SnoTap Packer Preview: Washington v. Green Bay

Welcome to a new part of SnoTap where we preview the Packer game throughout and also feature a Packer playlist. The playlist will begin the post and feature anywhere from 17-25 songs.  It is an eclectic mix with all types of music and also features music from Washington DC artists.  

Sunday will start another year at Lambeau Field. This year, it is a bit different as the Packers have added new seats in the south endzone making the stadium over 80,000 strong putting Green Bay third in the NFL in terms of biggest stadiums and it will get loud. The new seats will contain the sound as they do in Seattle and it will be louder than it ever has before in Lambeau. It should be fun to see if Washington has any problems dealing with the snap counts come Sunday.

Both teams come in needing a win badly to avoid start the dreaded 0-2. No one wants to be 0-2 if they want to be in the playoffs in January. Only 13 percent of NFL teams since 1990 have made the playoffs after an 0-2 start. This game is extremely important and honestly, the team who loses this game will probably be the topic of the national media freakout with good reason too as both made the playoffs last season.  

It is weird both teams also have the same issue after Week 1, their secondary.  For the Packers, it is not really the entire defensive backfield.  Tramon Williams and Sam Shields did fine on the outsides covering the vertical routes yet the middle was completely exposed for the entire game. Jerron McMillian will not be starting and Chris Banjo will be in there instead. Banjo is an undrafted rookie going up against Fred Davis and a good Redskins receiving core so that should worry Packer fans. Banjo did have some impressive plays throughout the preseason, but an actual NFL game is far different than playing against his level of talent. 

The Redskins secondary problems are both with their corners and safeties. They were the 30th ranked pass defense last year and in the first game against Philadelphia, it showed everything stayed the same. Washington trotted out multiple rookies like David Amerson and Bacarri Rambo along with DeAngelo Hall whose about as useless as a three dollar bill.  Having two rookies and a washed up corner against Aaron Rodgers and the arsenal of wide receivers could be a disaster for Washington. Rodgers should be licking his chops for this one, and there is no reason Mike McCarthy should focus on the run early on. 

Robert Griffin III did not look like the same player last Monday night. He warmed up in the second half throwing for 276 yards, but RGIII seemed much more like a pocket passer versus being a duel-threat quarterback. Griffin did not look strong throwing the football even if he found receivers open. He did not look strong when it came to his base drawing comparisons to Tom Brady when he came back from his knee injury. I do think Griffin will get into stride again this year, but that will probably happen in October making me happy the Packers face them in the second week of the season. 

The Packers seemed to get away from San Francisco injury-free, but as the week continued, Josh Sitton and Jermichael Finley both came up with injuries. Sitton is bothered by a bad back and Finley has a toe injury. Both have a great deal importance to this team and making the offense run efficiently.  Sitton's absence would be far more significant than Finley. While the Packers are thinner at tight end than you believe, there are enough offensive weapons to survive without J-Mike. Sitton goes out, the offensive line will have to do some massive shuffling on Sunday. It appears Morgan Burnett will be playing, but there is a chance he could still miss the game. All three practiced yesterday although Finley and Sitton were limited, there is no guarantee any three of these players will go on Sunday.   

As for the game, it is always scary to face Rodgers with his back against the wall. It is even more scarier when the secondary of Washington.  The Packers QB will have a big game on Sunday and put everyone on notice. I also think the Packers run defense will come up big again.  Green Bay 31  Washington 20