Aaron Rodgers opened the NFC wild-card game against the Washington Redskins by going 1 for 8, and the Packers' first four drives went: punt, safety, punt, punt. They gained all of 11 yards heading into the second period, and they trailed by double digits.
And then, spurred by using the hurry-up approach he loves, Rodgers played like a two-time NFL MVP. Drawing defensive penalties with quick snaps, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and running the show the way few QBs can, Rodgers threw for a pair of TDs while Eddie Lacy and James Starks each ran for a score, and Green Bay came back to overwhelm the NFC East champion Redskins 35-18.
Green Bay (11-6) will play at the No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. It's a rematch of a Week 16 game that Arizona dominated 38-8.
Kirk Cousins, made his first playoff start for Washintington after a breakthrough season and was 29 for 46 for 329 yards. He threw for one touchdown, ran for another, lost one fumble and was sacked six times.
Rodgers, the 2011 Super Bowl MVP, turned things around in the second quarter, twice catching Washington with too many men on the field. He went 5 for 6 for 68 yards on a drive that ended with a 12-yard TD pass to Randall Cobb. Then he hit Davante Adams for a 10-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 17-11 halftime lead.
In the second half, the running game took over. After 17 yards at halftime, the Packers finished with 141 yards on 32 carries.
