Starting to wonder when will "good enough" be good enough?
The Green Bay Packers have climbed to the number 2 seed in the NFC playoff race by doing just enough to beat the Washington Redskins 20-15 on a rather balmy December day at Lambeau Field. The victory gets them to 10-3 on the season making Matt LaFleur the winningest rookie head coach in franchise history.
Surging to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter before the game bogged down left players and fans alike wondering if this team is equipped to take advantage of their lofty status.
In a season where the recipe changes weekly, the Packers leaned on running back Aaron Jones and tight ends to make the plays on offense. Jones piled up 134 yards rushing with the game's opening score on a 4 yard run. He broke loose for gains of 42 in the first half and 23 in the second. Jones also caught a team high 6 passes for 58 yards including a critical 25 yard catch on third and 14 from the Green Bay 7 in the fourth quarter. The Packers were able to grind out 7:24 of the clock before Mason Crosby booted his second field goal from 33 yards out that gave them a 20-9 lead with only 2:34 to play.
Given short fields early thanks to a rousing start from the defense, Green Bay scored on two of their first three possesions to build the quick 14 point lead. Robert Tonyan got free over the middle for a 12 yard scoring catch that capped a 57 yard drive.
The Packers defense piled up three straight, three and out series with a couple of sacks against rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins to begin the game and newly acquired Tyler Ervin proved to be the missing link in the punt return game, gaining 10, 12 and 18 yards on his first three returns in the opening quarter.
But from there on, it was a muddling affair.
The defense gave up two explosive plays on a 95 yard Washington drive. Derrius Guice ripped off a 23 yard run and Kelvin Harmon got free for a 30 yard catch on third and 13 down to the 2 where ageless Adrian Peterson crashed over for a Redskin touchdown. It stayed 14-6 as Dustin Hopkins missed the PAT wide right.
Aaron Rodgers got strip sacked on the next series as Green Bay drove to the Washington 27. Adrian Amos denied the Redskins a shot at points by making a sideline intereception of Haskins at the Green Bay 27.
The Packers did move 60 yards to open the third quarter to set up Crosby's first field goal from 32 yards to make it 17-6. After a three and out where the Packers missed on third and 5, the Redskins put together another scoring drive thanks to a third and 10 pass interference penalty on Tramon Williams. Hopkins nailed a 52 yard field goal to make it a one score game.
Finally, backed up Rodgers and Jones connected on what LaFleur called the play of the game, the 25 yard grab on third and long. A fumble by Geronimo Allison was reversed when it was ruled he was down by contact at the catch, before he got up and lost it. Yet the Packers could not punch in a decisive touchdown, settling again for Crosby and a 33 yard field goal with 2:34 to play.
Haskins was able to drive Washington's 2 minute offense 75 yards in 1:17 hitting Terry McLaurin with a nifty, one handed, 13 yard touchdown to pull within 5. Haskins 2 point rushing attempt was stopped a yard short by Blake Martinez.
Davante Adams recovered the onside kick attempt and the Packers let go another might exhale.
After the game, LaFleur summed up the spotty, yet victorious effort:
(Audio: Matt LaFleur)
Despite question after question about the up and down offensive effort, the players were steadfast in believing they can find consistency and there is absolutely no reason to apologize for beating any NFL team, even the now 3-10 Redskins.
I'm in their corner. A division leading and possibly a bye earning playoff team can't get bogged down by the lack of style points. Whether or not the Packers can play with the other supposed powerhouses in the NFC is immaterial in December. The proof will be in front of them, beginning with the rematch gauntlet in the NFC North to the regular season finish line and in the post-season against whomever and wherever they happen to play.
That's when "good enough" will be more than good enough.
By the numbers, Green Bay outgained Washington 241-262 thanks to 174 rushing yards. The Packers were just 5/13 on third down, a season long issue and they were even on the turnover table at one aside.
Peterson gained 76 yards on 20 carries and became just the sixth running back in NFL history to eclipse 14,000 yards rushing.
The defense picked up four more sacks, Preston Smith getting one against his old team, Kenny Clark and a sack and a half, Blake Martinez had one and Kyler Fackrell had a half sack.
The inactive players on Sunday were Kevin King, dealing with a sore shoulder, Ryan Grant, Dexter Williams, Tony Brown, Ka'Dar Hollman, Adam Pankey and Yosh Nijman.
Za'Darius Smith avoided a serious knee injury when he was cleated in the knee by Haskins on a tackle. He later returned to the game.
Speaking of cleats. Crosby were his "Cleats for a Cause" shoes decorated with pictures of his wife, Molly on one shoe. She had a cancerous growth surgically removed earlier this fall. On the other was a picture of his sister-in-law, Brittany who passed away the day after Thanksgiving following a three year battle with ovarian cancer. Mason attended her funeral on Friday in Texas. He said the Lombardi Foundation, for which he regularly volunteers, came up with the shoe design long before the tragic couple of weeks and it was particularly emotional looking at those shoes during warmups but there was plenty of power in his leg during the game.
The honorary captains were the old guard. Josh Sitton, who retired as a Green Bay Packer on Friday, along with T.J. Lang were introduced before kickoff and once they strolled onto Lambeau, they pulled beer cans from their jackets and polished them off to roars from the crowd.
