LANDOVER, Md. — Speed kills.
That’s why the Redskins were left for road kill Sunday night at FedExField, where they were trying to win their first home playoff game in 16 years.
They were run over, 35-18, by the Packers and their man behind the wheel, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who took his struggling team and hoisted it on his back by recreating the up-tempo rhythm that always has made the Green Bay offense so dangerous.
The Packers entered the game having scored 21 points in their last two regular-season games and the world wanted to know what was wrong with Rodgers, one of the league’s true superstars.
The bounce in Rodgers’ step had been missing. So was the infectious smile and the boyish body language of a golden retriever running free in the park.
With the Packers down 11-0 and their offense again sputtering early in Sunday’s game, it was as if Rodgers lit a match that sparked a flame the Redskins could not extinguish.
Rodgers completed just one of his first eight passes for 11 yards in the first quarter, and then suddenly the Packers were scoring on six of the next seven possessions, outscoring the Redskins 35-7 the rest of the game.
They did it because Rodgers turned the volume up on the Redskins’ defense. To borrow from the cult movie classic, “Spinal Tap,’’ Rodgers turned it up past “10’’ on the dial because when the Packers’ hurry-up offense is humming like it was Sunday, it goes to 11.
“That’s us,’’ Packers receiver James Jones said. “It’s tough to stop us when we’re able to get moving fast like that.’’
And Rodgers is the conductor, as good at it as anyone in the game not named Brady.
The Redskins’ defense twice was flagged for 12 men on the field. Countless times Washington could not sub out tired players for more favorable matchups, and by the second half they were gassed.
“Once we got a few first downs we became like a snowball going downhill and we couldn’t stop ourselves,’’ Rodgers said. “There was a time there when we were down 11-0 where people could have started to have that doubt creep in, but it didn’t happen.’’
Because Rodgers would not let it happen.
“That’s 12, man,’’ Jones said of his quarterback. “He’s a future Hall of Famer, man. You guys are spoiled. When he makes one bad throw you’re all on him. But to us, he plays like 12 every week. The guy has set such a high standard. You guys get on him about any and every little thing. He just came out here and played ball like he always does.’’
Rodgers played fast. The rest of the offense followed and it was the Redskins’ undoing.
“When we get a good tempo going we’re hard to stop,’’ Jones said. “When we’re rolling, man, we’ve got a lot of weapons that you’ve got to defend.’’
Said Packers left guard Josh Sitton said: “That’s when we’re playing at our best — when we can play that fast. Aaron has complete control of the entire field. He’s got the ability to call pretty much what he wants and usually he gets us in the right play.’’
Ironically, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he noticed Rodgers “was playing a little fast at the beginning’’ of the game before “settling in.’’
He settled in to complete 14-of-20 for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter, completely changing the game for the Packers.
Was Rodgers slumping at the end of the season? Sure he was. But this was his 12th career playoff game and he was not ready to go home yet.
“He’s a special player,’’ Redskins coach Jay Gruden said.
“They did whatever they wanted in the second half,’’ Redskins defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said.
“They just kept trucking,’’ Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall said. “They kept their foot on the pedal.’’
Speed killed the Redskins.
Now the Packers race back to Arizona, where they have a score to settle from the 38-8 beating the Cardinals gave to them on Dec. 27.
“We’re coming off obviously a big win and their last game they got beat by a lot [36-6 to Seattle],’’ Rodgers said, clearly delivering a message through the media. “So, it’s going to be a more competitive game, I bet.”