Packers Shutout Seahawks: What Went Right, What Went Wrong
The Green Bay Packers bounced back in a big way after a loss last week to improve to 8-2, regaining the top spot in the NFC after pitching a shutout performance against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field.
It wasn’t pretty during most of the game Sunday, in a snow globe setting, but at the end of the day, the Packers found a way to win, and for now, sit atop a crowded NFC playoff picture.
Let’s check out what went right in the Green Bay Packers’ dominant win Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Packers’ defense is playing at a “Championship-level.”
As quarterback Aaron Rodgers once so elegantly put it — “we have a defense.”
If you’ve been a fan of this team or have watched them enough, you know it’s been a long, frustrating handful of years, but the Green Bay Packers officially have a defense. They completely shut out the Seattle Seahawks in front of yet another sellout crowd at Lambeau Field.
The Seahawks had ten offensive possessions, only once getting inside the red zone, which ultimately ended with a Kevin King interception in the end-zone.
The Packers’ defense held Seattle to just 208 total yards, forcing two turnovers, keeping their pro-bowl wide receivers, Tyler Lockett and D.K Metcalf, to 52 combined yards. The Packers kept
Over the past three weeks, the Packers defense has faced Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson, keeping them to a combined 62-110, 601 yards, one total touchdown, and four interceptions. That kind of performance and domination has caught the eye of many, including the reigning MVP:
"“That was championship-level defense, for sure. In the last three games, playing against three stud quarterbacks, holding Arizona to 21 points, Chiefs to 13, and shutting out Russell Wilson and the Seahawks tonight – that’s an amazing-three game stretch.”"
According to Football Database, the Packers now rank third overall in scoring defense and yards allowed.
Championship-level, indeed.
AJ Dillon was a man amongst boys.
According to AJ Dillon, after an unfortunate knee injury to running back Aaron Jones, Jones looked at him to “Get the job done, finish them off.”
That’s precisely what Dillon did—tallying up a total of 128 yards, two touchdowns, imposing his will, and powering through tacklers along the way to securing another victory at Lambeau against the Seahawks.
Arguably, the best play of the day for this Packers offense came when Dillon helped set up his second touchdown of the game with a 50-yard catch, displaying a fantastic mix of balance and speed.
According to PFF ($), AJ Dillon is now the seventh-ranked running back in the NFL with a minimum of 100 snaps. If Aaron Jones is to miss time nursing his knee injury, I ultimately think the Packers will be just fine.
For most of the first half, offensively, the Packers looked all sorts of out of sync. Let’s take a look at what when wrong in the win Sunday.
The Packer’s offense struggled for three-quarters of the game.
The slow offensive start was to be expected amongst most of us.
If you read my week ten preview article last week, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility the offense would get out to a slow start. Keep in mind, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last played in a real game on October 28th, missing almost two weeks’ worth of practice and a week nine game in Kansas City.
The rust was real and quite evident as the Packers only mustered three total points in the first 50 minutes of action against one of the worst defenses in the National Football League.
Of course, not having Rodgers practice and play for over two weeks added to the struggles, but the offensive line didn’t help whatsoever. The interior line protection continues to be an issue.
With the issues upfront, the activation of all-pro left tackle David Bakhtiari should help a struggling unit, moving guys back to their natural position.
Unfortunately, injuries continue to dominate the headlines this season for the Packers.
The Packers may have improved in the win column Sunday after shutting out the Seahawks 17-0, but unfortunately, it came with a hefty price tag.
As great as a season as the Packers are having, they seem never to be able to catch a break.
During the game Sunday evening, the Packers lost running back Aaron Jones, pass rushers Rashan Gary and Whitney Mercilus to injuries.
Early reports are Jones and Gary may have avoided serious injuries, but pass rusher Whitney Mercilus, whom the Packers signed mid-season, may have suffered a significant injury.
The Packers now get set to take on division rival, the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers have a chance to possibly put the division to rest come Sunday as they get set to take on the Vikings (4-5).
Currently, as it sits, the Packers have a four-game lead in the win column in the NFC North, and a win Sunday could all but put an end to the race.
It could also potentially be a crucial week for all-pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, who was activated off the PUP list last week but was ruled out Sunday against the Seahawks.
Divisional games are fun and always a dog fight.