GREEN BAY – With 6:50 to play in the NFL's hottest new rivalry, the Packers and the Seahawks told us how they really feel about each other: Michael Bennett and T.J. Lang were flagged for facemask-pulling unnecessary roughness, and K.J. Wright was disqualified from the game.
Yeah, just another Week 2 game, right?
"Good win for us. Week 2, though. We play a lot of good teams," Aaron Rodgers said when asked to express his emotions for the Packers' 27-17 win over the Seahawks on Sunday night.
He even kept a straight face when he said it.
How about you, coach? What does this win mean to you?
"My personal emotions for the win? I'm happy for our players. You sleep better when you win," Mike McCarthy said.
That's all?
"It's a Week 2 game, but let's cut to the chase here. It was a Week 2 game between two good football teams," McCarthy added.
Yeah, two really good teams, one of whom has played in the last two Super Bowls and came a play away from winning its second straight. These two teams could face each other again, and that's the best thing about the Packers' most recent win: If the two teams face each other again this season, chances are the game will be played in frigid Lambeau Field.
"When you play at home, you expect to win," Rodgers said. "It felt like a playoff atmosphere. This is hopefully going to be a trend for us this year."
All last week, the Packers and Seahawks were careful not to attach any more significance to the game than Week 2 deserved. Richard Sherman said he didn't remember what happened in last January's NFC title game. Packers players responded stiffly, predictably when asked if revenge was a motive.
The scuffle late in the game betrayed their stealth.
"We always back each other up. There was some BS on the other side. We take care of each other. I'm not surprised with T.J. He doesn't need a whole lot to get involved in those things," Rodgers said.
The Packers are on top of the football world, along with the Patriots, the team that beat the Seahawks in last winter's Super Bowl. At 0-2, the Seahawks have issues, but they can take care of the greatest of those issues by doing the Packers a favor and winning the next two games, at home against Chicago and Detroit.
There's also another issue: Kam Chancellor's holdout. The Seahawks miss him.
"The middle of their defense is where you can find some soft spots, and that's where we targeted," Rodgers said.
That would likely change before these teams would meet again.
The Packers have an extra day to rest for their next opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It's only fair for the Packers and their fans to have an extra day to savor this win over the Seahawks, after living through a whole offseason with the memory of how last season ended.
It's a satisfying win. It's an emotional win. It's also just a Week 2 win. It's a fact.
"It just means we're 2-0," Rodgers said.
