The question surrounding Cousins this season, especially now when it looks like he will become a franchise quarterback after this season, is what type of quarterback he will turn out to be? It may have sounded crazy at the beginning of the season, but Cousins could be staring his destiny in the eyes on Sunday as Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers into FedEx Field on Sunday. Cousins and Rodgers' careers have had similar parallels that make one think that Cousins could have a career that mirrors that of Aaron Rodgers. Both were backups for the beginning of their careers. Both had skeptics and haters abound when they were named the unquestioned starter in their fourth season as a pro. Both have a sneaky good athletic skill set. Both made their first playoff start against a former Super Bowl Champion. Rodgers's first playoff game came in his second season as a starter against Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, a game he lost in overtime. Rodgers now finds himself in the role of master as he faces a young apprentice making his first career playoff start. Cousins led the Redskins to a better record and led them on more game winning drives than Aaron Rodgers did in his first season in Green Bay, and Cousins has the benefit of playing in front of his home crowd on Sunday that could propel Cousins' career in the same direction as Aaron Rodgers. For Cousins to fulfill this destiny he will need help in all phases of the game, and it may come down to the playmakers on defense that determine whether or not we will hear "You Like That!" in Charlotte or Tempe next weekend. Here are the keys to the game:
Experience vs. Hotness: The quarterback play of this game will be the main focus, and the big narrative will be the experience of Rodgers versus the hot streak of Cousins. The Redskins should be wary of Rodgers coming out like it is 2010 and whipping the ball up and down the field because that is what he has done in the past. While this season has not been his best, Rodgers is still averaging 11.0 yards per completion compared to a woeful 6.7 yards per attempt. That means that Rodgers may not be throwing the ball long on every play, but he is connecting on the long passes so the depleted Redskins secondary needs to keep up its magic. Cousins, however, is boasting a highly improved 7.7 yards per attempt and riding an inconceivable hot streak into the playoffs. The Redskins need to make sure they continue to be hot by protecting Cousins from the vaunted pass rush of the Packers, and by utilizing the short to intermediate passing game with Reed, Crowder, and Garcon to gain yards after the catch. The value of the experience of Rodgers and the good fortune of Cousins in this game will be at the mercy of the eleven men on the other side of the ball.
Under Pressure: The defenses will determine which quarterbacking skill set will win out. The Packers Defense is boasting an impressive 58.3% completion percentage, which is fourth best in the league, and they are top ten in the league in sacks. The two things that Cousins has been able to do to create this hot streak is be the most accurate passer in the league this season while being the fifth least sacked quarterback. If Green Bay can close the pocket and force Cousins into quick reads against a highly skilled secondary, it could be a lot of three and outs for Sean McVay's squad. The Redskins defense needs to make sure that they are putting pressure on Rodgers who has been sacked 47 times this year, but who may have key pieces of his offensive line returning this weekend. It is time for Ryan Kerrigan to shine in a big game, and for Preston Smith to show his worth to the league on a national stage. The Redskins must also do what has been their strong suit so far this season in creating turnovers. For as much as Rodgers has been sacked, the Packers have only turned the ball over 17 times this season. The Redskins are no stranger to creating turnovers against stingy ball security teams (the Redskins faced 10 of the top 16 teams in giveaways this season while being top 10 in the league in takeaways), and they will need at least one turnover to win this game. Pressure and turnovers will counterbalance Rodgers experience, but the Redskins defense needs to be wary of Rodgers's experience out pacing the deficiencies they have suffered due to injury.
It's A Game of Positioning: This game will be like a well played game of chess, and field position will count for a lot. The one area where the Redskins have a sizeable advantage is yards per drive and yards per play. The Redskins have averaged almost four more yards per drive than the Packers (31.5 to 27.8) and they are half a yard better in yards per play (5.6 to 5.1). This means that special teams and the running game will play a major part in the field position battle. Tress Way needs to have a big day in pinning the Packers deep, and Dustin Hopkins will need to create touchbacks and hit clutch field goals. The Redskins will also need to take advantage of a Packers defense that is giving up almost 120 yards per game and 4.5 yards per attempt on the ground. Alfred Morris needs to continue to be solid and run effectively enough so that play action will slow the pass rush and maybe give us big plays through the air that can flip the field. If Morris can average above 3.5 yards per carry with 70-80 yards rushing the Packers will be in trouble. A significant deficit in starting field position will not kill the Redskins, but it will greatly help a Packers offense that is devoid of major playmakers.
The Redskins seem to have a penchant for playing in highly poetic playoff games. Remember the consequences that came out of the Redskins' last playoff matchup with Seattle three years ago. Now, they find themselves with a different quarterback in the same position: Trying to prove that he is an elite quarterback in this league. The difference in this game is that Cousins will need to vanquish one of the elite, even if the team around Rodgers has been marginalized by injury for most of the season. It will be a close game, and I don't see Cousins going for monster stats like he has in the past four games. Redskins fans should expect mediocre stats, but a legendary leadership performance from Cousins with him leading some gritty second half drives to either put the Redskins ahead or answer an offensive score by the Packers. (Prediction: Cousins gets at least one rushing TD). The defense will play well enough to keep it close, and watch for the edge rushers to force a big sack/fumble out of Rodgers. It will be close, but HTTR nation should put a hold on airline tickets for next weekend.
Redskins Win: 24-20
