Packers Blow Lead, Fall to Seahawks: 5 Things We Learned
“We gave it away,” he told the media following a game that enabled the Seahawks to return to the Super Bowl for the second straight season and left the Packers wondering what went wrong with a contest the Packers dominated for the majority of the game – except for the final five minutes of the game that allowed Seattle to climb back in the game and eventually score a touchdown in overtime to win the NFC Championship.
"It's going to be a missed opportunity that we're probably going to think about the rest of my career," Rodgers said, in a story on NFL.com. "We were the better team today and we played well enough to win and we can't blame anybody but ourselves."
Seattle could not get out of its own way in the first half, which led to an early 16-0 deficit. But Green Bay left points on the field, with three opportunities to score touchdowns that were stopped near the goal line be the Seattle defense. Those 12 points may have been the difference in the ballgame.
Here are five things we learned about this game.
DESPERATE SITUATION
Seattle (14-4) trailed 19-7 with about four minutes remaining and had been ineffective on offense all game. Wilson finally put a drive together with passes to Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch -- initially ruled a touchdown but called back because he stepped out of bounds. Wilson finished with a 1-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 19-14 with 2:09 left.
The onside kick went high to Packers tight end Brandon Bostick, but he couldn't gather it, and Seattle's Chris Matthews recovered at the 50. The crowd, which had been quiet since falling behind 16-0, came alive and Lynch sped and powered his way to a 24-yard TD run. On the 2-point conversion, Wilson -- about to be sacked -- threw a desperate pass hauled in by Luke Willson to make it 22-19 with 1:25 remaining.
TRICK OR TREAT
Seattle (14-4) trailed 19-7 with about four minutes remaining and had been ineffective on offense all game. Wilson finally put a drive together with passes to Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch -- initially ruled a touchdown but called back because he stepped out of bounds. Wilson finished with a 1-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 19-14 with 2:09 left.
The onside kick went high to Packers tight end Brandon Bostick, but he couldn't gather it, and Seattle's Chris Matthews recovered at the 50. The crowd, which had been quiet since falling behind 16-0, came alive and Lynch sped and powered his way to a 24-yard TD run. On the 2-point conversion, Wilson -- about to be sacked -- threw a desperate pass hauled in by Luke Willson to make it 22-19 with 1:25 remaining.
FOURTH QUARTER BEAST MODE
Lynch had rushed for 157 yards on 25 carries and was the one consistent offensive force Seattle had, and was crucial to both late scoring drives in regulation.
And after the Packers tied it, Seattle wouldn't be denied in overtime, winning the coin toss and going 87 yards in six plays.
The 16-point comeback was the largest ever in a conference title game. The Colts defeated the Patriots after trailing 21-6 in 2006.
POCKET PRESENCE
Aaron Rodgers only attempted 3 passes from outside the pocket on Sunday (1-3, 13 yards, TD), and was favoring his injured calf for much of the game. Seattle limited Rodgers' production from inside the pocket (18-of-31, 165 yards, two Interceptions), just like they did in Week 1. Seattle has intercepted 3 Rodgers passes from inside the pocket this season, as many as every other team combined.
BEST VERSUS BEST
This was just the second time that a Conference Championship game will feature the NFL's top scoring offense (Packers) vs the top scoring defense (Seahawks). Back in 1980, the Eagles defeated the Cowboys 20-7 in Philadelphia. Dallas led the league in points scored, while Philadelphia allowed the fewest. The last postseason game in any round with such a matchup was Super Bowl XLVIII (Broncos-Seahawks).
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