GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers said he felt “locked in” long before he would pass for 243 yards, two touchdowns and a couple of key third-down completions to help the Packers to a 28-23 win over the Seahawks on Sunday at Lambeau Field in a NFC Divisional playoff game.
“I felt really locked in from Wednesday on,” Rodgers said as the Packers (14-3) advanced to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, where they’ll play the 49ers for a spot in Super Bowl LIV. “I felt really good all day. I felt like it was going to be one of these types of performances tonight. It was one of those feelings that starts to creep up in warm-up when you feel like you’re locked in. It’s fun when it translates to the field.”
Rodgers was almost overshadowed by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who rallied his team from a 21-3 halftime deficit and was braced for a potential game-winning drive before being sacked on third down. The Seahawks had to punt, and it was vintage Rodgers, who burned the final 2:32.
He threw a perfect pass to wide receiver Davante Adams that gained 32 yards on third-and-8 from the Packers 22. Later, he connected with tight end Jimmy Graham for a 9-yard gain on third-and-9. Ballgame.
“These are the moments that you work for and think about during the offseason, a chance to put a game away,” Rodgers said, adding, “Winning is always satisfying. But there are moments in the season that rank higher than others, and this is obviously one of those moments where based on the way their offense was moving the ball I knew I was going to have to make some plays.”
Rodgers completed 16 of 27 passes, including touchdown throws of 20 and 40 yards to Adams, who caught eight passes for a franchise playoff-record 160 yards. The Packers were excellent on third down throughout the night, converting 9-of-14.
“I felt good about all the throws tonight,” Rodgers said. “I felt good about the way the ball was coming out of my hand.”
The win was typical of the Packers’ season, not necessarily a thing of beauty, but effective.
“It doesn’t have to be pretty,” Rodgers said. “But what we’ve done is we’ve closed out games. Our defense gave up a few scoring drives in the second half, but made a big stop and we put together the drive to close the game out. That’s special. It was a good feeling.”
Rodgers, in his 15th season, was a bit nostalgic, admitting he stopped himself in the second quarter to soak up the atmosphere at Lambeau Field.
“It was a special moment seeing the whole stadium wave those white towels,” he said. “In that moment, I was grateful for the opportunity and loving what I do. There’s nothing like having the ball in your hands in a clutch situation when you have 78,000 people, or at least most of them, cheering you on.”
After the game, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch went to the Packers’ locker room to exchange jerseys with Rodgers. The two played together at California in 2004.
“He’s one of my all-time favorite teammates,” Rodgers said. “He has just an incredible personality and charisma. He’s so fun to be around. I have a tone of respect for him and his career.”
Ref;nypost.com