In a game in which Green Bay’s quarterback couldn’t miss and Seattle’s quarterback couldn’t stay on the field, the Packers rolled to a 30-13 win on “Sunday Night Football.”
Green Bay improved to 10-4 and maintained its prime position to earn a wild card berth in the playoffs after it took a 14-0 first-quarter lead and rarely felt threatened after that.
Quarterback Jordan Love completed 20 of his 27 passes for 229 yards and threw touchdown passes to Romeo Doubs of 13 and 22 yards.
Seattle’s rally fell short after starting quarterback Geno Smith left the game in the third quarter after he was hit in the lower leg. He was ruled out with a knee injury and replaced by backup Sam Howell. Smith completed 15 of his 19 passes for 149 yards, and Howell went 5-for-14 for 24 yards. Seattle’s ailing rushing offense could not make up the difference, running for just 80 yards. Packers running back Josh Jacobs (94 yards, one touchdown) exceeded that by himself.
Seattle’s 17-point deficit at halftime was its largest of the season, and the Seahawks never gained traction with their comeback in the second half, either. Though the Seahawks got a 45-yard field goal from Jason Myers in the third quarter and a 24-yard touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet early in the fourth, the Packers immediately matched tho scores with a field goal and touchdown of their own to maintain their cushion.
Only four NFC teams have 10 wins or more, and three play in the NFC North — Detroit (12-2), Minnesota (11-2) and the Packers.
Seattle fell to just 3-5 at home, but it is 5-1 on the road. The loss leaves the Seahawks lodged atop in the NFC West standings with the Los Angeles Rams, both at 8-6; however, the Rams own the tiebreaker with a head-to-head win.
Final: Packers 30, Seahawks 13
That’s all, folks!
The Packers improve to 10-4 and the Seahawks fall to 8-6 after tonight’s game.
Now we wait to see what happens with Geno Smith moving forward.
Seahawks go three-and-out
The Seahawks can’t answer the Packers touchdown, punting after losing four yards in three plays. Sam Howell was sacked for the fourth time on third down.
The Packers take over leading 30-13 with over three minutes to go.
Welcome back, Romeo
After being inactive the last two games, Packers receiver Romeo Doubs is enjoying quite a comeback, catching two touchdown passes on his five targets. Those two touchdowns equal how many Doubs had caught in his first 10 games this season.
Touchdown, Packers!
On 3rd-and-5, Jordan Love went deep to the back of the end zone and found Romeo Doubs for a 22-yard touchdown.
Green Bay now leads 30-13 with 4:59 to go.
Sam Howell is picked off!
After a sack on first down, Sam Howell was intercepted on second. Howell tried to find Noah Fant running down the seam, but instead found Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Green Bay takes over on the Seattle 27.
Packers turn it over on downs
The Packers picked up 45 yards in seven plays, but couldn’t convert a 4th-and-2 from the Seahawks’ 39-yard line. Green Bay did manage to take three minutes and 42 seconds off the clock, however.
Seattle takes over trailing 23-13 with 5:50 to go.
Seahawks punt trailing by two scores
The Seahawks punted on 4th-and-5 despite trailing 23-13 with under 10 minutes to go in the fourth. Not exactly a vote of confidence in the Sam Howell-led offense.
The Packers will not try to take some time off the clock.
Seahawks trying to come back
The Seahawks have tried to mount a comeback via the run, after Zach Charbonnet’s rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Charbonnet has been productive this season when starter Kenneth Walker has sat. And giving him the ball might be their best option with Sam Howell in at QB. Yet with only 10 minutes to go in this game, do the Seahawks have enough time to run the ball, and the clock, to complete at least two scoring drives?
Packers go three-and-out again
The Packers are not doing a good job of running down the clock. They just went three-and-out again, taking very little time off the clock after two incomplete passes.
The Seahawks take over after a punt, still trailing 23-13.
Touchdown, Seahawks!
The Seahawks take advantage of the Josh Jacobs fumble and punch it in the end zone. Zach Charbonnet took a shotgun handoff 24 yards for a touchdown, and Seattle is now officially hanging around.
The Packers now lead 23-13.
Fumble, Packers!
Josh Jacobs fumbled on the Packers’ second play of the drive, and the Seahawks recovered. Seattle takes over on the Green Bay 45.
We’re trading punts now
The Seahawks had the ball for only three plays and six seconds before punting again. Sam Howell was nearly picked inside his own 10 but at least managed to avoid that disaster.
The Packers take over still leading 23-6.
Packers go three-and-out and punt for second time
The Packers punted for only the second time tonight, going three-and-out on their latest possession. Leading 23-6, it’s fair to say Green Bay doesn’t have its foot on the gas.
Sam Howell and the Seahawks will take over on their own 4-yard line.
First Sam Howell drive ends in three plays
The Seahawks went backward six yards in their first drive with Sam Howell under center for every play. Not an auspicious start for the comeback.
The Packers are already driving near midfield leading 23-6.
Who is Seattle’s new quarterback?
The Seahawks have been a quarterback-oriented offense all season, and with Geno Smith walking into the locker room, Seattle now pins its hopes on backup Sam Howell.
A fifth-round draft pick in 2022, Howell joined Seattle this season after two seasons in Washington. He has 18 career starts, with a 5-13 record, and a career 63% completion percentage. But turnovers are a problem — he has thrown as many touchdowns (22) as interceptions for his career.
Road surprise
Now leading 23-6 with 1:37 to play in the third quarter, Green Bay is in position to end two streaks. Seattle’s four-game winning streak is under threat. In this series, the home team has also won 10 consecutive games. It means the Packers haven’t won in Seattle since 2008.
Packers tack on a field goal
The Packers answer a Seahawks field goal with one of their own, building their lead back up to three scores. Jordan Love led a 65-yard drive all the way to the 5-yard line, but Green Bay opted to kick on 4th-and-1.
The Packers now lead 23-6, and Sam Howell will have to lead the comeback attempt for Seattle.
Geno Smith leaves the game; Seahawks get three
Geno Smith couldn’t finish the Seahawks’ most recent drive after taking a hit to the lower legs on an incomplete first-down pass. Sam Howell finished the drive for Seattle, which ended up kicking a field goal after five plays and 20 yards.
It’s now a 20-6 Packers lead. Smith looked to be in quite a bit of pain on the sideline.
Seahawks finally get a stop!
The Seahawks’ defense finally managed a much-needed stop, forcing the Packers into a three-and-out and their first punt of the night. Leonard Williams stuffed a Josh Jacobs run on 3rd-and-1 to bring out the punt team.
Seattle will take over on Green Bay’s 46-yard line trailing by 17.
Seahawks punt on first drive of the second half
The Seahawks made a couple nice plays on their first possession of the third quarter, but they ultimately punted after picking up only 19 yards.
Geno Smith was sacked for a third time, and then multiple penalties forced Seattle into an untenable 3rd-and-29.
This game may be slipping away from Seattle if the defense can’t get a stop. The Packers — who’ve scored on every drive so far tonight — will take over leading 20-3.
Protection problem
Consider the stark difference between how successful these teams have been at protecting their quarterbacks. Including tonight, Green Bay has allowed just 16 sacks this season, second-fewest in the NFL. Seattle has allowed 42 sacks, including two on Geno Smith so far tonight.
Halftime: Packers 20, Seahawks 3
The Packers added three points as time expired in the first half, taking advantage of the Geno Smith red zone interception.
The Seahawks are lucky the deficit isn’t worse — Green Bay decided to kick a field goal as opposed to going for a touchdown from the 3-yard line on the final play of the second quarter.
Jordan Love is 12 of 13 for 142 yards and a touchdown so far.
Smith is 11 of 13 for 100 yards and a pick.
The Packers have also run the ball for 93 yards and have sacked Smith twice.
Why did Green Bay allow so much time to run off?
On their final drive before halftime the Packers didn’t appear urgent at all, allowing several seconds to run off while they were near midfield. When a pass-interference penalty put the ball inside the 5-yard line, the Packers were left with only four seconds left and opted to kick a field goal.
Had they preserved more time a few plays earlier, Green Bay would have had the opportunity to go for the end zone and have a field goal as a fallback plan.
Attrition on Seahawks offensive line
Seattle is down to its third-string center for the time being. Olu Oluwatimi is sitting on the bench with a large wrap covering his right leg and is listed as doubtful to return. Jalen Sundell has now taken his place at center.
Oluwatimi was himself a backup until Week 11, when starting center Connor Williams retired for “personal reasons.” Since his elevation to a starter, Oluwatimi had allowed zero sacks and only four pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Geno Smith picked off!
Oh no!
One play after nearly throwing an interception that was ultimately dropped, Geno Smith left no doubt on 3rd-and-9, throwing a floater in the end zone that was picked by Carrington Valentine. The interception wiped out what was a 63-yard drive.
Instead of the Seahawks cutting into the Packers’ lead from inside the red zone, Green Bay now takes over the ball on its own 14 with a 17-3 lead.
Jacobs has been a bellwether
Josh Jacobs is already up to nine rushing attempts with 10 minutes to go before halftime. Why is that notable? It puts him halfway to 18 for the night, and the Packers are 7-1 this season when he rushes at least that many times. With his rushing touchdown in the first quarter, Jacobs now has 12 on the season, tying his career-high from Pro Bowl seasons in 2020 and 2022.
Packers add three to lead
For the first time tonight, the Seahawks kept the Packers out of the end zone.
Green Bay managed to drive 51 yards in eight plays, but Jordan Love couldn’t connect with Romeo Doubs on 3rd-and-6 from the 20, and the offense stalled in the red zone.
Brandon McManus then drilled a 39-yard field goal to put the Packers ahead 17-3.
Seahawks settle for three after another third-down sack
The Seahawks moved the ball 40 yards on their second drive, but the possession was halted at the 30-yard line after another Packers sack. This time it was Rashan Gary who got home on 3rd-and-2, forcing Seattle into a kick.
Jason Myers converted from 48 yards to make it a 14-3 Green Bay lead.
Another explosive Packers start
Over its last three games Green Bay has averaged 16.0 points in first quarters, the third-highest mark over that span, second only to Buffalo and Denver’s average of 17.0. In that respect, Green Bay’s 14-0 start has played to expectations.
Seattle’s scoreless first 13 minutes has not, however. Over that same three-game span, Seattle had averaged 15.7 points per first quarter. Mark it down as a big win for Green Bay’s defense so far.
Touchdown, Packers!
For the second straight drive, the Packers marched down the field against a hapless Seahawks defense.
This time, Green Bay effortlessly moved the ball 80 yards in eight plays, capped by Romeo Doubs dragging multiple defenders into the end zone for a 13-yard score.
The Packers lead 14-0 with 1:54 left in the first.
Packers force punt with sack
The Seahawks picked up one first down on their first play, but three plays later punted after a sack by Edgerrin Cooper. Not a great start for the Seattle offense.
The Packers will take over on their own 20 with a 7-0 lead.
Touchdown, Packers!
What an opening drive by the Packers, who went 63 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Josh Jacobs ran for 27 yards and seven carries, and also had two receptions for 17 more yards.
Green Bay leads 7-0.
'Sunday Night Football' is underway!
And the first play from scrimmage is a screen pass from Jordan Love to Josh Jacobs for a three-yard gain.
Playoff preview
There is no doubt both teams want to win tonight in prime time. But how motivated will they be to show much of their hand? If the season ended today, Seattle (8-5) would be the NFC’s No. 3 seed and host sixth-seeded Green Bay (9-4) in a wild-card game, which makes tonight’s matchup a chess match between coaches.
Green Bay is third in its own division, the ultra-difficult NFC North, yet still has a cushion to earn a playoff spot. It entered this weekend with a two-game lead over the Rams, and also holds the tiebreaker on L.A.
Seattle, meanwhile, leads an NFC West where only two games separate the first from worst. All four teams in the division have at least six wins; no other division can boast that.
Mismatch on the edge?
The Packers will attempt to contain one of the league’s deeper wide receiver corps tonight without two starters in their defensive backfield.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander, who hasn’t played since Nov. 17 while recovering from a knee injury, practiced this week but was ruled out, anyway. Nickelback Javon Bullard also won’t play as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. In good news for the Packers, safety Evan Williams will be able to play after coming back from the league’s concussion protocol.
Seattle has thrown for 3,509 yards this season, second-most in the league, though their quarterback rating ranks only in the middle of the league. Geno Smith is throwing to three dangerous targets in Jaxon Smith-Njigba (911 yards, five touchdowns), D.K. Metcalf (812 yards, three touchdowns) and Tyler Lockett (511 yards, two touchdowns).
Gone streaking
Seattle is the only team with a first-year head coach with a winning record this season. The Seahawks have done it by being the league’s streakiest squad. They started 3-0, lost five of their next six, and have since won four consecutive.
Tonight, Seattle will attempt to win five straight games for the first time since 2020.
Green Bay trying for a rare win in Seattle
Green Bay last won in Seattle in 2008, so long ago that Aaron Rodgers was a first-year starter at the time. The Packers are 0-4 in the Pacific Northwest ever since, including such memorable games as the 2012 “Fail Mary,” and an NFC title-game loss two years later. For what it’s worth Green Bay has not played in Seattle under coach Matt LaFleur.
Tough to stop
Green Bay has scored at least 30 points in three consecutive games. Quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs (1,053 rushing yards, third in the NFL) force defenses to respect the line of scrimmage while also worrying about being beaten over the top by the pass. And they’ve made it difficult to know which receiver to prioritize in pass defense. Four different Packers receivers have 450-plus yards this season, which ties for the most in the league with Atlanta and Miami.
That diversified attack is working: So far, the Packers rank seventh in scoring offense, averaging 26.8 points per game. Green Bay is 7-1 this season when Jacobs gets at least 18 carries, with the only loss last week.