Don’t be surprised if the Green Bay Packers get off to a fast start on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Packers are coming into the NFC Divisional Round playoffs as one of the best first quarter teams at home in the NFL.
Some of the numbers are staggering.
The Packers produced a +43 scoring differential in the first quarter at Lambeau Field in 2019. Only the New England Patriots were better. They also scored 63 points, the third-most in the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones and Davante Adams did much of the heavy lifting.
While Rodgers might not have produced out-of-this-world numbers overall this season, he was undeniably terrific to start games at Lambeau Field. Rodgers completed 46 of 60 passes (76.7 percent) for 664 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He averaged 11.1 yards per attempt and 14.4 per completion, with a sparkling passer rating of 145.4.
Five different players caught a pass of at least 20 yards from Rodgers in the first quarter at home: Adams, Jones, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jimmy Graham and Danny Vitale.
Clearly, Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur figured out how to script the offense early in games at home. Rodgers threw as many touchdown passes (six) as JK Scott had punts in the first quarter of games at Lambeau Field.
No. 12 didn’t do it alone.
The Packers made it a point to get the ball early to Jones, who scored four of his league-high 19 touchdowns, created three runs of 15 or more yards and caught eight passes for 67 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown, in the first quarter at Lambeau Field.
The Rodgers-to-Adams connection was nearly unstoppable in the first quarter at home. Adams caught all 14 of his targets for 253 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers’ rating when targeting Adams was 142.6, and he averaged an incredible 18.1 yards per attempt. Four of Adams’ catches gained at least 20 yards, including completions of 58 yards (vs. Eagles) and 39 yards (vs. Vikings). He also caught a 29-yard touchdown on 4th-and-4 in the first quarter against the Bears.
The Packers were also one of only six teams to allow 20 or fewer points at home during the first quarter of games this season.
If there’s a team most capable of starting fast on Sunday, it’s the Packers.
Keep this in mind: The Seahawks gave up the seventh-most points and had a -14 point differential in the first quarter this season.
Starting fast is important in any game. It’s even more important in postseason games when the intensity rises and the stakes are high. The Packers should go into Sunday with a great opportunity to produce a first-quarter advantage.
