SEATTLE -- It might have come against a third-string quarterback and a banged-up receiving corps, but the Green Bay defense needed a performance like this.
Really needed it.
A defense that had struggled to stop the run and pressure the quarterback during a three-game losing streak succeeded in both areas on Sunday, holding the Seahawks to just 177 total yards in a 27-17 victory over at Qwest Field.
The effort marked the first time since Dec. 21, 2006, vs. Minnesota that the Packers held an opponent under 200 total yards, and that total on Sunday was an even more impressive 115 yards midway through the fourth quarter before Seattle put together a long touchdown drive in the final five minutes.
"The biggest thing on defense is we played with a lot of energy, we played with a lot of enthusiasm, and we didn't make as many mental errors," middle linebacker Nick Barnett said. "We played very mistake-free, and when you play like that, it's hard for offenses to move the ball.
"We've got a long way to go. We're not going to say, 'We won a game and we're back.' We've still got work to do and we're going to continue to work until we get to exactly where we want to be."
For starters, the Packers got much closer to where they need to be defending the run. The defense had allowed 100-yard rushers in each of the last three games but surrendered just 44 yards on the ground to the Seahawks' leading rusher, Julius Jones. And while the last three opponents had each rushed for more than 175 yards as a team, Seattle got over 100 (for 113 total) when backup quarterback Charlie Frye scrambled for 27 on that late TD drive.
Frye got the start in place of the injured Matt Hasselbeck (knee) and the Seattle offense clearly missed its veteran signal caller. The Seahawks also have been missing various receivers throughout the course of the season.
But the Packers weren't going to make any apologies for the injuries, not while missing three starters (defensive end Cullen Jenkins, safety Atari Bigby and cornerback Al Harris) of their own. And Jenkins' backup, Michael Montgomery, missed the game with an ankle injury while Bigby's backup, Aaron Rouse, left midway through the game with a head injury.
That turned significant snaps over to rookie end Jeremy Thompson and third-year safety Charlie Peprah, who both played solidly. And the depleted defensive line took another hit late in the third quarter when Ryan Pickett left with an elbow strain.
But the Packers kept plugging away, and despite the thin ranks, the pass rush got back in to the act.
The Packers had not recorded a sack since the second quarter of the game against Dallas in Week 3, but the 2 1/2 game drought ended in the first quarter on Sunday.
Charles Woodson sacked Frye on a corner blitz, and Aaron Kampman added two sacks later for three total and five quarterback hits on Frye.
"That's always good," Kampman said. "In the end pressures lead to sacks, so it's more about how many times you're hitting the quarterback. Thankfully he kept the ball a couple times and we were able to get some sacks. It was a good thing for us."
Both Barnett and Kampman said Seattle's quarterback change didn't alter the Packers' game plan at all, and it certainly helped that the Green Bay offense put together some long drives that ultimately produced almost a full 15-minute advantage in time of possession (37:26 to 22:34).
"We didn't have to play as long, so the guys had a lot of energy out there today," Pickett said. "Huge difference."
That freshness was evident in the three-and-outs the defense posted. The Packers came into Sunday's game having forced just seven three-and-outs through their first five games, one of the lowest totals in the league.
But they forced five on Sunday, including three straight to start the second half. Seattle didn't get a first down in the second half until roughly 11 minutes remained in the fourth quarter, and on the very next snap, Woodson intercepted Frye for one of the Packers' two interceptions in the final period. Cornerback Tramon Williams had the other.
{sportsad300}"I think for the most part we kept the sticks in our favor and didn't allow them to get too many third-and-shorts," Kampman said. "If we can get them in third-and-6, third-and-7 and above, we feel we can really get after the passer and let the back end do what they do."
Woodson's interception set up a field goal that made it 27-10 with 8:41 left in the game, and up until that point, the only touchdown the defense allowed was on a short field, when the Seahawks drove 32 yards for a score after a Packers' fumble.
Seattle was just 1-for-8 on third-down conversions through the first 3 1/2 quarters.
Looking ahead to next week, there's perhaps no greater sea change than going from Frye to Indianapolis' Peyton Manning as the opposing quarterback. But the Packers have at least proven their defense can get the job done, and they've given themselves a performance to build on.
"We finally got back to playing Packer defense," Barnett said. "We had the energy out there. The front seven did good, the DBs played good, we had some good turnovers, and we just have to keep this train moving."
