LDN - Sports

Red-hot Packers torch Seahawks

[December 12, 2016] GREEN BAY, Wis. -- If the season were to end today, the Green Bay Packers would not be in the playoffs.

The rest of the NFC, no doubt, would like to keep it that way.

The Packers dismantled the Seattle Seahawks 38-10 on Sunday, their third consecutive victory since quarterback Aaron Rodgers proclaimed that the-then 4-6 Packers could "run the table."

Rodgers did his part. His 66-yard touchdown pass to receiver Davante Adams on the opening possession sent him on his way to a 246-yard, three-touchdown day. Rodgers, who has been nursing an injured left hamstring, didn't play the final 12 minutes because of a right calf injury sustained on the touchdown to Adams.

"Well, we're up four scores. There wasn't a discussion," Rodgers said. "They just came to me and told me they were making a change, and I wasn't going to fight 'em based on how I was feeling."

The Packers' defense did its part, too. Green Bay entered the game with eight interceptions but forced Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson into a career-worst five.

"This group really works at it," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's been a challenge, particularly with the number of guys going in and out. We had guys going in and out of the game again tonight with injury. We're getting better as a football team and that's the thing I'm most excited about. You've got to win games in December. We all know how about important these games are, but we improved. We took a big step as a team."

Green Bay (7-6) trails Detroit (9-4) by two games in the NFC North and remains in ninth place in the NFC. The Lions, who have won eight of their last nine, visit the Giants and Cowboys the next two weeks before hosting the Packers in Week 17.

Seattle (8-4-1) has scored a total of 24 points in its four losses, all of which have come on the road. Wilson's 21-yard scoring pass to Tanner McEvoy with 8:21 remaining was the first touchdown in those games. It was the largest margin of defeat for Wilson in 87 total regular-season and postseason starts.

"It was a different feeling for all of us," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "We don't remember those days. We've had a remarkable run. It's the kind of stat that you really don't want to be proud of, but it is. It's a remarkable run and it's because of those guys in that room fighting, clawing and scratching and playing so good for so long. This was a night that just seems so out of character that we need to move on as quickly as we can."

The Packers struck quickly. On their third play from scrimmage, a third-and-1, Rodgers hit Adams for a 66-yard touchdown. Adams ran an out and up against cornerback Jeremy Lane, caught Rodgers' deep pass around the Seahawks' 32-yard line and ran through Lane's diving tackle attempt.

Seattle answered with a 28-yard field goal, but that was its only good drive of the opening half. Of its next five possessions, two ended in three-and-out punts and two ended in interceptions.

The Packers turned the first of those interceptions into a short-field touchdown. On the interception, tight end Jimmy Graham slipped on his crossing route and safety Morgan Burnett grabbed the pass and returned it 19 yards to the Seahawks' 26. Four plays later, Green Bay was in the end zone, with running back/receiver Ty Montgomery scoring from the 1.

[to top of second column]

Packers running back James Starks (44) rushes with the football during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay scored another short-field touchdown on its next possession after a bad punt by Jon Ryan. Montgomery had a 24-yard catch on third-and-6 and receiver Jordy Nelson caught a 9-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 21-3. On both plays, linebacker K.J. Wright slipped in coverage.

"We can't be feeling sorry for ourselves," Wright said. "It was just one of those days. It hurts pretty bad but we know this isn't us. We will respond well and be resilient. We will be good."

Seattle's first two possessions of the second half ended in interceptions. The first came with Seattle threatening, as Packers cornerback Quinten Rollins grabbed an end-zone deflection. The second came when receiver Doug Baldwin's drop plopped into the hands of cornerback Damarious Randall for his second of the day.

That set up the Packers at Seattle's 32, and Rodgers made them pay again. On third-and-4, Rodgers hit tight end Richard Rodgers for a gain of eight. Wright was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, making it first-and-goal at the 3. Rodgers hit Nelson for touchdown on the next play to make it 28-3.

NOTES: Packers WR Jordy Nelson became the fifth player in franchise history with 7,000-plus receiving yards. He recorded his third season of 12-plus touchdown receptions, tied with Sterling Sharpe for most in team history. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown 57 touchdown passes to Nelson, tying Brett Favre to Antonio Freeman for the top tandem in team history. ... In the first half, Rodgers had a perfect first-half passer rating of 158.3. Counterpart Russell Wilson was at just 27.6. ... Rodgers extended his league-high streak of games with a touchdown pass to 22 and two touchdown passes to eight. ... Wilson threw a career-high five interceptions for a regular-season game. He had only one three-interception game in his career, versus St. Louis in 2012. Wilson also threw five against the Packers in the 2014 NFC Championship Game, won by Seattle 28-22 in overtime. ... The Packers' cornerbacks had only one interception all season before getting two from CB Damarious Randall and one from CB Quinten Rollins.

Back to top