SEATTLE – A 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks has set the Green Bay Packers in a good position as they head into the final three games of the regular season with a record of 10-4.
Though they have a solid winning record, the Packers still sit in third place in the NFC-North Division behind the 12-2 Minnesota Vikings and the 12-2 Detroit Lions.
Even with putting 30 points on the board, head coach Matt LaFleur said that he felt his defense was the difference maker in their game against the Seahawks.
Yet, there is still much to be improved.
“I think there are opportunities that we’re not taking advantage of — specifically that first drive in the second half. That was disappointing,” said LaFleur.
“We have to execute better. Certainly there’s times where we, as coaches, have to put our guys in better positions. That’s why both teams get paid. They’re going to make adjustments and we have to try to stay one step ahead of them.”
There were no doubt flashes of productivity and efficiency in the second half on both sides of the ball.
“I do think there were some times where we were running the ball pretty effectively in the second half — it was just too inconsistent.”
According to LaFleur, there was one moment in particular that created a big enough shift in the game to give the Packers the momentum they needed to stay on top.
Carrington Valentine snatched his first career interception from quarterback Geno Smith just before the half to give his team the final scoring drive of the half.
“He didn’t want to catch it the play before,” joked LaFleur.
“There are very few times in life you get a second chance to redeem yourself and he did. That was a spectacular interception. He’s got to work on ball security a little bit. It was really loose — probably should have stayed back in the endzone — but it was a heck of a play. Talk about a big momentum shift. You’re up 17-3 and it’s either going to be 17-6 or 17-10. Getting the ball back and us being able to get some points and go up 20-3 before the half — that was a big shift.”
Overall, the defensive performance for the Packers gave a solid glimpse into what they will strive for going into their final games against the Saints, the Vikings and the Bears.
The Packers defense tallied 12 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss and held the Seahawks to just 208 yards.
“I’m not even worried about the playoffs. I’m worried about us continuing to get better, staying in the moment, focusing on what’s right in front of us by attacking our practices the right way and building our habits. It’s all about how we improve throughout this process,” said LaFleur.
However, LaFleur also admitted that he is passionate about the direction his team is headed.
“I just love our style of play. It’s not perfect — it’s never going to be perfect,” said LaFleur.
The cohesiveness and drive of the defense no doubt was the difference maker in this matchup and LaFleur said he looks forward to carrying this chemistry into their next game.
“I thought our run defense was really solid. All in all I thought we did a great job and did what we needed to do. It was 11 guys playing as one,” said LaFleur.
“I think every game is a new opportunity and new challenge and you can’t just rest on what you’ve done.”
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