It’s hard to believe the Green Bay Packers are the third-best team in their own division.
The Packers are 10-4 and each of their losses have come against an elite team. And on Sunday night they looked like one of the best teams in football, even if their ceiling is probably the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Packers throttled a Seattle Seahawks team that had taken over first place in the NFC West after a hot streak, winning 30-13 on Sunday night. The Seahawks lost Geno Smith to a knee injury in the second half, but they were getting blown out before that injury occurred. Seattle wasn’t in the same league as Green Bay on either side of the ball.
The Packers have the bad luck of being in the NFC North with the 12-2 Detroit Lions and the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings, who play on Monday night. They’d run away with a few other divisions. Based on what we saw Sunday night, the NFC West is likely one of them.
Packers have a great 1st half
Seattle is not an easy place to play. Especially with the Seahawks coming in with a four-game winning streak since their bye.
The Packers were unfazed. They weren’t perfect in the first half, but they scored on all four first-half possessions. Josh Jacobs scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on Green Bay’s first drive, then Romeo Doubs caught a 13-yard touchdown to push the lead to 14-0. The Packers got two more field goals before the end of the half. They led 20-0 at halftime.
The defense was just as good. The Packers put a lot of pressure on Smith. Corey Valentine almost picked off Smith deep in Packers territory, then on the next play Smith threw one up wildly to the end zone and Valentine picked him off. That came with the Seahawks trailing 17-3 and killed any momentum they might have been gaining.
Seattle had played well to rally and take over first place of the NFC West. Then, at home in prime time, the Seahawks looked like they belonged on a much lower tier than the Packers.
Rashan Gary and the Packers beat up Geno Smith in Green Bay's victory on Sunday night against the Seahawks. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Geno Smith injured for Seahawks
The Seahawks had to turn to Sam Howell at quarterback in the second half. Smith injured his knee when he landed on a hit. He slammed his helmet in frustration as he came out of the game, then slowly walked back to the locker room to get further evaluation.
Geno Smith suffered a knee injury against the Packers and is questionable to return. pic.twitter.com/yapvg14e9u
Howell is a mistake-prone quarterback but he can make plays. He led a scoring drive that ended with a Zach Charbonnet 24-yard touchdown run, which cut Green Bay’s lead to 23-13. The Seahawks got a three-and-out after that, but after they got the ball back they made the questionable decision to punt on fourth-and-5, which made it very tough for them to get back in the game.
Seattle got a stop on fourth-and-2 later in the fourth quarter but Howell threw an interception right after that, which practically sealed the Packers’ win. Doubs’ second touchdown of the game a few plays later, a fantastic catch in the end zone right before the ball hit the ground, put the final nail in it.
The Packers will be a dangerous team in the playoffs. Jordan Love is getting healthier and playing well. Jacobs has given them a dangerous run game. The defense is capable of playing at a high level. It might be one of the best third-place teams the NFL has ever seen.
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Ryan Young
Geno Smith to the locker room
Geno Smith was just spotted walking to the locker room, and the Seahawks are calling him questionable with a knee injury.
Josh Jacobs just tried to convert on fourth-and-2, but he gets stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Sam Howell will come back out for the Seahawks now to start their drive at their own 39.
They need to find the end zone here quick if they're going to have any shot at winning this game.
Ryan Young
The Packers lost the challenge, but the Seahawks can't get anything going and will now punt it away. They nearly recovered the punt after the Packers muffed the return, but couldn't quite come up with it.
So Jordan Love and the Packers will take over now with 9:32 left.
Ryan Young
Packers challenge
Sam Howell got his as he threw there on first down, and it looked like an incomplete pass. But the Packers are challenging that it was a forward pass at all. So, to the review we go.
Ryan Young
There was so much pressure there on Jordan Love, and the Seahawks have forced another three-and-out. The momentum has completely shifted here even with Geno Smith sidelined.
Sam Howell is coming back out to lead Seattle starting at their own 32 yard line.
Ryan Young
Touchdown, Seahawks
Zach Charbonnet breaks around the end and into the end zone to give the Seahawks their first touchdown of the night. It's suddenly a 10-point game with 11:16 to go.
That's three straight incomplete passes from Sam Howell, two of which could've been intercepted. They'll have to punt again, this time from the back of their own end zone.
Ryan Young
The Seahawks defense is holding strong. They forced a three-and-out, and will get the ball back now inside their own 5 yard line.
Ryan Young
Well, that didn't go well for Sam Howell. The Packers just sacked him twice, and the Seahawks will have to punt now to open the fourth quarter when we come back.
The Packers made it down to the 5 yard line, but have to settle for a short field goal. Sam Howell will come back out now to lead
Ryan Young
The Packers take a deep shot right away, and Josh Jobe gets called for a bad pass interference penalty. Green Bay is suddenly in scoring position here.
Ryan Young
Sam Howell can't get it done, and the Seahawks have to settle for a field goal. It's better than nothing, but the Packers still lead 20-6 now with about 6 minutes left in the third quarter.
Still no word on Geno Smith's leg injury.
Ryan Young
Geno Smith hurt
The Packers just pressured Geno Smith, who threw it away successfully in teh backfield. He got hit in the ankles as he got rid of the ball, though, and was incredibly slow to get up.
Sam Howell is coming in now to replace him.
Ryan Young
The Seahawks just forced the first Packers punt of the night. They'll start now with great field position halfway through the third quarter. Points here are a must if they're going to get back in this thing.
That was a great start to the third quarter for the Seahawks, but a pair of penalties pushed them back to a third-and-29. They're going to have to punt now, and Green Bay will take over for the first time this half.
Ryan Young
Packers' Quay Walker ruled out
After going down with an ankle injury in the first half, the Packers officially ruled Quay Walker out the rest of the way.
Jason Owens
Key first half-stats in dominant Packers start
The Packers are getting pretty much anything they want in a dominant 20-3 start. The Seahawks are going to need to make some significant halftime adjustments to make this a game.
Jordan Love: 12 of 13, 142 yards, 1 touchdown, no turnovers Geno Smith: 11 of 13, 100 yards, no touchdowns, 1 interception
Josh Jacobs: 14 carries for 73 yards, 1 touchdown; 3 catches for 38 yards Zach Charbonnet: 4 carries for 19 yards
Christian Watson: 1 catch for 36 yards Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6 catches for 60 yards
Packers total offense: 235 yards on 7.6 yards per play Seahawks total offense: 115 yards on 5.2 yards per play
Packers time of possession: 17:02 Seahawks time of possession: 12:58
Packers turnovers: 0 Seahawks turnovers: 1 (Geno Smith interception in the end zone)
Jason Owens
Late pass interference sets up Packers FG, 20-3 halftime lead
The Seahawks bailed out some end-of-half clock mismanagement by the Packers with a late defensive pass interference penalty on an underthrown ball near the goal line. The penalty advanced the ball from Seattle's 37-yard line to the 3.
Matt LaFleur feigned aggression and sent his offense out with four seconds remaining. But it was standard off-side baiting. The Seahawks didn't bite, and Brandon McManus kicked a 21-yard field goal to extend Green Bay's lead to 20-3 as time expired on a dominant first half by the Packers.
Jason Owens
Geno Smith throws interception in the end zone
The Seahawks drove to the red zone for the first time late in the second quarter. But Geno Smith threw an interception in the end zone on third-and-9 with a pass into a crowded Packers secondary. Carrington Valentine comes up with the pick, and Green Bay remains in full control, leading 17-3 with a chance to add to its lead before halftime.
Leading Packers tackler Quay Walker limps off with leg injury
Packers linebacker Quay Walker just limped off the field with an apparent leg injury late in the second quarter. Walker leads the Packers with 99 tackles and nine tackles for loss. The nature of the injury isn't clear.
Jason Owens
Packers extend lead to 17-3
That's now three scores in three Packers drives. But they settled for a field goal and a 17-3 lead this time after a missed third-down connection from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs in the end zone. Christian Watson's 35-yard toe-tap sideline grab put Green Bay in scoring range.
Christian Watson gets the feet down for a 35-yard catch!
Seahawks on the board after sack forces FG attempt
The Seahawks got something going on their second drive, but settled for a field goal after a Rashan Gary sack of Geno Smith on third-and-2. Jason Myers is good from 48 yards to cut Green Bay's lead to 14-3 early in the second quarter.
Seattle's defense looks overmatched. The Packers now have two touchdowns on two possessions and a 14-0 first-quarter lead. This time, Green Bay drove 80 yards on eight plays and finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs. But it's Josh Jacobs doing the heavy lifting. The Green Bay running back has 84 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown through the first two Packers drives.
Green Bay limited Seattle to 12 yards on its first possession and has the ball back after a Seahawks punt. Packers have the ball and a 7-0 lead with 6:43 left in the first quarter.
Jason Owens
Josh Jacobs silences crowd with opening-drive Packers TD
This is how to answer Seattle's vaunted 12th man. The Packers opened the game with a kickoff return to the 37-yard line, then marched 63 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown drive capped by a one-yard Josh Jacobs scoring run. Jacobs tallied 47 total yards on the drive. Packers lead, 7-0.
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