Seahawk Michael Bennett: Packers didn’t want to tackle Marshawn Lynch

Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch was in “beast mode” Thursday night, rushing for 110 yards in 20 carries with two touchdowns in a 36-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

At least one Seahawks player, watching Seattle’s offense from the sideline, wasn’t impressed by what he saw from the Packers defense.

Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett leveled a scathing critique of Green Bay defenders, suggesting they didn’t want to run headlong into the bruising Seahawks back.

“Obviously we were the more physical team [Thursday], offensively and defensively,” said Bennett, who had a strip sack of Aaron Rodgers that resulted in a safety. “I saw some of the best players in the league, supposedly, not wanting to tackle Marshawn Lynch. Of course nobody’s going to say anything about that, but I saw a lot of guys whiff on tackles that they should have been 2-yard gains. And they’re supposed to be the best.”

The Seahawks held second-year Packers back Eddie Lacy to 34 yards in 12 carries, with nearly half of those yards coming on a 15-yard run early in the game. Lacy left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion.

Rodgers’ numbers were atypically modest. He threw for 189 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a fumble, and all night avoided throwing in the direction of All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.

Green Bay’s quarterback was complimentary of the Seahawks.

“This is the Seattle Seahawks – they are a great defense,” Rodgers said.

“They always tackle well in the secondary. Corners are athletic and linebackers are rangy, and when you try to run the ball… those guys come up and make tackles. We didn’t break a lot of tackles or have explosive gains in the passing game or running game.”