Film Room: How the Packers defense can stop Lynch, Seahawks

The Packers are going green for their season opener: they're recycling their 2012 game plan, which focused on stopping running back Marshawn Lynch.

“That’s the start of their offense right there, a guy like Marshawn Lynch,” linebacker A.J. Hawk said ahead of Week 1. “I know people talk about him, kind of, setting the tone for their offense, especially at home getting the crowd into it early. You gotta find a way to stop the run first, make them one-dimensional, like we say every day. But it’s a lot easier said than done. It’s a big test, but we’re ready.”

They were ready two years ago in Week 3. Lynch averaged less than four yards a carry and didn't score a touchdown. His longest run was nine yards. He forced one missed tackle. The Green Bay defense held him in check with simple fronts and by rallying to the ball.

It's harder than it seems.

The Seahawks' zone blocking scheme bullies defenses with relentless down blocks and reach blocks. Run-plugging nose tackles are repeatedly cut at the line of scrimmage, falling to the wayside like trees. Linebackers are suffocated in no-man's land while trying to find Lynch behind the line. Most defensive backs get out of the way, and when they don't, they get stiff armed.

But the Packers need everyone involved. The two- and three-man fronts have to anchor the line while linebackers scrape over and defensive backs fill the alleys, as they did in the final ticks of the second quarter of the last meeting.

Lynch stood in a one-back set in Seattle's' "11" personnel on second-and-four. The defense was in a two-man front with defensive tackles Ryan Pickett over the right guard and B.J. Raji over the left tackle.

On a hurried snap, Lynch took the handoff left on a stretch run. He had an alley in the C-gap when the outside linebacker rushed wide and abandoned his responsibility. But the gap was quickly filled by the strong-side cornerback, who read the run and immediately came downhill. This slowed Lynch, who was chased behind by the penetrating Pickett as well as the outside linebacker, who circled back around.

Together, the three tackled Lynch for a two-yard gain.

With Raji and Pickett, the defense was able to establish the line of scrimmage not only with their brute size and strength but their surprising quickness.

They beat Seattle to the punch. They fired off the line of scrimmage first and penetrated the backfield. The few times the defensive line was cut blocked, the Packers scrambled to close alleys.

It was first-and-10 in the fourth quarter, and Lynch was in the favored one-back set again when a stretch left was called against the two-man front. He hit the forming alley as the left tackle sealed the outside linebacker and the play-side defensive tackle was washed out of the play. Then he suddenly bounced off his left foot and straightened his shoulders to get downhill, where he hit a hole that would have left him one-on-one with a safety. But at the last second, a nose tackle grabbed onto his leg and tackled him after a gain of six.

In Week 1, the matchup will be more of the same. The Seahawks still favor “11” personnel, using it 45 percent of the time last season, according to Football Outsiders. Lynch is still the featured back and his blockers - although some have changed - still reach, drive, and cut defensive linemen.

But there have been changes on the Packers’ front. Gone are Raji and Pickett. In are Mike Daniels and Datone Jones. Both linemen are lighter than the 337-pound Raji and 340-pound Pickett: Daniels is 305 pounds and Jones is 285 pounds.

Despite the size difference, Daniels and Jones will use their quickness to win. They’ll likely play in the same fronts as the last meeting, especially with uncertainty over how much nose tackle Letroy Guion will play. Guion is expected to replace Raji, but he missed most of training camp and played only nine snaps in the preseason.

With or without Guion, the key will be the defensive line penetrating the backfield and the rest of the defense rallying to the ball. They'll have to beat the offensive line to the punch and make Lynch second-guess his decisions, grounding him in the backfield like they did in 2012.