The 9-7 Washington Redskins host the 10-6 Green Bay Packers Sunday in an NFC Wild Card game. Washington opened as a slim, one-point favorite, but that line has betted in favor of Green Bay. Vegas had it right from the start. Here are 3 Reasons Why The Redskins Will Beat The Packers:
3. Packers Struggling
The Packers limped into the playoffs. The team started the season 6-0, but closed with a 10-6 mark. That includes two consecutive losses to the Cardinals and Vikings to close the season. While the Packers could turn things around, there's no doubt the offense has serious issues. The passing game isn't as sharp as it was last year and the running game is wildly inconsistent. The Packers have to be lacking some confidence right now and that's going to hurt them against Washington.
2. Home Field Advantage
Don't underestimate the benefit playing at home has. QB Kirk Cousins (much more on him below) has been better at home, as has the whole team. The running game averages 4.2 yards per carry at home, far better than a bad 2.9 mark on the road. Six of the team's nine wins have come at home and they've lost just two games at FedEx Field. The boost that comes with playing at home will help the Redskins defeat the Packers.
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1. Strong Play From Kirk Cousins
Quarterback A has completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,166 yards, 29 TDs and 11 picks. He has just two picks in his last eight games. Quarterback B is completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 3,821 yards, 31 TDs and eight picks. He has five picks in last eight games. Both are solid stats, QB A has a claim for being the better QB at this moment. QB A is Kirk Cousins and QB B is Aaron Rodgers. There's no doubting Rodgers' abilities, but Cousins has been incredible as of late. He's matured tremendously and Jay Gruden clearly made the right call in going with Cousins. He has the highest home completion percentage in NFL history at 74.7 percent this year. If Cousins continues his strong play, the Redskins will beat the Packers.