Packers–Seahawks rivalry

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Packers–Seahawks rivalry
Aaron Rodgers approaches the line.jpg
Packers' Aaron Rodgers (#12) lining up against Seahawks' Brandon Mebane (#92) in a 2009 game.
First meetingOctober 10, 1976
Packers 27, Seahawks 20
Latest meetingDecember 15, 2024
Packers 30, Seahawks 13
Next meetingTBD
Statistics
Meetings total25
All-time seriesPackers lead 16–9
Postseason resultsPackers lead 3–1:
Largest victoryPackers: 48–10 (2009)
Seahawks: 27–7, 36–16 (1999, 2014)
Smallest victoryPackers: 28–23 (2019)
Seahawks: 14–12 (2012)
Longest win streakPackers: 3 (1976–1981, 2008–2012, 2015–2017, 2019-present)
Seahawks: 3 (1984–1990, 2012–2015)
Current win streakPackers, 3 wins (2019–present)

The Packers–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. The Packers entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1921 and saw significant periods of sustained success under Curly Lambeau in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi. However, the Packers entered the 1970s in a sustained slump. They only made the playoffs once from 1968 to 1975. The Seahawks entered the NFL in 1976 as part of an agreement to expand the league after the AFL–NFL merger. The Packers and Seahawks played their first game during the 1976 NFL season, with the Packers winning 27–20 at Milwaukee County Stadium. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the two teams only played each other intermittently, as they were in different conferences. However, this changed in 2002 when the Seahawks were moved from the American Football Conference (AFC) to the National Football Conference (NFC). Teams playing in the same conference compete against each other in the regular season at least every three years and may meet more often if they share common positions in their respective division or are paired in the playoffs.

Contents

The rivalry between the two teams grew stronger after they became NFC foes. They met for the first time in the playoffs during the 2003 NFL season, an overtime 33–27 Packers' victory that occurred after Seahawks' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck exclaimed over the referee's microphone "we want the ball and we're going to score!" after winning the overtime coin toss. Both teams maintained consistent success throughout the 2000s, 2010s and into the 2020s, with the Packers winning Super Bowl XLV and the Seahawks winning Super Bowl XLVIII. They each sustained high-quality quarterback play as well, with Brett Favre and then Aaron Rodgers leading the Packers, and Hasselbeck and then Russell Wilson leading the Seahawks. The teams met in the playoffs three more times during this era, with the Packers winning two. The lone Seahawks' postseason victory was the 2014 NFC Championship Game, in which Seattle won after an improbable comeback in the fourth quarter. The rivalry has been defined by these high-profile postseason games, as well as some controversy. In 2012, the teams competed in what became known as the Fail Mary game. With replacement officials refereeing the game due to the 2012 NFL referee lockout, the Packers controversially lost on a walk-off Hail Mary pass by Russell Wilson. The ensuing controversy led to the end of the lockout and the return of the referees. As of the 2024 NFL season, the Packers lead the overall series 16–9, including winning 3 out of 4 postseason games. The Packers and Seahawks most recent game was on December 15, 2024, with the Packers winning 30–13.

Pre-rivalry history

Green Bay Packers (19191975)

The Green Bay Packers were founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. [1] After a few years of playing local teams, the Packers entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1921. [2] Between 1929 and 1944, the Packers dominated the NFL, winning six championships and reaching the playoffs two other times. [3] The advent of the forward pass under coach Curly Lambeau and wide receiver Don Hutson revolutionized the way football was played. [4] After the retirement of Hutson and the eventual departure of Lambeau to the Chicago Cardinals, the Packers experienced 15 years of poor results from 1945 to 1959. [3] [5] However, with the hiring of Vince Lombardi, the Packers saw a revival, making the playoffs eight straight seasons and winning five championships, including the first two Super Bowls. After Lombardi departed for the Washington Redskins in 1969, the Packers again experienced a prolonged period of poor results, only making the playoffs once from 1968 to 1975. [3] [5]

Seattle Seahawks

As part of the AFL–NFL merger, it was agreed that the NFL would expand by two teams. The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Buccaneers became these two expansion franchises, both of whom had their inaugural season in 1976. [6] The Seahawks started in the NFC West, but only played there for one season before being moved to the AFC West. [7]

Overview of rivalry

Early years (1976 to 2001)

After the Seahawks entered the NFL as an expansion team, they only played the Packers eight times from 1976 to 2002. The Packers won the first three match-ups, while the Seahawks won the next three and the series stayed tied 4–4 by 2002. [8] Neither team saw much success in the 1970s and 1980s, with the Seahawks not winning their first division title until 1988. [9] The Packers only made the playoffs once from 1976 to 1992. [3] However, in the 1990s the Packers saw sustained success under head coach Mike Holmgren, quarterback Brett Favre and defensive end Reggie White. The team appeared in two Super Bowls that decade, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. [10] The Seahawks meanwhile saw little success after their division title in 1988, as they failed to make the playoffs again until 1999. [9] Coincidentally, that season was the first for the Seahawks after they lured Holmgren from the Packers to serve as their general manager and head coach. In 2001, the Seahawks traded with the Packers for quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who had served as Favre's back-up quarterback for two seasons. [11] Starting with the 2002 NFL season, the Seahawks were moved from the AFC West back to the NFC West as part of a larger league realignment. [12] Being in the same conference pitted the two teams against each other more often, including setting the stage for postseason match-ups. [13]

Conference rivals (2002 to present)

The rivalry between the teams began in the 2000s. In 2003, the teams met for the first time as conference rivals, with the Packers winning 35–13 during the regular season. [8] That same season, both teams made the playoffs and met in a Wild Card playoff game at Lambeau Field, which became notable after Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck exclaimed "we want the ball and we're going to score!" after winning the overtime coin toss. The referee's microphone was still on and picked up this comment for the national television audience and stadium fans to hear. [14] Hasselbeck ended up throwing an interception to Al Harris, who returned it for a touchdown and the win. Harris' walk-off touchdown was the first defensive score in overtime to end a playoff game and was ranked as one of the 100 greatest plays and games in NFL history. [15] [16]

The Seahawks hosted the Packers in a 2006 game that saw snow fall for the first time during a Seahawks home game. Packers offense lines up vs Seahawks 2006-11-27.jpg
The Seahawks hosted the Packers in a 2006 game that saw snow fall for the first time during a Seahawks home game.

The Packers dominated the rivalry in the 2000s, winning six of seven match-ups. This included two games that became notable for snowy weather. In 2006, the Seahawks hosted the Packers in a Monday Night Football game that looked more like Lambeau Field. For the first time in their history, the Seahawks hosted a game with snow actively falling. [17] A year later, the Packers hosted the Seahawks in a Divisional Playoff game. The game, which has been referred to as the Snow Globe Game, was notable both for the snowy weather and for the Packers comeback. [18] Down 14–0 within the first five minutes of the game after two Ryan Grant fumbles resulted in Seahawks touchdowns, the Packers responded by outscoring the Seahawks 42–6 the rest of the game to secure the victory. [19]

The rivalry was evenly matched in the 2010s, with each team winning four games. [8] However, this decade saw a number of notable games and controversy. The decade began with what became known as the Fail Mary game, a Week 3 regular season match-up in Seattle during the 2012 NFL season. [20] The 2012 NFL referee lockout began at the start of the season, with the NFL fielding replacement officials for the first three weeks, which included this game. [21] The Packers led a low-scoring affair 12–7 with under a minute left in the game and the Seahawks having possession. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone as time expired. One official signaled a touchdown, while another signaled an interception. After replay review, the officials deemed the play a simultaneous catch by Seahawks' wide receiver Golden Tate and Packers safety M. D. Jennings, with the touchdown giving the Seahawks the victory. [22] [23] The resulting outcry and controversy was noted as the catalyst for the NFL and its referees to end the lockout the next week. [24] Wilson had won the starting quarterback job that season over Matt Flynn, who was signed by the Seahawks from the Packers after Flynn served as Rodgers's back-up. [25] The Fail Mary game began a three-game win streak for the Seahawks against the Packers, which culminated in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. [8] In this game, the Packers took a 19–7 lead deep into the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks only points coming from a touchdown pass from the team's punter during a fake field goal attempt. [26] The Seahawks overcame the deficit with two late scores, including an onside kick recovery and a two-point conversion. After completing a 35-yard pass for a first down in overtime, Wilson threw another deep pass, again for 35 yards, for the game-winning touchdown, sending the Seahawks to Super Bowl XLIX. [27]

After this loss, the Packers won four of the next five match-ups, culminating in a victory in the 2019 Divisional playoffs. [8] In that game, the Packers were able to stave off another Seahawks comeback, running out the clock on two third-down conversions at the end of the game. [28] The Packers won the most recent match-up 30–13 in a 2024 regular season game. [29]

The two teams' rivalry has been characterized by numerous dramatic finishes and high-profile games. [30] [31] Both teams maintained long successful periods, with the Seahawks supported by Hasselbeck and Wilson, while the Packers saw success under Brett Favre and Rodgers. After Rodgers had left the Packers for the New York Jets and Wilson had left the Seahawks for the Denver Broncos, Rodgers reflected on his games against Seattle as a "great rivalry", saying "we couldn't seem to beat them … in Seattle. They couldn't beat us in Green Bay." [32] The rivalry continued to grow in the 2020s, with the Packers and Seahawks scheduled to play each other again near the end of the 2024 NFL season. [33]

Notable games

Statistics and records

Club success

As of the 2024 NFL season, the Packers and Seahawks have won a combined 14 championships in the league's history, including 8 Super Bowl appearances. [3] [9]

Combined club success
Team NFL titles [note 1] Conference titles Divisional titles [note 2] Wild Card berths Playoff appearances NFL title game appearances [note 3] Super Bowl appearances [note 4] All-time recordRefs.
Green Bay Packers 13921936115847–631–38 [3]
Seattle Seahawks 131192003419–392–1 [9]
Combined14123217561181,263–1,023–39 [note 5]

Game results

As of the 2024 NFL season, the Seahawks and Packers have played each other 25 times, with the Packers leading the all-time series 16–9. The Packers lead the all-time series 13–3 when they are the home team, while the Seahawks lead the all-time series 6–3 when they are the home team. The Seahawks and Packers have played each other four times in the postseason; the Packers lead the postseason series 3–1, with the home team winning every postseason game. [44]

Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks season-by-season results [44]
1970s (Packers, 2–0)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
1976 Packers
27–20
Milwaukee County Stadium Packers
1–0
1978 Packers
45–28
Milwaukee County StadiumPackers
2–0
1980s (Seahawks, 2–1)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
1981 Packers
34–24
Lambeau Field Packers
3–0
1984 Seahawks
24–13
Milwaukee County StadiumPackers
3–1
1987 Seahawks
24–22
Kingdome Packers
3–2
1990s (Seahawks, 2–1)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
1990 Seahawks
30–24
Milwaukee County StadiumTied
3–3
1996 Packers
30–24
KingdomePackers
4–3
1999 Seahawks
27–7
Lambeau FieldTied
4–4
2000s (Packers, 6–1)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
2003 Packers
35–13
Lambeau FieldPackers
5–4
First matchup in which both teams are part of the NFC.
2003 playoffs Packers
33–27(OT)
Lambeau FieldPackers
6–4
NFC Wild Card playoffs. First postseason game in series. "We want the ball and we're going to score!" game.
2005 Packers
23–17
Lambeau FieldPackers
7–4
Seahawks lose Super Bowl XL.
2006 Seahawks
34–24
Qwest Field Packers
7–5
2007 playoffs Packers
42–20
Lambeau FieldPackers
8–5
NFC Divisional playoffs. "Snow Globe Game"
2008 Packers
27–17
Qwest FieldPackers
9–5
2009 Packers
48–10
Lambeau FieldPackers
10–5
2010s (Tied, 4–4)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
2012 Seahawks
14–12
CenturyLink FieldPackers
10–6
Fail Mary game.
2014 Seahawks
36–16
CenturyLink FieldPackers
10–7
2014 playoffs Seahawks
28–22(OT)
CenturyLink FieldPackers
10–8
2015 Packers
27–17
Lambeau FieldPackers
11–8
2016 Packers
38–10
Lambeau FieldPackers
12–8
2017 Packers
17–9
Lambeau FieldPackers
13–8
2018 Seahawks
27–24
CenturyLink FieldPackers
13–9
2019 playoffs Packers
28–23
Lambeau FieldPackers
14–9
2020s (Packers, 2–0)
SeasonResultsLocationOverall seriesNotes
2021 Packers
17–0
Lambeau FieldPackers
15–9
2024 Packers
30–13
Lumen FieldPackers
16–9
Summary of results
SeasonSeason seriesat Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks Notes
Regular seasonPackers 13–8Packers 10–3Seahawks 5–3
PostseasonPackers 3–1Packers 3–0Seahawks 1–0
NFC Wild Card playoffs: 2003. NFC Divisional playoffs: 2007, 2019. NFC Championship Game: 2014.
Regular and postseasonPackers 16–9Packers 13-3Seahawks 6–3

See also

Notes

  1. Includes pre and post merger
  2. All NFL Divisional titles between 1933 and 2021
  3. All NFL Championship Games between 1933 and 1969
  4. All Super Bowls from I through LVI (1966–present)
  5. The combined totals were calculated by adding the values within each column.

References

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