Packers vs. Washington 2016 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch NFL playoffs online
The Packers might have the better record heading into this game, but Washington is playing better football right now, especially on offense.
Two teams that just completed inexplainable seasons will collide on Sunday afternoon when Washington and the Green Bay Packers cap off this year’s Wild Card weekend slate.
Many predicted Washington to be one of the worst teams in the league -- Bovada gave them the third-lowest odds to win the Super Bowl at the start of September -- and a mediocre 2-4 start did little to change those preseason expectations. But Jay Gruden's team. flipped the script, suddenly caught fire behind a surprisingly productive offense, and captured the NFC East crown with four straight wins down the stretch.
The four-game win streak is their longest since the last time they made the playoffs, when they won seven in a row in 2012. It's been a decade, though, since Washington tasted victory in the postseason, when the 2005 club won in Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round. You have to go back even further to find the last time that Washington won a home playoff game -- Jan. 8, 2000 against the Lions.
There are few teams with a hotter offense right now than Washington. In the final four weeks, Kirk Cousins and Co. averaged a league-best 32.8 points per game and 6.4 yards per play. Cousins has the passing game operating with incredible efficiency and explosiveness during this four-game stretch. He led the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt from Weeks 14-17, while throwing 12 touchdowns and one interception.
While Washington looks to keep its late-season surge going, it also needs to break another streak if it wants to give its fans something to celebrate on Sunday night. The team is 0-3 against opponent that finished the season with a winning record, losing by at least two touchdowns in all three games against the Jets, Patriots and Panthers. Washington is the only playoff club without a win against a team that was above .500.
The Packers, meanwhile, were a popular Super Bowl pick in the fall and got off to a hot 6-0 start, bolstering their status as a legit contender in the NFC. But it was all downhill from there as the Packers went 4-6 in their final 10 games and failed to win the division for the first time since 2010.
The struggles of the offense down the stretch were acute and particularly shocking for a franchise that led the league in points in two of the previous four seasons (2011, 2014). Green Bay finished the season ranked 15th in scoring offense and 23rd in total offense, its worst showings in those categories since 2006 and 1991, respectively. They put up a total of 21 points in back-to-back losses against the Cardinals and Vikings to close out the 2015 campaign.
Given their limitations offensively, the Packers may have a tough time winning a playoff game right now. While some may point to the similarities to the 2010 team that went 10-6 and won a Super Bowl as a wild card, the 2015 version doesn’t look anything like that one.
While they endured their share of ups and downs, the 2010 Packers did finish the regular season with a two-game win streak and looked like one of those classic “teams you don’t want to face in the postseason.” This year’s squad, on the other hand, is limping into the playoffs after two ugly performances and has to play a Washington team that was 6-2 at home this season.
How to watch
When: Sunday, Jan. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Chris Myers
Online: Fox Sports Go
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