Aaron Rodgers makes it look so easy that it’s almost difficult to sit back and realize what he just did on the football field.
It was one of those days against Washington Redskins as Rodgers racked up 480 yards and four touchdowns on a precise 34-of-42 passing in the 38-20 win.
The aerial assault was started in the first half as Rodgers became the first quarterback since week six of 2006 (Tom Brady vs. Titans) to throw for 335 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in one half.
What It Means: The Packers rebounded from a hard-fought loss to the San Francisco 49ers with a dominating win over Robert Griffin III and the Redskins. Green Bay should improve in everyone’s power rankings because they looked like the best team playing in the first set of games.
Not only did the offense dominate, but so did the defense for most of the game. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Redskins even made it to the red-zone. Most of Washington’s 422 total yards were accumulated in garbage time when the game was well out of hand. The key stat for the defense was holding the opponent to 3-of-11 on third downs.
Green Bay’s offense could be the best in the game. Rodgers masks a below-average offensive line and spreads the ball around to so many weapons. Six different receivers reaped the benefits of Rodgers pinpoint accuracy and it did a lot to help the running game. The only concern from the game was the offensive line which could become an extreme liability against teams with good defensive lines. Rodgers was sacked on four different occasions.
Player of the Game: RB James Starks (20 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown)
Starks has finally put an end to the 45 game regular season streak of no 100+ yard rushers. Everyone thought the rookie Eddie Lacy would be the guy to do it, but he was forced to leave early in the first quarter with a concussion. Give Starks a ton of credit for entering the game and averaging 6.6 yards per carry on some really physical running.
Highlight of the Game: Starks 32 yard touchdown run in the third quarter was one of beauty as he slashed and dashed his way over the century mark and in to the endzone. In fact, he wasn’t even touched which is perplexing if you’re familiar with Starks’ running style.
Stat of the Game (128 and178): The receiving yards from Randall Cobb and James Jones, both career highs. It’s hard to believe names like Cobb and Jones haven’t racked up these kind of numbers before.
What’s Next: The Packers will hit the road again to take on the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) who will be coming off a short week as they play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night. The Bengals are known for their nasty defensive line, so expect that to be the focus going in to the game.
What did you think of the Packers’ dominating win over the Redskins?
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers. He also enjoys sharing Fantasy Advice and pretends to be a Golf expert from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best. If social media is not your thing, shoot him an email at grays@uwalumni.com.
*Images obtained from Packers.com