The Green Bay Packers set the tone on the very first drive and never looked back as they soundly defeated the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 in Seattle. Josh Jacobs gained 136 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown while Romeo Doubs caught two touchdown passes in the game. The Packers defense recorded seven sacks in a strong performance. The Packers improved to 10-4 on the season and are close to clinching a playoff berth. Seattle dropped to 8-6 on the season. Here are 10 things we learned from the Packers 30-13 win over the Seahawks in Week 15:
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Seahawks, Number One: The Packers Set the Tone Immediately
The Packers won the toss and elected to receive. They then either threw the ball to Jacobs or handed him the ball on nine of the 10 plays on the opening drive which went 63 yards for a touchdown. The only exception was a one-yard scramble by Jordan Love.
Jacobs and the Packers declared their intentions on that first drive. The Seahawks knew what was coming but still couldn’t stop it. Green Bay never trailed for the rest of the game.
Green Bay went on to score points on all four of its first half possessions. This was a tone setting beginning to a strong overall performance on both sides of the ball.
Number Two: Edgerrin Cooper Had a Big Impact
Having Edgerrin Cooper back made a big difference for the Green Bay defense. Cooper sacked Geno Smith to stop the Seahawks opening drive.
The rookie finished the game with five total tackles including the sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two pass breakups and his first career interception.
Having Cooper in the lineup made the pass rush more dangerous and his speed made the defense less vulnerable to short passes in the middle of the field.
Although he’s still a rookie, Cooper is already becoming an impact player. His return was vital against Seattle.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Seahawks, Number Three: The Receivers Made a Difference
The Packers did a good job of spreading the ball around to their receivers and many of them had an impact on the outcome of the game.
Christian Watson caught three passes for 56 yards including an incredible catch in the first half where he somehow managed to keep both feet in bounds. He also drew at least two important pass interference calls by beating defensive backs badly off the snap of the ball.
Doubs caught two touchdowns including an amazing second half grab that helped seal the win. Jayden Reed led all receivers with five catches.
Love spread the ball around and each receiver contributed to the win in some way.
Number Four: The Pass Rush Was Strong
The Packers didn’t need to blitz too often to get pressure on both Smith and Sam Howell. The pressure was consistent and disrupted the Seattle passing attack.
The Packers finished the game with seven sacks and 12 quarterback hits. Kingsley Enagbare led the team with two sacks. He also had three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.
Having Cooper back helped the pass rush, but everybody seemed to be in on the fun in this strong performance by the defense.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Seahawks, Number Five: Jayden Reed Was Back in the Mix
Matt LaFleur said he wanted to get Reed more involved in the offense after he had no catches on just one target a week ago and he kept his word. Reed led the team in catches with five, tied for the team lead with six targets, and also gained 27 yards on three running plays.
Reed’s versatility helps the offense. He is a weapon running the ball, in the slot and on the perimeter. He can catch short passes and go downfield and get open.
The Packers need to keep Reed involved and to keep spreading the ball around depending on the matchups and game plan for each game.
Number Six: Matt LaFleur’s Clock Management and Challenges Were Poor
LaFleur is no 0-for-6 on challenges this year. Had this game been close, the poor challenge he made early in the fourth quarter could have really cost the Packers.
The replay official in the television booth needed almost no time to determine that the play was an incomplete pass and not a fumble. Losing a timeout in the second half could have been very dangerous if the game was closer.
Clock management was also a problem. Late in the first half, the Packers wasted 20 plus seconds which cost them a chance to score a touchdown and put the game almost completely out of reach before intermission.
These are little things that could cost the Packers dearly in a close playoff game against a strong opponent. They have three games left to clean them up.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Seahawks, Number Seven: Carrington Valentine Came Up Big
Cornerback Carrington Valentine picked the perfect time to come up with his first career NFL interception.
Midway through the second quarter, the Packers held a 17-3 lead, but Seattle was driving. On 3rd and 9 at the Packers 12, Valentine picked off Smith in the end zone to end a Seattle threat. Had the Seahawks scored a touchdown there, the momentum shifts to the home team, the crowd is back in the game and it’s a one-score game.
Valentine made a big mistake by running the ball out of the end zone to the Packers 14, but the interception was a huge turning point in the game.
Valentine also broke-up two passes in this game and was in on three total tackles.
Number Eight: The Defense Exceled
The Seahawks offense was neutralized for most of the game. The run defense held Seattle to 80 yards on 16 carries. Many of the yards were on draw plays and surprise calls after the Packers already had a big lead.
For the game, Seattle gained just 208 total yards. The Seahawks didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter and were just 4-of-13 on third down tries. They averaged just 3.7 yards per offensive play in this game.
This was a strong performance from the defense pretty much from start to finish. Jeff Hafley’s group accomplished this in a venue that has a reputation as being one of the toughest for road teams to play in.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Seahawks, Number Nine: Quay Walker Left the Game Early
The Packers lost another key player to injury in this game. Linebacker Quay Walker left the game late in the first half with a knee injury and did not return.
His status will be updated early this week, but the Packers don’t want to lose a speedy player who can cover the middle of the field just as they get Cooper back.
Number Ten: The Packers Can Clinch a Playoff Berth Next Week vs New Orleans
The Packers win clinched a playoff berth for the Vikings and put the Pack on the precipice of clinching a playoff berth of their own.
A win next week against the Saints will clinch the Pack a spot in the postseason. More importantly, the Packers have three more chances to build on this strong performance. They need to play their best football in January to have a chance at reaching the Super Bowl.
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