Sunday, December 27, 2009

End of 1st quarter: Packers 14 - Seahawks 0

The Packers took the opening kickoff and promptly went 3 and out, including giving up a sack to a team that only has about 27 on the season.

On the Seahawks first possession, they steadily moved the ball on the ground, picking up a couple first downs. But on 3rd and 1, they decided to pass. Good thing. QB Matt Hasselbeck got flushed from the pocket and threw a wounded duck right into the arms of LB A. J. Hawk, who proceeded to return it to about the Seahawks' 35-yard line. A few plays later, QB Aaron Rodgers threw a screen pass to RB Brandon Jackson who took it 13 yards for a touchdown. Packers 7 - Seahawks 0.

The Packers' next series was rather uneventful. They escaped giving up their second sack of the quarter -- which would have made it something like 3rd and 30 after a delay of game penalty earlier in the series -- when a defender was called for illegal contact downfield. Whew. Well, momentarily, whew. Because the offense did nothing afterward. In fact, on one pass play, Rodgers throwing motion actually had the ball just drop right from his hands. Luckily, he was able to pick it up and get rid of it. But it was a very out-of-sync series.

On the Packers' last series of the quarter, Rodgers connected on a 40-yard pass play to WR Greg Jennings. That put Rodgers over 4,000 yards in passing for the second straight year. Rodgers thus becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as the starting quarterback. Congrats, Mr. Rodgers!

Rodgers and Jennings connected again on this series for a 24-yard pass and run down to the Seattle 3-yard line. A play later, RB Ryan Grant dove over the goal line pylon to pick up the Pack's second TD of the day. Packers 14 - Seahawks 0.