Packers: Top five performers vs. Redskins in Week 14 win

5. Preston Smith

The Smith Brothers had their usual day. Although Za’Darius didn’t register a sack, his pressures directly led to at least two of the sacks picked up by others. Preston was also a constant annoyance to his former team all afternoon.

Preston had a sack himself and had a hand in at least one other. With Ryan Kerrigan getting hurt and Montez Sweat not doing much in this game, Smith showed Washington why it made a bad choice letting him walk. Preston has been a welcomed addition to the Packers defense and hopes to be for years to come.

A side note that’s worth mentioning is the Packers may have found their return man. After trading away Trevor Davis and having a rotation of ineffectiveness back there, the Packers were sitting dead last in punt return yardage and were on pace to set a record with negative-8 return yards on the season.

Tyler Ervin changed all that with his first return and kept improving with each return after. After Ervin’s first three returns, the Packers had good field position, being at or near midfield. The offense wasn’t able to cash in on all of those opportunities, but it was a welcomed change to the way things have been.

The Packers will now face three straight division opponents to close out the season. It starts with a noon showdown with the Chicago Bears next Sunday. The Bears have won three in a row and have picked up steam after their slow start to the season.

The Packers control their own destiny within the division and should they win out, they will do no worse than the number two seed in the NFC.

If the Packers want to keep their current seeding, they are going to need a better performance from the entire team. The Packers swept through their first round of division games. If they can do it again, a first-round bye awaits and a better shot at the ultimate prize.