The resurgence starts with the quarterback, an ageless wonder who bounces around the field like a teen. Just as he’s always done. He’s celebrated; he’s revered; he’s headed to Canton.
He’s also not the only only thing Washington has to worry about Sunday. It’s the defense that, while not as celebrated, is equally responsible for the Packers’ success.
And it’s the corners — Al Harris and Charles Woodson — who lead that unit, making Sunday a potentially tough day for Washington’s receivers. Even if they do have Antwaan Randle El, who missed practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said “hopefully we’ll get a miracle there” and Randle El will play.
But the wideout is confident that he will play Sunday.
Which means he and Santana Moss — who practiced after missing last week with a groin injury — will be in for a tough battle.
Woodson, in his second season with Green Bay, has played in four Pro Bowls; Harris has been an alternate the past three years.
“They’re two of the best,” Moss said. “You always want to play against the best. The only way you get considered as one of the best at your position is going against someone that’s good.”
Green Bay’s defense is only ranked 17th, hardly the sign of a dominating unit. Some of that stems from having big leads in a couple games and giving up chunks of yards in the fourth quarter. But the Packers have posed a problem for quarterbacks, who have completed just 56.6 percent of their passes against them and have a pedestrian 81.7 passer rating.
To combat the physical corners, Washington will use its quickness. If Randle El plays, he’ll be moved around to make it harder for them to jam him at the line. Or they’ll try to force Green Bay into zone coverage.
“Then again,” Randle El said, “you don’t want it to be a cover-2 game. You prefer the man because you can do a lot of different things.”
If the Packers have success stopping the wideouts in press coverage, they can use a safety against the run. That’s important for one reason: “We think they’re going to try and run the ball,” Woodson said.
The Redskins used a shorter passing attack last week, but the tight coverage might force them to go long, which means the protection must hold up. And the wideouts must beat the press.
“It’ll be tough for us to get downfield,” Gibbs said. “It’s a real matchup there to see if we can get off the line and threaten anything down field.”
