Packers' rout of Seahawks prompts question: Where has this team been all year?

By: NY Times

Nobody helped the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, so they took care of business themselves.

And oh, did they take care of the Seattle Seahawks.

Sunday’s 38-10 win after the snow cleared at Lambeau Field came in such a convincing manner that you had to wonder whether this is the same Packers team that is 7-6 with three games to go and still needs significant help to win the NFC North.

Before the Packers and Seahawks kicked things off, everyone in Green Bay knew the Chicago Bears blew a fourth-quarter lead and allowed the division-leading Detroit Lions (9-4) to record another comeback win and the Minnesota Vikings(7-6) pummeled the Jacksonville Jaguars to stay even with the Packers.

After the game between Green Bay and Seattle kicked off, several Packers took care of the opposition: Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, Morgan Burnett, Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall.

Rodgers and Nelson connected for two touchdowns -- Nos. 56 and 57 together, which tied them with Brett Favre and Antonio Freeman for the most prolific quarterback-receiver combination in team history. Before that, Adams ignited the home crowd with a 66-yard touchdown, the longest Packers play of the season, on the game’s third play from scrimmage.

"We needed some help today, didn’t really get it from some teams," Rodgers said. "Luckily, we did what we were supposed to do today and played well. But we’ve got to keep winning, and we need a little bit of help down the stretch."

In reality, the offense has been clicking like this for weeks. But who thought the defense would come up with something such as this? The Packers picked off Russell Wilson five times -- two by Randall and one each by Burnett, Rollins and Micah Hyde. Wilson’s only other game with as many as four interceptions was the 2014 NFC championship game, also against the Packers, who, of course, blew a 12-point lead with four minutes to go in that game.

They didn’t crumble in this one, even after coach Mike McCarthy pulled Rodgers unusually early because of what the Packers said was a "coach’s decision." Rodgers, who has battled a nagging left hamstring injury, injured his right calf on the third play of the game -- the touchdown pass to Adams.

The Packers need Rodgers as healthy as possible for the stretch run, and it wouldn’t hurt if he duplicates his success Sunday in every remaining game. Against the Seahawks, Rodgers completed 18 of 23 passes for 246 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

However, it wouldn’t be a 2016 Packers game if there weren’t multiple injury concerns. Tight end Jared Cook dropped out with a chest injury late in the second quarter, and before that, both Randall Cobb (ankle) and Ty Montgomery(shoulder) received medical attention but returned.

To reach the playoffs, the Packers might have to win their final three games -- all against NFC North foes. That final stretch begins next Sunday at Chicago.

"We’re getting better as a football team, and that’s the thing I’m most excited about," McCarthy said. "You’ve got to win games in December. We all know how important these games are, but we improved. We took a big step as a team. We need to build off that because we know it’s always a tough, rough game down there in Chicago. We need to build off this."

Since Rodgers made his "run-the-table” comment last month, the Packers have rattled off three straight wins. That makes three down and three to go, even if they still haven't made up any ground.

"Maybe we didn’t gain any ground in the standings, but we talked about it all week, a game like this, the way we played, the way we won the game, that’s going to be huge momentum for us going forward, obviously huge for our confidence as well," right guard T.J. Lang said. "Seattle’s one of the best teams in the NFL."