The Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers 36-16 in front of a national audience on NBC during the NFL’s opening game of the 2014 season. Seattle unveiled its Super Bowl Championship banner prior to the game. Despite the Seahawks status as defending champs, the national media didn’t expect the Hawks to do much in the opener. Instead the Seahawks ended up with a blow-out victory in their season opener.

The Packers came into this game as 5.5-point underdogs to the Hawks at home, and anyone who picked Green Bay to cover the spread is probably screaming right about now. Seattle at home was a nearly unstoppable force in 2013, and this year the Hawks offense started with a healthy Percy Harvin out at wide receiver. This team’s offense has just as much talent as its defense, but no one was giving the offensive unit too much credit before Seattle scored 36-points on the Green Bay defense.

Seattle scored 36-points thanks to a balanced offensive attack that dominated the game that had starting QB Russell Wilson completed 67.8% of his passes for 191 yards (6.8 yards per attempt), and two touchdown tosses without an interception. Starting RB Marshaw Lynch carried the ball 20 times for 110 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, and two touchdowns. Lynch was part of a rushing attack that generated 207 yards on 37 carries; WR Percy Harvin (four carries and 41 yards), Wilson (seven carries and 29 yards), and back-up RB Robert Turbin (six carries 27 yards) were the rest of Seattle’s rushing attack.

No one doubted Seattle’s defense heading into the season, and the defense didn’t disappoint as it held the Packers to 255 yards of total offense in the game — 4.5 yards per play.

This game proved to the world that the Seattle Seahawks are built to be the next dynasty in the NFL. The team is deep, talented, and has the coaching capabilities to beat anyone in the league; the real question is, will the team be able to live up to its talent level for the second year in a row.

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