Packers: Five keys to defeating the Redskins in Week 3

Five keys for the Green Bay Packers to defeat the Washington Redskins in Week 3.

The Green Bay Packers should feel great about where they stand after two weeks. The Packers escaped a matchup that featured one of the toughest defenses in the NFL against one-legged Aaron Rodgers with a tie.

The Minnesota Vikings were projected to be one of the NFL’s best teams on both sides of the ball. Green Bay outplayed them but ended up on the wrong end of multiple breaks late in regulation that led to overtime.

The Packers’ schedule is favorable over the next few weeks.

Here’s what they need to do to stay undefeated when they take on the Washington Redskins Sunday.

1. Take the pressure off Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers continues to do incredible things on the football field. Still, every time he drops back and can’t get the ball out in less than two seconds, he’s at risk. He can’t escape pressure and rolls the dice with every hit he takes.

The best way to make life easier for Rodgers is to find success on the ground. Every play Rodgers can stand in the pistol and hand off to Jamaal Williams or Aaron Jones, who comes off suspension this week, it’s one less chance to strain his sprained knee.

2. Wrap up the tailbacks

The Packers struggled to contain Dalvin Cook last week. Even on plays where they stacked the box and hit him behind the line of scrimmage, he escaped for gains of four or five yards.

The improved Green Bay secondary is good on obvious passing downs, but their inability to force third-and-long situations has amounted to a sixth-worst 45 percent conversion rate by opponents thus far.

3. Control the field position game

One thing the Packers have done well is pin opponents deep. Rookie punter JK Scott has been terrific both hammering 60-plus yard kicks and controlling the ball inside the 20.

Even when the Packers have started inside their own 10-yard line, they’ve plugged away and at worst picked up a few first downs. On third-and-very-long, they aren’t forcing the ball into dangerous situations if they don’t have to. They move it a few yards and let the defense get it back.

4. Bring pressure to Alex Smith

Even with all the offensive talent the Vikings have, the Packers were able to get stops when they took chances and blitzed on passing downs. If not for the roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews, it was that pressure that would have sealed a victory.

Smith does not have the same weapons Kirk Cousins does. Paul Richardson and Jordan Reed will not kill Green Bay in quick throw situations the blitz will force.

The key to the blitz will be picking up Chris Thompson out of the backfield on screens and other short passes. Blake Martinez should be equal to the task.

5. Finish drives

Mason Crosby was great in Week 2. He went five-for-five on field goals before missing the game-winner. He even made that one, but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer successfully iced him, if you believe in that.

In the past, a lot of the team’s red zone success has come with Rodgers out of the pocket. He extends plays and is a dual-threat quarterback near the goal line. With his injured knee, that’s not the case.

The team wants Crosby to kick 32-yarders all day, not 52-yard last-second bombs. That means finding space as the field shrinks and giving Rodgers enough time to hit his targets. It’s time for Jimmy Graham to make the red zone plays he was brought in to make.