GREEN BAY (0-0) AT SEATTLE (0-0)
Thursday, Sept. 4 - CenturyLink Field - 7:30 p.m. CDT
PACKERS TRAVEL TO SEATTLE FOR SEASON OPENER
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The Green Bay Packers take on the Seahawks in the first game of the NFL regular season. It is the first time the Packers have taken on the defending Super Bowl Champions in Week 1. * This will be the second time in the last four seasons that the Packers have played in the NFL's primetime regular-season opener (2011 vs. New Orleans). * Nine of the last 12 primetime kickoff games have been decided by 10 points or less. * The Packers have won each of the last two games they played on Thursday night. * This is the first time Green Bay has opened the regular season in Seattle. * The contest is one of two matchups in Week 1 between teams that made the playoffs last season (Indianapolis at Denver). * This marks the the third straight season that the Packers have traveled to face the defending Super Bowl champions (N.Y. Giants in 2012, Baltimore in 2013), a first for the franchise. * This will be the sixth time Green Bay has played in Seattle in the regular season. The Seahawks have won three of the previous five matchups. All but one of the five contests between the Packers and Seahawks has been decided by at least 10 points. The only game between the two that was decided by single digits was the 2012 contest, which Seattle won 14-12. * Green Bay is opening up the season against a team from the NFC West for the third consecutive year and against a team from the NFC for the 14th straight season. The last time the Packers faced an AFC team in Week 1 was in 2000 (New York Jets). * For the fifth consecutive year Green Bay opens the regular season against a team the made the playoffs the previous year. * Since 2010, Green Bay has made the playoffs four times, won three division titles, 44 regular-season games and a Super Bowl, while Seattle has made the playoffs three times, won two division titles, 38 regular-season games and a Super Bowl. They are joined by San Francisco and Atlanta as the only NFC teams with at least three playoff appearances and two division titles since 2010.
STARTING STRONG
- Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers are 5-3 in season openers. McCarthy's .625 winning percentage in openers is tied with Seattle's Pete Carroll (5-3) for the sixth highest among current head coaches who have coached in five-plus season openers.
- From 2007-11, the Packers won five consecutive season openers, which made McCarthy the only head coach in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
- Green Bay has 52 wins on Kickoff Weekend, second most in NFL history behind only the Chicago Bears (54 victories in Week 1). The Packers and Bears are the only teams in the NFL with 50-plus wins on Kickoff Weekend.
- This will mark just the third time in McCarthy's nine seasons (2006-14) that the Packers have opened their season away from Lambeau Field. The only other instances over that span were in 2013 at San Francisco and 2010 at Philadelphia.
- Opening on the road has been a rare occurrence dating back even further. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the Packers have opened their season at home 32 times while opening on the road just 13 times. Since 1986, 23 of Green Bay's season openers have been at home, making Thursday's game just the sixth time in the past 29 years that the Packers have gone on the road to start their season.
WITH THE CALL
- NBC will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Al Michaels joins color commentatorCris Collinsworth in the booth with Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee(play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 20th season calling Packers' games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 16th season of broadcasts together.
- Westwood One Sports will air the game across the country. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Boomer Esiason (analyst) will call the action, with Mark Malonereporting from the sidelines.Jim Gray hosts pregame and halftime shows.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
- Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks:
- All-time regular season:8-6-0
- All-time, postseason:2-0
- All-time, in Seattle:2-3-0
- Streaks:The Packers have won six of the last eight, including two in the playoffs.
- Last meeting, regular season:Sept. 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field; Seahawks won, 14-12
COACHES CAPSULES
- Mike McCarthy: 88-50-1, .637, (incl. 6-5 postseason); 9th NFL season
- Pete Carroll:77-61-0, .558 (incl. 6-4 postseason); 9th NFL season (5th with Seahawks)
- Head to Head:Carroll 1-0
- vs. Opponent:McCarthy 3-2 vs. Seahawks; Carroll 1-2 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his ninth year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
- Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
- Led the Packers to their fifth consecutive playoff appearance last season, joining New England as the only two NFL teams to do so over that span. Has also led the team to six playoff appearances in the last seven years (2007, 2009-13).
- Has guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring each of the past seven seasons (2007-13), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat.
- His .637 winning percentage (including playoffs) ranks No. 4 among active NFL coaches (min. 60 games) entering the 2014 season.
- Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
PETE CARROLL…Is in fifth year as the Seahawks' eighth head coach.
- Led Seattle to the first Super Bowl win in franchise history last season.
- Spent nine years as head coach at Southern California (2001-09), where he led the Trojans to seven consecutive Pacific-10 titles and two national championships (2003-04).
- Previously served as a head coach in the NFL with the New York Jets (1994) and New England (1997-99), leading the Patriots to two playoff appearances.
- Began his NFL career as a defensive backs coach for Buffalo (1984). Also served as an assistant coach for Minnesota (1985-89), N.Y. Jets (1990-93) and San Francisco (1995-96).
- A former all-conference free safety at Pacific, started his coaching career at his alma mater in 1974.
THE PACKERS-SEAHAWKS SERIES
- The two clubs have met 16 times, including the regular season and playoffs. The two playoff games (2007 Divisional, 2003 Wild Card) were both at Lambeau and won by the Packers.
- For a span of eight head-to-head meetings from 1996-2008, Mike Holmgren was the head coach for one of the teams.
- Since Seattle's shift to the NFC in 2002, the two teams have met eight times (including playoffs). They met in six of seven seasons from 2003-09, with 2004 being the lone exception.
- Neither team has ever won more than three in a row in the series.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers EVP/GM/Dir. of Football Operations Ted Thompson spent five seasons (2000-04) as the Seahawks' VP of football operations...Packers asst. head coach/linebackers Winston Moss played his final three seasons in Seattle (1995-97) and began his coaching career with the Seahawks as defensive quality control coach in 1998...Packers assistant director of pro personnel Tim Terry played for the Seahawks for three seasons (2000-02)...Packers LBs Clay Matthews and Nick Perry played for Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at Southern California; Matthews was also tutored by Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. with the Trojans...Packers running backs coach Sam Gash played for New England when Carroll was the head coach (1997)…Packers QB Matt Flynn played for Seattle in 2012...Seahawks P Jon Ryan played for Green Bay in 2006-07...Seahawks DE O'Brien Schofield and QB Russell Wilson played at the University of Wisconsin...Seahawks EVP/GM John Schneider served two different stints in the Packers' personnel dept. (1993-96, 2002-09), concluding as director - football operations...Seahawks wide receivers coach Kippy Brown previously coached the Green Bay running backs (2000) and Seahawks asst. strength and conditioning coach Mondray Gee held the same position in Green Bay in 2008-09...Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell played quarterback at the University of Wisconsin and coached on Green Bay's staff from 2000-05...Seahawks defensive assistant Marquand Manuel played for the Packers in 2006...Seahawks assistant offensive line coach Pat Ruel held the same position with the Packers from 2001-02...Seahawks assistant special teams coach Chad Morton worked for the Packers from 2009-13…Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and Seahawks quarterbacks coach Carl Smith coached together with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (USFL) and with New Orleans...In 2006, Capers was the special assistant to the HC/defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins while Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the defensive line coach…Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt worked in the same position for Tampa Bay while Seahawks DE Michael Bennett played (2010-11)…In 1990-91, Packers senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith played running back for the Dallas Cowboys while Norton played linebacker…Packers secondary-safeties coach Darren Perry and Seahawks asst. HC/offensive line Tom Cable were on the same Oakland Raiders staff in 2007-08…Former college teammates include Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch and DT Brandon Mebane (California)...Packers RB Eddie Lacy and S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Seahawks WR Kevin Norwood (Alabama)...Lacy and Norwood were also teammates at Alabama with Seahawks G James Carpenter...Matthews and Perry and Seahawks LBs Mike Morgan and Malcolm Smith (Southern California)...Packers DE Datone Jones and Seahawks DE Cassius Marsh (UCLA).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
- Sept. 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field; Seahawks won, 14-12.
- After trailing 7-0 going into the third quarter, the Packers scored 12 unanswered points (two K Mason Crosby FGs and a 1-yard TD run by RB Cedric Benson) to take a 12-7 lead in the fourth quarter.
- On the final play of the game, with the Seahawks at the Green Bay 24-yard line, QB Russell Wilson threw a pass deep left that both S M.D. Jennings and WR Golden Tate got their hands on. The play was ruled simultaneous possession, therefore awarding the TD to Seattle. The call was challenged by the replay assistant but was upheld and Seattle won by two points.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
- With a win, Green Bay would be 9-6 against the Seahawks during the regular season. It would be the Packers' first victory at Seattle since 2008 and would make them 3-3 on the road against the Seahawks.
- With a victory, the Packers would be one of five teams (Arizona, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington) to win at least two games at Seattle since 2008.
- The Packers are looking for their third consecutive Thursday night win. It would improve Green Bay's overall record on Thursday nights to 4-4, including 4-1 under Head CoachMike McCarthy. It would also make Green Bay 7-2 overall in games played on Thursdays under McCarthy, which would tie Dallas and Pittsburgh for the second-most wins in the NFL on Thursdays from 2006-13.
- A win would improve the Packers to 6-3 in season openers under McCarthy, including 2-1 in season openers on the road.
- McCarthy will begin his ninth regular season as Green Bay's head coach, tying Vince Lombardi (1959-67) and Bart Starr (1975-83) for the second-most seasons as head coach in franchise history behind Curly Lambeau's 31 (1919-49).
- If Green Bay wins, it will be just the third road team to win the NFL's primetime kickoff game since 2002.
- Green Bay looks to become only the second team to beat Seattle at home in the last two seasons (Arizona in 2013).
- The Packers can break the Seahawks' streak of five consecutive wins in home openers, the third-longest active streak in the league.
OFFENSE
- QB Aaron Rodgers looks to throw for 300-plus yards for the fourth consecutive season opener. Last year, Rodgers recorded the most yards he has ever thrown for in a season opener, 333 at San Francisco. If Rodgers throws for 300-plus yards, it will be the 33rd 300-yard passing game of his career during the regular season.
- Rodgers has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of the last four season openers. (2, 3, 2, 3)
- Rodgers needs 45 pass attempts (2,955) to become the third Packers player with 3,000 career attempts (Brett Favre, 8,754 / Bart Starr, 3,149).
- Rodgers needs 522 passing to surpass Bart Starr (24,718) for the second most in franchise history (Brett Favre, 61,655).
- Rodgers is looking to lead the Packers to their fourth consecutive road victory when he is the starting quarterback. If Green Bay wins it will be the second-longest road winning streak when Rodgers starts (10, 2010 postseason - 2011 regular season).
- WR Jordy Nelson(302) is nine receptions shy of passing WR James Jones (310) for the 12th most in franchise history. Nelson needs one receiving touchdown to tie Jones (37) for No. 11 in Packers history.
- Nelson looks to extend his consecutive games, in which he played in, with at least one reception to 24, including the postseason. It is the second-longest streak of his career (27 games, 2010 postseason - 2012 regular season).
- WR Randall Cobbneeds one reception to extend his consecutive games, in which he played in, with a reception to 29, including the postseason.
- In the last two season openers, Cobb has recorded 185 yards receiving on 16 receptions (11.6 avg.) with one receiving touchdown.
- RB Eddie Lacy scored a rushing touchdown in the 2013 season opener while racking up 72 total yards.
- Including the postseason, Lacy recorded 20-plus carries in 11 of the final 14 games last season.
- Lacy registered a 31-yard reception in Week 1 last season, his second-longest reception of 2013.
DEFENSE
- LB Clay Matthews (50) is four sacks shy of being tied with DE Aaron Kampman (54) for No. 4 on the team's career sacks list.
- Matthews has registered a total of 6.5 sacks in five season openers. He set a career high with 10 tackles in the 2013 season opener at San Francisco.
- From 2009-11, LB Julius Peppers recorded a sack in each season opener.
- Peppers has registered a sack each of the last two times he has played against Seattle (2011-12), and also forced a fumble against the Seahawks in the 2011 game.
- LB Nick Perry registered career highs with nine tackles and seven solo tackles in the 2012 season opener against San Francisco, his first NFL regular-season game.
- The last time Green Bay beat the Seahawks in Seattle (2008), CB Tramon Williams registered an interception.
- S Morgan Burnettset a career high with 14 tackles in the 2011 season-opening win over New Orleans.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- Cobb is the only player in NFL history to score on a kick return (kickoff or punt) in Week 1 of each of his first two seasons in the league (108-yard kickoff return vs. New Orleans in 2011 and a 75-yard punt return vs. San Franciso in 2012).
- K Mason Crosbyhas attempted and made a total of 12 extra points in the last three season openers, but has not attempted a field goal in a season opener since 2010.
- Crosby looks to extend his consecutive-games-scoring streak to 113 regular-season games. It is the second longest streak in franchise history (Ryan Longwell, 144).
PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS
- The Packers finished the 2014 preseason on a three-game winning streak. Green Bay's 3-1 record was its best since 2011 (3-1). It was the third time the Packers finished with three wins in the preseason under Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
- In the final three games of the preseason, Green Bay outscored its opponents 86-42.
- The Packers scored over 30 points (31, 34) in both of the final two preseason games.
- Green Bay's offense scored on its opening possession in all four games.
- The Packers outscored their opponents a combined 59-27 in the first half.
- RB Eddie Lacyplayed in two drives during the preseason and both resulted in touchdowns. In those two drives, Lacy recorded 61 rushing yards on 11 carries (5.5 avg.) with one touchdown and two receptions for 22 yards (11.0 avg.).
- QB Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay to four touchdowns and one field goal on the eight drives he played in. Rodgers finished the preseason with a passer rating of 116.6, completing 20 of 33 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He registered a 100-plus passer rating in both games he played in this year and in four of the last five preseason games he has participated in.
- LB Jayrone Elliottled the NFL with five sacks this preseason, including three sacks in a four-play span against St. Louis. Dating back to 2000, it was the most sacks recorded by a Packers' player in the preseason and tied for the second-most sacks in the league in the preseason (Caesar Rayford, IND, 2013 / Nate Bolling, BAL, 2003 / LaDairis Jackson, WAS, 2002 / Adalius Thomas, BAL, 2000) behind Adewale Ogunleye's eight in 2002 for Miami.
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