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Published - Monday, October 13, 2008

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Tom Oates: Packers just happy to get win


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SEATTLE — The game was watchable only in short bursts, but don't ever suggest to the Green Bay Packers that their 27-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday at Qwest Field wasn't a thing of beauty.

At least that was the response from defensive end Aaron Kampman after the Packers overcame a lackluster start to snap a three-game losing streak.
''What do you mean?'' Kampman said, feigning seriousness. ''It was very pretty.''

Yeah, if you like three-and-outs, dink-and-dunk offenses, running games that are stuck in the mud and the thrill of watching punters punt.

But none of that mattered to the Packers on Sunday. When you're as desperate as they were after three straight games in which they often looked like football novices instead of a team coming off a 13-3 season, style points are immaterial.

That's good, because the Packers demonstrated little in the way of style while beating the Seahawks. Toughness, resiliency and an increased attention to detail, yes. But the ability to dominate an opponent - even the injury-riddled Seahawks - and function at a consistently high level, not yet.

Indeed, if you factor in how poorly the Seahawks are playing in what was supposed to be a successful farewell tour for venerable coach Mike Holmgren, then you might rightfully wonder about the quality of a victory that raised the Packers' record to 3-3 and moved them into a tie with Chicago and Minnesota for first place in the NFC North Division.

The truth is, it doesn't matter how ugly the game was, how unimpressively both teams played or how decimated the Seahawks were because the Packers needed a win in the worst way, and they got it. In the end, that's all that mattered.

''We'll take it,'' quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. ''We'll take it any way.''

Normally, that would be true of any game at Seattle, which has been a Super Bowl contender for years under Holmgren. However, the Seahawks went into Sunday's game with a 1-3 record, played without their top two quarterbacks and half a dozen wide receivers and were coming off of the worst loss in Holmgren's 17-year coaching career in Green Bay and Seattle.

About all the Seahawks had going for them was their legendary 12th man - the well-choreographed crowd in the loudest venue in the NFL - and the fact that they, too, had their backs to the wall.

That wasn't enough for them to stay with the Packers, who got another strong performance from Rodgers, a reduction in the number of silly mistakes on offense and a return to form by the defense, which played with its old edge for the first time.

It would be easier to believe the defense had turned a corner if Seattle's quarterback hadn't been someone named Charlie Frye, but holding any NFL team to fewer than 100 yards for the first 52 minutes is a notable achievement.

''Big win, important win,'' offensive tackle Mark Tauscher said. ''We got back to the basics and we kind of put a blueprint down for how we need to play. It wasn't always pretty, but I think the energy was great. We came out of the gates, did some good things. This is a very difficult place to get a win, and for us to come in here, with the whole circumstance - we've lost three, they just took a tough defeat - it's a very important win for us.''

Mostly, it was important because the Packers made progress. They had been backsliding amid mounting pressure from the coaches and fans, but they finally got themselves pointed in right direction.

''I thought the win today was a smart win for our football team,'' coach Mike McCarthy said. ''I thought we played very well throughout the major situations.''

No, the victory didn't cure all of Green Bay's ills. The Packers eliminated some of their mistakes, but they still didn't play like world-beaters. They didn't need to, though, because they got the one thing they came for.

''After three losses, it just feels good to get a win,'' Rodgers said. ''The way we did it, it wasn't pretty. But we controlled the ball, controlled the clock and we were able to cash on our drives.''

Next, they need to cash in on this win.
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