Matt LaFleur outcoached Pete Carroll throughout Green Bay’s 17-0 win over Seattle yesterday. From their game plan to leaning into their advantages (home field, colder weather) to working around their disadvantages (Rodgers lack of preparation), LaFluer’s strategy kept the Packers a step ahead of the Seahawks who more or less relied on Russell Wilson’s return from injury as lazy excuse to put everything back on Wilson’s shoulders.
Many will say the Seahawks defense played great – true, but part of the Packers slow start on offense was by design of focusing on their ground game and extending drives in order to keep Seattle’s D on the field while feeling out when things might finally click for Rodgers who, having no passing reps in two weeks, tossed a number of off-target passes and couldn’t establish his instinctive connections with Adams/Cobb/Jones until the second half.
When both Seattle’s defense and Russell Wilson finally gave out (and Pete Carroll attempted no adjustments) Green Bay’s methodical approach took over the game late, amassing two long 10-play drives to tack on overdue touchdowns as the snow began falling.
