Destruction In The Capital: Why Green Bay Packers lost to Washington
By Kenn Korb
Second half scoring barrage
Speaking of the blowout, it didn’t really start off looking like it would be one.
At halftime, Green Bay was down just 13-10 despite starting the evening with three straight three-and-outs. This was great to see after the gigantic deficit which was dropped upon them against the Titans, and it seemed like we might have a competitive contest right to the end.
Washington obliterated that notion with their offensive showing in the second half.
Every single one of Washington’s non-kneel down drives in the final 30 minutes went for points. The first was a field goal, but it was followed by four straight touchdowns to provide them with 42 points even while leaving five points on the field through a missed PAT and two-point conversion tries.
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Green Bay did have their own offense looking lively, but they would’ve needed to score every single time out just to stay in it and couldn’t manage to do so. They missed a field goal down 16-10, and then after two TD scores they saw Jared Cook (who had a strong game overall) fumble away a late possession which effectively sealed it.
Even had they scored on that Cook fumble drive, they still would’ve been down at least two points with about two minutes remaining (though had the earlier field goal gone through they would’ve been up by one). At that point Washington seems likely to have done exactly what they did following the fumble, regardless of the score: plow in for another TD, giving Green Bay the loss anyway.
That defense is, as Danny Kelly of The Ringer noted in his article, broken. It really made no difference how well the offense played, the defense was going to keep hemorrhaging yards and points to Washington in this half, and it was a pitiful experience to behold.