Packers hold on to beat Seahawks, advance to NFC Championship

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks once again came from behind to take a game down to the wire, but this time they couldn’t pull out the win, as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers held on for a 28-23 win.

Green Bay got out to a fast start as they moved the ball 75-yards on their first possession with Aaron Jones and Davante Adams leading the way. That initial drive ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Adams and they turned that 7-0 lead into a 21-3 lead with two Jones 1-yard touchdown runs before halftime.

Seattle had no answer for Davante Adams, as he made multiple critical third-down receptions and two end zone visits on his way to catching 8-of-11 targets for 160 yards and the aforementioned two touchdowns. No other Packers receiver topped two receptions in the game.

Marshawn Lynch went in from one-yard out in the third quarter to make it a 21-10 deficit, but on the very next possession, Rodgers hit Adams again, this time from 40-yards out for his second touchdown and to once again give the Packers an 18-point lead.

Wilson quickly answered though, as he moved his team 82-yards on the next possession, scrambling for first downs and ending the drive with a 7-yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett after evading rushers and anticipating Lockett’s cut in the end zone.

On their very next possession, after forcing a three-and out, Wilson did it again, going 79-yards for another score, another one-yard beastly touchdown from Lynch. That made the score 28-23 with 4:28 left in the game, but that was the end of Wilson’s magic, as he was sacked on third down at his own 36-yard line with 2:22 left, where Pete Carroll opted to punt. The Packers didn’t get the ball back.

This game was a close battle, as neither team committed a turnover and the Seahawks had 23 first downs and 375 total yards to Green Bay’s 22 first downs and 344 yards. The pressure the Packers brought on Wilson was a big factor, as they got to him five times while the Seahawks downed Rodgers just twice.

Tyler Lockett was the offensive star for Seattle, as he caught 9-of-10 targets for 136 yards and one touchdown. But, in the end, Adams ability to get open at will was the deciding offensive factor, as Jones was able to get two short touchdowns, but was inefficient on the ground, rushing 21 times for 62 yards.

The Packers will now head to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers, where they were soundly beaten earlier in the season. Hopefully, we get a better game this week, but the 49ers looked unstoppable against the Vikings on Saturday. It will be a true test for the future Hall-of-Famer and his rookie coach.