Biggest Takeaways from Green Bay Packers' Week 2 Win

In a thriller of a Sunday Night Football matchup, the Green Bay Packers did at home what they had not been able to do on the road: vanquish the Seattle Seahawks.

It was a game that felt close throughout, even though the Packers only relinquished the lead once, and for less than a quarter. And, in an interesting turn of events, it was really the Packers defense that brought the win home, though Aaron Rodgers and the offense both started and finished the game hot, with a little cooling-off period in between. 

The Packers were able to limit Seattle rusher Marshawn Lynch to just 41 yards on 15 carries. The defense also had an interception, recovered a fumble (both by linebacker Jayrone Elliott), had two sacks, five quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

Unfortunately, the Packers also had to grapple with injuries: Running back Eddie Lacy, defensive tackle Josh Boyd and wide receiver Davante Adams all left the game with ankle injuries, though Adams later returned. 

What did we learn from the Week 2 win, and how does the game affect the Packers moving forward?

Injuries Are Becoming an Epidemic

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Packers RB Eddie Lacy

Heading into Sunday night's game against the Seahawks, the Packers had suffered three major injuries.

There were the losses of wide receiver Jordy Nelson and inside linebacker Sam Barrington for the season, and then the recent report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer that right tackle Bryan Bulaga will be out at least four weeks after having surgery to repair his meniscus. 

However, the Packers' injury woes tripled Sunday night. Running back Eddie Lacy, wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive tackle Josh Boyd all left the game with ankle injuries, per NBC. 

There's no word yet on the nature of the injuries, though Boyd's, who was immediately ruled out, appeared to be the most severe. But there's no question that the Packers were ill-equipped to handle the loss of two additional offensive weapons.

Adams' absence forced Green Bay to use rookie Ty Montgomery, typically a returner only, out wide, surely much earlier than head coach Mike McCarthy would have liked. However, Adams did return later in the game. And while backup running back James Starks kept the offense churning, Lacy is what keeps opposing defenses honest and thereby supports the passing game and Rodgers. 

The last time the Packers dealt with this many injuries was the 2010 season, and that ended well for them. Time will tell if they're deep enough to make it to January this year in spite of the obstacles.

Aaron Rodgers' Hard Count Is One of His Best Weapons

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll insisted that the team prepared for the Packers' hard count, which Rodgers uses often to draw defenders offside and then attempt a big gain downfield on his subsequent free play. 

That didn't seem to matter, though, to defensive end Michael Bennett, who was drawn into jumping across the line of scrimmage multiple times.

The best steal came in the first quarter, on 1st-and-10 from the Seattle 44. Bennett jumped, and Rodgers found Randall Cobb for a 22-yard gain. The drive culminated in a 29-yard touchdown connection with James Jones on which the receiver beat Seattle corner Richard Sherman. 

That's one of the biggest benefits of getting the free play: It allows Rodgers to test areas of the field he might otherwise shy away from, or in this case, Sherman's coverage. 

However, the successful hard count and any subsequent free plays should be a complement to the Packers offense, not a linchpin. The Packers can't count on defenders taking the bait, and even without Nelson, they need to take shots downfield without the free play as a safety net.

The Run Defense Took a Giant Leap

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One week ago, the Packers' run defense allowed Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte 141 yards on 24 carries, and Chicago rushers as a whole ran 189 yards on the ground. 

Needless to say, heading into a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and more specifically Lynch in Week 2, there were questions about whether the Packers' leaky run defense could contain Seattle's rushing threat. 

It did.

The Packers limited Lynch to just 41 yards on 15 carries—an average of 2.7 yards per attempt. Though Russell Wilson gained 78 yards on the ground, none of Seattle's rushers made it into the end zone.

It was a group effort, led especially by linebacker Nick Perry, nose tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Jayrone Elliott. Perry and Raji each had a tackle for loss that kept Lynch from reaching the end zone. Elliott put the game away with a flair when he punched the ball out of Seattle running back Fred Jackson's grasp and Green Bay recovered the ensuing fumble with seconds left on the clock. 

Getting strong safety Morgan Burnett back from injury also helped boost Green Bay's run defense. Now, the unit will look forward to keeping the momentum going next Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs and Jamaal Charles, who averaged six yards per carry against the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

WR Davante Adams Is Crucial to Helping Offense Move Downfield

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

He may not have reached the end zone yet this year—James Jones is clearly receiving most of those targets—but second-year Packers receiver Davante Adams has proven himself to be important in helping the Packers move down the field on offense. 

After the Packers lost Nelson for the season, it became clear that Adams would line up in his usual spot outside and run his routes. There's no replacing Nelson, but it's essential that Rodgers has that option in his reads. 

That's why when Adams went to the locker room for a period of time during the Packers' Sunday night game against the Seahawks, it really threw the offense off-kilter. 

Adams was involved in the Packers' first two drives, which led to scores: a touchdown and a field goal, respectively. On the first drive of the game, Adams helped bail the Packers out of a 1st-and-20 hole, connecting with Rodgers for 11 yards and bringing up a more manageable 2nd-and-9. 

Then, the Packers were working their way down the field, with catches of one and 13 yards by Adams, before James Starks fumbled the ball, ending the drive. Then, Adams went to the locker room with an ankle injury, and the offense stalled. 

Rookie Ty Montgomery came out in Adams' place, and while he performed well, catching all four of his targets for 37 yards, he doesn't have the experience Adams does in the system. On those Adams-less drives, the Packers had 22 yards and a punt, 79 yards and a field goal and minus-six yards and a punt. 

When Adams returned, the drives went: 54 yards and a field goal, 80 yards and a touchdown, 34 yards and a field goal. Montgomery was still involved in those drives, but having Adams present on the field opens up Green Bay's playbook and also demands defenders to pay him attention. 

Needless to say, the Packers dodged a bullet on Sunday that Adams' ankle injury wasn't worse than it was. 

Packers' Kickoff Coverage Is Improving

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Tyler Lockett

In Week 1 against the St. Louis Rams, Seahawks rookie returner Tyler Lockett averaged 28 yards per kick return and 31.5 yards per punt return, including a punt return touchdown. 

The Packers did not want to see the same thing happen to them on Sunday. 

Green Bay took pains to make sure it had the best special teams group available for the matchup against the Seahawks, including inactivating rookie Quinten Rollins and activating special teams mainstay Demetri Goodson to help ensure it had the experience it needed on the field. 

The moves worked. 

Green Bay's coverage unit held the explosive Lockett scoreless on both kick and punt returns, and it limited him to an average of 11 yards per punt return and 19.8 yards per kick return on the night. 

The Packers allowed 24.5 yards per kick return on average in 2014, so that was a notable improvement. More importantly, they haven't allowed one to be returned for a score, as they did last season for 101 yards.