GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -About as fast as the snow covered Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers piled up the points, burying Seattle’s early 14-0 lead and forcing the Seahawks to play catch up.
That frustrated Seattle, especially quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
It was crucial dropped passes, not the swarming storybook snow, that ended Seattle’s season. It was the Seahawks’ eighth consecutive postseason loss away from Seattle since they won at Miami on Dec. 31, 1983, in their first playoff game.
Saturday was Hasselbeck’s first playoff game in Green Bay since 2004, when he boldly proclaimed “We want the ball, and we’re going to score!” during the overtime coin toss – then threw the interception that Al Harris returned for game-winning touchdown.
This time, Seattle got the ball and scored right away – thanks to two fumbles by the Packers’ Ryan Grant. But the good luck and strong defensive play didn’t last long.
Some fans arrived at Lambeau Field wearing funky, half-Seahawks, half-Packers jerseys, with the names Hassel-arve and Farv-elbeck across the back – a tribute to Hasselbeck and his mentor a decade ago in Green Bay.
Nothing about the game was half and half. It was all Packers, after the first four minutes, that is.
After setting team records this season for yards (3,966), completions (352) and attempts (562), Hasselbeck made his third Pro Bowl in five years. But Saturday, he was left shaking his head after finishing 19-for-33 for 194 yards and a touchdown.
After Green Bay scored to take a 21-14 lead, the Seahawks reached the Packers 10 and were poised to tie the game. But a third-down pass to D.J. Hackett banged off his chest incomplete. Josh Brown made a 29-yard field goal to make it 21-17.
Only briefly.
On third-and-8 from the Seahawks 14, Favre spun away from a sack by Brandon Mebane, stumbled, then tossed the ball underhanded to Donald Lee for an 11-yard gain that epitomized his near-perfect half.
On the next play, Grant ran 3 yards for his second score. The Seahawks were down 28-17, and Lambeau Field was rocking.
Seattle had just allowed its most points in the first half in its postseason history.
The second half was more of the same: Grant running wild. Hasselbeck throwing to receivers who couldn’t catch.
Nick Barnett yelled obscenities at Hasselbeck after an incompletion off Leonard Weaver’s chest. Hasselbeck responded by barking back at Barnett – then completing consecutive passes for 29 total yards to get Seattle into Green Bay territory.
The Seahawks could have pulled to within 35-24, but the fading, 35-year-old Pollard allowed Hasselbeck’s perfect pass to sail through his hands in the back of the end zone. Josh Brown kicked a 29-yard field goal to make it 35-20.
Down 42-20 and desperate, Hasselbeck had another pass go off Ben Obomanu’s hands at the Packers 28. On fourth down, Pollard let another throw sail through his arms at the 25.
All Hasselbeck could do was shake his head and clap his hands at his waist as if to say, “What else can I do?” as he walked to the sideline.
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