Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers: With a Vengeance

In just three more days, our beloved Seahawks will be playing the Green Bay Packers in what will essentially be a glorified scrimmage. Outside of these two teams evaluating their roster, the results mean nothing, yet the feelings among both Seattle and Green Bay players and fans tell a different story. In case you forgot, the NFL opened up last season with replacement officials. The replacement officials tried their best, but it was an absolute disaster for both the teams and fans that had ballooned by the time the Packers faced off against the Seahawks in Seattle during week 3 for MNF; a game that would have the national audience watching. The game itself was quite possibly the worst officiated game in the NFL’s history, and not just because of one final play that everyone focuses on. This play is now widely known as “Fail Mary”, and is the very essence as to why this game matters so much to the Green Bay Packers’ players and fans. In a way, the same can be said for the Seahawks since the players received so much of the blame despite the call, or any calls before, being out of their hands. Yes, this is just a preseason game, but at the same time, it isn’t at all.

Touchdown, maybe! / NFL.com

For Green Bay, this game is about justice. Most of us heard the cries after the game and still do even today. Aaron Rodgers was vocal enough about it on his radio show. It would seem that Packer fans and many NFL fans in general forgot about the Seahawks beating up Rodgers in the first half, forgot about his missed opportunities, and even forgot about the obviously terrible PI call on Kam Chancellor in the 4^th quarter that kept the Packers drive alive and eventually led to their go ahead score. Of course, the Seahawks also had help on their very next drive when more terrible calls were called against the Packers, such as roughing the passer and defensive pass interference against Sam Shields. However, the Seahawks failed to score on a play that left me scratching my head, but were able to stop the Packers near their goal line which led to a punt and “Fail Mary”. Wilson made a big time throw up field which put them in position to put up a prayer as time ran to zero where Jennings opted to catch the ball instead of knocking it down. The problem was that Golden Tate also had his hands on the ball as they came down. Whether it was a simultaneous catch or not does not matter, all that matters here is that this very play is all that Green Bay and that national audience remembers. Aaron Rodgers ran off the field shaking his head and acting like they were absolutely screwed, and many followed suit.

For Seattle, this game means just as much. Yes, the final play went in their favor, but the result was that pretty much everyone forgot about everything else in the game. They forgot the defensive dominance that Seattle displayed, especially in the first half, and they forgot that Seattle was also screwed by terrible calls. Yes, I am obviously biased, but when I watch the entire game and take everything into account I still feel like the right team won. The Seattle Seahawks organization feels the same way. Many others don’t, but who cares? To be honest, most other people don’t even know what they are talking about. For Seattle, this game is about proving that they were the better team all along.

To be honest, going into the game last year I thought that the Packers were the better team overall, and still thought they were slightly better after the game if the two teams were to face off on a neutral field. By the end of the season, however, I felt that the Seahawks were clearly the better team and would have loved for the two to face each other during the NFC Conference Championship in Lambeau. This dream fell short as Seattle had an epic comeback followed by an epic failure to beat the Falcons and the Packers were so far behind the 49ers at that point in the season that home field advantage would not have mattered. That is why outside of helping get our regular refs back, “Fail Mary” ultimately did not matter in the end, but still matters on a personal level between the two organizations and their fans. As Seattle is set to face off against the Packers in Lambeau Field this upcoming Friday I feel the same way as I did towards the end of the season last year, and fully expect the Seahawks to be the better team. Do the Seahawks need the presence of Irvin and Clemons to prove that? No, I don’t think so, but it would certainly help. The current starters will take the field for what is often three entire quarters during preseason action on week 3, and by the end of those three quarters I expect we will have some sort of clarity, regardless of the outcome.  

Go Hawks!