (total yards) / 28 (yards per game surrendered) / 29 (yards per play) / 22 (passing yards) / 27 (passing yards per att.) / 25 (rushing yards) / 28 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 255 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 376.8 |
| Opponent’s passing | 404 att (13th); 252 comp; 62.4% comp per. (12th); 8.0 Y/A; 3045 net yds; 15 TD; QB Rating 87.6 (11th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 315 att (18th); 1476 yds; 4.7 Y/A; 13 TD |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 28 / 21 / P. Smith (10.5) |
| Tackles leader | Martinez (118) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 12 / 6 / King (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 39.57% / 18 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 47.50% / 6 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 19.5 Y/R (29th), 26 returns, long 36 yards (23rd), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | -0.9 Y/R (32nd), 9 returns, long 3 yards (32nd), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 24.6 Y/R (27th), 26 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 8.3 Y/R (23rd), 21 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 45.0 Y/P (20th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 8 / 19 / +11 / 4
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 80 / 12
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com