The Seattle Seahawks gave an early indication of how tough it will be to replace them as Super Bowl champions with a dominant 36-16 win over the Green Bay Packers as the new NFL season kicked off on Thursday.
A suffocating defense, methodical offense and an electrifying home crowd was once again the winning formula for the Seahawks.
Marshawn Lynch rushed for two touchdowns, quarterback Russell Wilson threw for two more, and Seattle's defense squeezed the life out of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his offense.
After crushing the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win the Super Bowl in February, the Seahawks are vying to become the first back-to-back champions since New England in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
The Packers took a 7-3 lead through the first quarter, but Seattle’s Wilson tossed a 33-yard touchdown to Ricardo Lockette in the second to move ahead.
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Seattle's Lynch scored his first touchdown to give the hosts a 17-10 lead at halftime before the Seahawks added a field goal and a safety in the third quarter to go up 22-10.
Lynch’s second score of the night made it 29-10 early in the fourth.
Rodgers threw a three-yard touchdown to Randall Cobb to give the Packers a sniff at a comeback, but Wilson answered with a drive of his own and tossed a 15-yard score to Derrick Coleman to complete the scoring at 36-16.
