It was a Tale of Two Halves. People like to say it is not how you start, but how you finish. But games are won all the time in the first half; unfortunately for the Green Bay Packers, that was not the case Sunday.

The visitors stormed out and dominated the first quarter, culminating in a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter on a Mason Crosby 52-yard field goal. Outside of one play in the first half, the home team could do nothing, and the Packers went into the locker room with a 10-3 lead.

But the second half was drastically different. With the Packers down two tight ends-leaving them only a late-round and an undrafted rookie-they were unable to move the ball, scoring only on a 36-yard field goal by Crosby. When the best player on defense, Clay Matthews, III, went down, they were unable to get to Donovan McNabb.

Washington rode one big-play, a 48-yard touchdown to Anthony Armstrong, and a 45-yard field goal into overtime. That is when a turnover and defensive penalties on the Packers opened the door to the game-winning kick.

To add injury to insult, Green Bay suffered five injuries in that game. While only one will miss more than a couple games, the impact could be devastating for a team that began the season with Super Bowl aspirations.

Yet a unit's performance must be graded on those that played, not affected by those who could not. It is the team's responsibility to get the job done no matter who is out there, or one would give losing teams the same leniency for lack of talent and everyone would get C's...

Quarterback: C+

Aaron Rodgers was 27-46 (.587) for 293 yards (6.4/attempt), one touchdown and one interception. Even though he was hit as he threw, the pick ended up costing the Packers the game, and they would not have been in the position had he been able to get a score inside the red zone in the third quarter instead of settling for the field goal.

Moreover, he must take a good deal of blame for the time management at the end of regulation: At one point, he wasted four seconds before calling a timeout-good enough for another play-at which point one might as well save that timeout. Then, with nine seconds left, he ran off time rather than spike the ball with enough to allow for one quick out so the game-winning kick could have been closer in.

Rodgers also actually had run support in this one, with backs getting 127 yards rushing to add to his own 30 yards on four carries. A team adept at applying pressure managed four sacks for 23 yards, none of which we Rodgers' fault. But it all adds up to an unimpressive performance.

Brandon Jackson finally had a day that can make fans believers in the running game

Running backs: A-

A great performance by the running backs was wasted in this one, as they were not given the ball enough. John Kuhn got just three carries for 12 yards and caught two passes for five yards total-unimpressive even considering his lack of touches.

However, Brandon Jackson ripped off an early 71-yard run, and also managed 44 yards on nine others; when you can take such a huge run off the books and still average almost five yards per carry, you are dominating. If you can also add 25 yards on five catches, you are a legitimate two-way threat.

Receivers: D

The strongest and healthiest unit coming into the game was the primary culprit in the team falling short.

Sure, James Jones (four catches, 65 yards) and Jordy Nelson (3-42) stepped up, but each also had a dropped pass. Andrew Quarless also did well (4-51), but Greg Jennings only caught two passes for 22 yards, and Donald Driver (4-58) dropped as many as he caught. Donald Lee had a touchdown, but fumbled on his other catch. Tom Crabtree had the only other catch for three yards.

Offensive line: C+

Allowing four sacks is too much, even against a good defensive line. However, the running backs did not make all that yardage out of nothing: They had holes to run through because the line got a surge. Brian Bulaga played well in his first start filling in for Mark Tauscher.

Defensive line: A-

The unit combined for only five tackles and three assists, but had a sack and a half and held Washington's running game in check: 17 carries, 41 yards (2.4/carry) out of the backs, and deserve credit for keeping McNabb (ten yards on five scrambles) contained.

Linebackers: A-

This unit kept the Packers in this game, totaling 21 tackles, 16 assists, and 3.5 sacks. They repeatedly broke up screens and covered dump-off passes that Washington continued to try to deal with the defensive pressure, allowing just six catches (albeit for 58 yards) to backs; the seven catches for 69 yards by Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley were more on the safeties.

Secondary: D

The secondary had too many penalties and too few plays. The only way Washington was able to move the ball was through the air, and 299 yards was at the expense of this unit.

Tramon Williams' lone turnover aside, they managed 15 tackles and four assists, but gave up huge plays to not just the only real wide receiver threat, Santana Moss (seven receptions for 118 yards), and only other proven commodity (Cooley), but Anthony Armstrong (84 yards and a score) and ancient Joey Galloway (three catches, 28 yards).

Special Teams: B

Poor Mason Crosby walks away just two of four in one of his best kicking days yet. Hitting on just one of three kicks of 48-yards plus is to be expected, and he was close on both misses, including hitting the crossbar on what could have been a 53-yard game-winner. Two of his five kicks went into the endzone, helping the kick coverage hold a good return team to a 16-yard average.

Tim Masthay put one of his six punts inside the 20 and managed a 36.2-yard net despite awful coverage that gave up a 30-yard return. The Packers rode a 52-yard return from Tramon Williams to a 15-yard average, but got fewer than 70 total yards on five kick returns, including one with no return.