Seahawks @ Packers

[Vin+ 3,121]

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(TSX / STATS) -- The irresistible force paradox is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

It's also what will happen at Lambeau Field on Sunday when the Green Bay Packers host the Seattle Seahawks in one of the juiciest matchups of Week 1.

The unstoppable force is Green Bay's offense. Led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers finished third in scoring last season in the NFL. That unit should be even stronger with the offseason addition of tight end Martellus Bennett.

"He's at the peak of his career. He's at the top of his game," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said of Rodgers. "It's hard to imagine what more he can do or how much better he can play.

"All the great players are looking for extraordinary consistency. He is just such a fantastic football player. We really marvel at the way he can throw the football, find guys, move to make guys available and just be a great competitor. We have the ultimate respect for him."

The immovable object is Seattle's defense. After leading the league in scoring defense in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Seahawks finished third in that category last season. Eight of the 11 starters have been selected for at least one Pro Bowl, including defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Jets last week.

Rodgers and Co. demolished that defense in a 38-10 victory on Dec. 11 at Lambeau, but Seattle was without injured safety Earl Thomas in that game. Thomas is back, teaming with Kam Chancellor for perhaps the best safety combo in the NFL, and Richard Sherman returns at cornerback after being part of offseason trade speculation.

"He's a difference-maker," Rodgers said of Thomas. "He's been a Pro Bowl player in the past. He covers a lot of ground. They've got studs on the outside at corner, but Earl covers a ton of ground sideline to sideline and makes a lot of plays on the ball. He has very good ball skills and is a good tackler."

On the other side of the ball, Green Bay's revamped defense will be tested right out of the gate by Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense. The Seahawks have major questions on the offensive line but signed former Packers standout Eddie Lacy at running back to pair with Thomas Rawls.

After getting shredded for 44 points by Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game, Green Bay added cornerback Davon House and defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois in free agency and used its first four picks in the draft on defensive players, including cornerback Kevin King with the top pick.

The tinkering has continued, with veteran outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, rookie outside linebacker Chris Odom and veteran defensive lineman Quinton Dial signed since Saturday's league-wide roster cutdown.

Any lack of continuity from that group could be exploited by Seattle's new up-tempo attack.

"They're obviously playing a lot faster, huddling 2 yards from the ball and trying to get as many plays as possible," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "They were extremely productive in the preseason."

Both teams are healthy. For Green Bay, right tackle Bryan Bulaga practiced for the first time since injuring an ankle at practice Aug. 23. He had limited participation.

Seattle's Frank Clark, who had 10 sacks last season, was limited by a wrist injury.

Along with this being a matchup of perennial powerhouses, the game will feature a poignant meeting between brothers. On Wednesday, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett detailed a harrowing incident after the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight in Las Vegas on Aug. 26.

According to Michael Bennett, gunshots were fired and he began running. Bennett said police singled him out, ordered him to the ground and put a gun to his head.

"I felt helpless as I lay there on the ground handcuffed facing the real-life threat of being killed," Michael Bennett wrote on Twitter. "All I could think of was, 'I'm going to die for no reason other than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat.'"

At his locker Wednesday evening, Packers tight end Martellus Bennett broke into tears at the thought of hugging his brother before the game.

"It gets emotional when you think about it," Martellus Bennett said. "Sometimes a hug is the best thing you can give, you know what I'm saying? You just think, 'What if?' You know? ... Two seconds this way, two seconds that way, the whole thing is different so, for me, I'll just be happy to see my brother because there's a chance I couldn't see him."

 

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Game of the Week

 

 

I really think the Seahawks defense has reloaded and will give the Packers absolute fits... but at the end of the day. This is Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers as long as he's nothing like he was at the start of last year will solve the riddle.

 

Rodgers also hates the Seahawks... don't see Seattle winning this one on the road.

 

Edited September 10, 2017 by ATL

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

Seahawks defense has definitely reloaded but this offense is loaded and should cause fits for any defense this season. Nelson, Adams, Cobb, Bennett, Ty, and more with Rodgers running the show. As long as Bulaga is good to go and isn't hampered, the offense should be fine. Really interested in how the D will be especially with Perry and Matthews already injured.

 

With it in Lambeau, I'm going with

 

34

23

Edited September 10, 2017 by Packers Dynasty 2010

[RazorStar 4,025]

Battle for NFC Supremacy in week 1? I guess so. It's nice that the Packers and Seahawks have a bit of a mini rivalry going after the Fail Mary. I think the Packers take this one in a heated fight.

 

26

20

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I just don't want Eddie Lacy going off on his... but he will, won't he?

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Bryan Bulaga out... this could get ugly

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

Bryan Bulaga out... this could get ugly

 

Yay...

[BC 331]

LETS GET IT!!!! Get em while they're down. These are two teams that start slow. Both teams will be having their O-lines destroyed. Considering all that, I think the score is lower than expected. The key turnover wins. Let's hope our offense doesn't crap the bed like it can tend to do early in the season when we can at times struggle to move the ball.

 

Someone wins 27-24

[BC 331]

i still have no idea what happened on the interception return for a touchdown that was worth negating our hard earned well deserved defensive touchdown

Our defense is AMAZING. 4 sacks on Aaron Rodgers in less than a half of football.

Our special teams is AMAZING. Aaron started from inside his own 5 yard line three times. All coverage could not have been better.

Our offensive line is TERRIBLE. The play calling needs to change. Screen passes and quick slants/outs. Doug Baldwin one freaking catch? The vanilla three step drop back cannot be apart of the playbook. STAHP.

Refs, please get better. It's week 1. You need to do this for 23 more weeks. Please don't eject people for stuff they aren't doing or calling back scoring plays for phantom penalties. I get it, you're still getting warmed up. But I don't wish losing a game due to your complete retardation and lack of any competance whatsoever on my WORST ENEMY. Decipher the difference between a football and your own assholes IMMEDIATELY.

Edited September 10, 2017 by BC

[BC 331]

Way too much sloppiness and just plain phony bilony garbage to really assess what happened here and who was the worse/better team. We have to all review what a "punch" is, get the refs to adjust their eyes to the game faster, or at least not call penalties that they don't even see. Blocking and play calling needs to get better.

 

Cannot wait to see what our defense accomplishes this season, but the offensive line has to help the defense out a little.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Both of these teams have serious offensive line issues. Packers will probably get a lot better in that area once Bulaga is back healthy. Packers defense looks better than I've seen it look in years but that could just be because The Seahawks have a really shitty offensive line.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Seattle's offense is completely inept.

The Packers basically beat Seattle from last year. They did very little differently offensively, which is kind of lame. They should begin incorporating Bennett and Montgomery in the passing game more often.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Bennett was a huge pick up for the Pack. He's gonna help in the run game too.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Bennett was a huge pick up for the Pack. He's gonna help in the run game too.

Yeah, he was the lead blocker on the Ty TD run to open things up. He's a huge presence. We need to utilize his skillset because we have never had a TE like him before (Finley was a solid receiver but a huge liability in everything else).

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

 

Refs, please get better. It's week 1. You need to do this for 23 more weeks. Please don't eject people for stuff they aren't doing or calling back scoring plays for phantom penalties. I get it, you're still getting warmed up. But I don't wish losing a game due to your complete retardation and lack of any competance whatsoever on my WORST ENEMY. Decipher the difference between a football and your own assholes IMMEDIATELY.

 

 

What football league are you watching that there are 23 more weeks? The refs were horrible both ways. Plenty of times that the Seahawks got away with shit.

 

Agree with JD, McCarthy needs to stop varying from schemes that work. 1st drive, we were moving it right down their throats with intermediate passes and YAC. After the pick, we went into a traditional look and had longer developing routes that did not work at all. Then from the 2nd TD drive to the end, we went back to using spacing routes and short throws for easy yards. Hence why Rodgers wasn't sacked at all in the 2nd half. Need more Marty B though.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Packers Dynasty 2010

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

 

What football league are you watching that there are 23 more weeks? The refs were horrible both ways. Plenty of times that the Seahawks got away with shit.

 

Agree with JD, McCarthy needs to stop varying from schemes that work. 1st drive, we were moving it right down their throats with intermediate passes and YAC. After the pick, we went into a traditional look and had longer developing routes that did not work at all. Then from the 2nd TD drive to the end, we went back to using spacing routes and short throws for easy yards. Hence why Rodgers wasn't sacked at all in the 2nd half. Need more Marty B though.

 

I almost think part of this is on Aaron. He LOVES throwing to those outside guys. I wonder if he almost has a tunnel type vision... It's like he thinks throwing to the inside the hashmarks is lame or somehow lazy compared to throwing outside them.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Man, Seattle's offense is so bad. I love it.

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

Here you go BC, right out of the NFL rulebook

 

 

Forearms count and it is pretty damn clear Lane threw his forearm then had it across Adams' throat. Which is an automatic ejection.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Packers Dynasty 2010

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Here you go BC, right out of the NFL rulebook

 

 

Forearms count and it is pretty damn clear Lane threw his forearm then had it across Adams' throat. Which is an automatic ejection.

Please send this to Buck and Aikman

Edited September 11, 2017 by Olenna4Ever

[BC 331]

Here you go BC, right out of the NFL rulebook

 

 

Forearms count and it is pretty damn clear Lane threw his forearm then had it across Adams' throat. Which is an automatic ejection.

 

He didn't throw anything. He was foolishly jumping on top of whatever WR that was he was scrapping with. Lane was yanked down by his freaking facemask. His forearm was definetely somewhere it shouldn't have been but he's not swinging it at the receiver. He's pressing the guy. The INTERPRETATION of this action and several other moments (and yes... i agree ALSO MISSED CALLS AGAINST US) leads to the conclusion that the officials were not very successful at all during this game which doesn't surprise me at all this early in the season.

 

I get it, Packers cannot stomach watching us having any success whatsoever, and anything associated with us drives you and your bipolar quarterback up the damn wall, and you're gunna whine relentlessly about it. But when Pete went to the podium and said the Fail Mary play was a good call, I thought it was out of line. Forget who's wearing the uniforms. The league needs to not respond by doing absolutely nothing, because there is too much invested into these games to have this much stuff not be handled correctly. Reviews need to be done. The consideration for making certain extreme penalties challengeable.

Edited September 12, 2017 by BC

[Thanatos 2,847]

You're the one whining about a perfectly legit call. Don't want to get thrown out of a game? Don't throw your forearm at a man already on the ground. Period.

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

You're the one whining about the calls. The Packers and their fans aren't the only ones that hate the Seahawks and their fans. Think everyone in the NFL outside of Seattle does.I actually used to really like the Seahawks, before Carroll came around, with all the ties to Green Bay and having family living in Seattle. Dude is obnoxious as fuck and a straight up douche bag. If the Seahawks could implode and Carroll ran back to the NCAA like Harbaugh, that would be amazing. Along with all the stupid bandwagon fans of theirs. Bipolar QB? Alrighty then...

Edited September 13, 2017 by Packers Dynasty 2010