The BackstoryThe are the 12th team over the last 13 seasons to finish last place in the division the year before, only to storm back and win the division the following year. But their story seems far more incredible than that, doesn't it? The rise of took incredible patience from head coach Jay Gruden, especially considering that he was benching , a quarterback beloved by ownership and the subject of a blockbuster draft-day trade that plucked the of a treasure trove of draft picks. This simply wouldn't fly in other places, and it didn't fly in Washington for quite some time. Gruden and the may very well lose on Sunday, but for the first time in a long time, we're not discu sing the as a surprise candidate to fire their coach and start over. Mike Sainristil Jersey We're also talking about a ma sive contract extension for quarterback , who has been arguably the best quarterback in football over the last eight games -- at least statistically. Ever since the run game ironed itself out and returned to the lineup, Cousins has been almost unstoppable."You're seeing him make more mature plays where when we're operating on different concepts," offensive coordinator Sean McVay told reporters this week. "He makes it right because he got an answer and he's recognizing where the ball should go based on where coverage dictates."Meanwhile, the have been destroyed by injuries all season long. The typical sleepwalking ease po se ses while connecting with his favorite wide receivers disappeared once was lost for the season. struggled in Nelson's absence posting just one 100-yard game since Week 2. And , who the luckily plucked off the street after he was cut by the , churned out six touchdowns in six straight weeks ... however he was targeted on five of Rodgers' eight interceptions this season. That has been the story in Green Bay all along. There seems to be a lingering distrust between Rodgers and the rest of his offense, including 2014 second-round pick , who scored just one touchdown this season and finished the season among the top six receivers in drops. That list also includes , and , so at least he's in good company. "I've never lost confidence in myself, and our team will be ready to play," Rodgers told reporters Wednesday. "I'm confident that there's a different focus this week. And as much as you wouldn't want this to be the standard, that you can 'turn it on and off,' I think our guys are turning it on this week. And we're going to play better."It's tough to count Rodgers out, and in a way this road trip to Washington D.C. on Sunday afternoon will be quite humbling. The took the division, and took a little bit of the Packer mystique away heading into the playoffs. This is the first time since 2010 that Green Bay has not won the NFC North. Under Pre sure head coach Mike McCarthy: There have been some rumblings about McCarthy being a surprise firing candidate should the tank against Washington this weekend, and while it seems crazy, there is probably a real concern surrounding ' statistical slide this season. While it might be a simple anomaly -- and let's be honest, would we really not sign up to have Rodgers as our quarterback for the next eight years? -- the will want to maximize the final eight or so years of Rodgers' playing career. At 32, there is plenty left for the former MVP, and that will include some Packer teams that need a ma sive turnover on defense. That being said, the team may look at this as a logical decision point in the trajectory of the franchise. Or, maybe the will win the and we'll all look crazy for even thinking about this. quarterback : Cousins is in a similar situation that quarterback was last week prior to a win-and-in game against the . A victory would likely secure a contract beyond his wildest dreams at this stage in his career, while a lo s or general poor play would bring expectations back down to earth a little bit. Cousins is younger and has a much higher ceiling at this point, so we're not comparing money as much as opportunity. Beating the at home would mean the world to this franchise, and it would likely mean the world to Cousins' bank account with free agency looming. Matchup to Watch defensive coordinator Dom Capers vs. offensive coordinator Sean McVay and head coach Jay Gruden. This is the first time in half a decade that the have had a better scoring defense than scoring offense. Capers has turned into one of the best all-around defensive players in the NFL, and is playing great at the safety spot this year, not to mention an encouraging second year from .But this defense will be tested in a significant way, even if it seems like a laugher for Green Bay. The have done an extraordinary job moving around this season and getting him the best linebacker and safety matchups. Consider also that 's return has forced defenses to guard against the big play, leaving the short to mid-range zones to look like utter chaos for opponents. , who has not had a 100-yard game this season, is still more than capable of the devastating seven-catch game that includes a few clutch third-down conversions and is developing into a speed threat who can be a menace on bubble screens and quick outs. In the season finale, he caught five pa ses for 105 yards and a touchdown."I'm a fan of the game," safety told reporters this week, via The Journal Sentinel. "I enjoy watching other teams and other players play. () is a really good quarterback and I've seen him. I thought he was a really good quarterback in college and he's been doing really good."Added corner : "Probably the last half of the season he's been playing like he needed to be in the . So we need to come prepared. They've been scoring a lot on offense and playing really good as a team. We'll figure it out."But they also know that it isn't Cousins acting alone. There are some very smart minds behind the ascension of this quarterback. Mind-Blowing StatsPrior to the , quarterback threw 24 career touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Since that game, he has thrown 23 touchdowns and just three picks. ... The are trying to become just the third team in NFL history to win the after losing the last two games of the regular season. The accomplished the feat back in 2009 and the also managed to get it done back in 1967. ... Since Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy took over play calling duties as head coach in Week 14, the have scored 19.8 points per game and racked up 314 yards per game. Before he reclaimed playcalling duties, the team was scoring 24.1 points per game and putting up 341.4 yards per game. ... just finished his first season with a pa ser rating under 100 since 2008. ... has not had a 100 yard receiving game since the second week of the season. ... has led the NFL in completion percentage and pa ser rating over the second half of the season. , in that time frame, is dead last in completion percentage and 27th in pa ser rating. ... Since 1978, only two players have had a higher pa ser rating over the final eight games of the season than : during an MVP season in 2010 and in 2013. ... Only , and have as many multiple TD games as tight end this season. ... The have lost both games this season against teams that ended up making the playoffs. In those two games, against New England and Carolina, the team averaged 13 points per game. ... The have just one turnover over their last three games. In that time, they are 3-0, having scored more than 30 points and put up more than 400 yards in each contest. PredictionThis all seems like a mounting indictment on the media for doubting the , doesn't it? The last time Green Bay snuck in as a wild card team they won the . The last time they had a better scoring defense than offense ... they won the . The last time was doubted this significantly in his career ... you gue sed it. Washington is a good football team, and if the and aren't careful this offseason with their coaching hires, the could win this division again next year. But the are a better football team that is simply undergoing a crisis of identity right now. Washington has not fared well against the playoff caliber teams on their schedule this season, while Green Bay has had a season full of playoff caliber games. Look for to get back on track and for to throw one more touchdown pa s than . The game will be closer than the score indicates.Packers 31, Redskins 23 Derrick Gore Jersey