Green Bay Dominates Seattle in Playoff Win, Brett Favre and Ryan Grant Lead Packers

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

Brett Favre was throwing snowballs at his teammates. That’s what kind of day it was for the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback. After spotting the Seahawks two TDs off turnovers to begin the game, Green Bay completely dominated Seattle in winning this NFC Divisional Playoff game 42-20.

The tundra at Lambeau Field was literally frozen this afternoon as the snow started in the first half and just increased in intensity as the game went on, much like the play of the Packers. This game was simply fun to watch. It was a classic Wisconsin winter day and the atmosphere at Lambeau couldn’t have been more perfect. If you appreciate the history of the game and the history of the Green Bay Packers, you were smiling watching this one. I’ve loved watching snow games since I was a little kid. In fact, I used to play in the stuff in my backyard at every opportunity. This was a delight.

I couldn’t have been more impressed with the fortitude of Packers RB Ryan Grant. His two early fumbles allowed Seattle to build their 14-0 lead and left the Lambeau crowd in a state of disbelief. I have to admit, things didn’t look good for Green Bay. You just can’t turn the ball over in games of this magnitude and expect to win. But credit Packers head coach Mike McCarthy for sticking with his starting running back. And credit Ryan for keeping his composure and piling up over 200 yards on the ground and three TDs. Brett Favre added three TD passes, two to WR Donald Driver. And one stumbling, underhand completion.

One stat that really stood out to me was the Packers’ ability to convert third downs. They finished the game 7 of 10, but at one point, Brett Favre led this offense to a perfect 7 of 7 on third down attempts. That’s a veteran leader playing maybe the best football of his storied career. And when the pressure’s on in playoff football, that kind of stat can be, and oftentimes is, the difference between winning and losing. By the way, the Seahawks were a miserable 3 of 11 on third downs.

Seattle was never really in this game. They built their early lead on short fields for easy points, but were really beaten in every phase of the game, especially the running game. That’s why it’s so important to have a solid rushing attack this time of year. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, you have to be able to run the football and stop the run. The Packers did that today and that’s why they’re headed to the NFC Championship game.

Inset photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images