Pressure defense helps Green Bay control slugfest
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A marquee season opener between two NFC heavyweights turned into a defensive slugfest.
The Green Bay Packers — not the Seattle Seahawks — landed the momentum-swinging punch.
Green Bay defensive lineman Mike Daniels’ strip sack of Russell Wilson deep in Seattle territory in the third quarter set up Ty Montgomery’s 6-yard touchdown run on the next play to spark the Packers’ 17-9 win Sunday.
“This really started with our defense,” Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy said. “It starts on the line of scrimmage. We were in the backfield a bunch.”
The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers was 28-for-42 for 311 yards and added a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson to make it an eight-point game late in the third quarter. The Packers’ QB went deep to his favorite receiver on a free play that was extended after Seattle was flagged for too many men on the field.
Rodgers’ regular-season streak of passes without an interception ended at a careerhigh 251. The Seahawks’ defense, reinforced by the return of safety Earl Thomas, bottled up receivers from making many big plays and put plenty of pressure on Rodgers.
The Packers started denting Seattle with runs or quick passes to Nelson, Randall Cobb and Montgomery in the second half, chewing up the clock. A 12-play, 53-yard drive that took up more than five minutes ended with Mason Crosby’s 40-yard field goal with 8:01 left to make it a two-score game.
“That was a great defense that we went against. They’re going to keep everybody kind of in front, they’re going to make us go the long way,” Nelson said.
Green Bay’s defense had an even better debut, especially considering how maligned the Packers were against the pass last season.
Seattle managed just three field goals. Wilson was held to 14-for-27 for 158 yards. The Packers led in total yardage (370-225) and first downs (2612). Green Bay held the ball for 39 minutes.
“I was disappointed they were able to be as aggressive up front as they were with their defense,” Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said.
The Packers endured a couple of apparently minor injuries. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who joined the team last week as a free agent after being cut by the 49ers, left with a concussion. His injury was announced at the start of the third quarter. Rodgers appeared to limp after getting pushed back by a defender in the pocket late in the game. He took a few extra seconds to get back to the huddle on a couple of plays but stayed in the game.
Before the game, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett sat on the bench again during the national anthem. On the other sideline at about the 30, his younger brother Martellus Bennett, a tight end for the Packers, stood at the end of the line next to his teammates, but raised his right fist in the air during the anthem.
Michael Bennett last week released a statement alleging racially motivated excessive force by Las Vegas police.