Nothing Personal, Just a Big Win

The Green Bay Packers were more concerned about winning than who was coaching against them.

With former coach Mike Holmgren on the other side of the field running the Seahawks, Brett Favre threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns and Ahman Green ran for 118 yards and two scores as the Packers routed Seattle, 35-13, Sunday.

“This was a great victory for the Green Bay Packers, not Mike Sherman,” Packer Coach Mike Sherman said. “It doesn’t really matter who was on the other side of the ball.”

Favre, who guided five consecutive touchdown drives, said he took no extra delight in beating his old coach.

“No, maybe in ‘99, but we needed this game for a lot of reasons, not who was on the other sideline,” Favre said.

In Holmgren’s first return to Lambeau Field in 1999, Favre had six turnovers in a 27-7 loss to the Seahawks.

Green, traded from Seattle by Holmgren for fumbling too much, was just happy to get another chance with the Packers.

“I consider it a blessing,” Green said. “Coach Sherman and the Packers gave me an opportunity. It’s been a work in progress ever since.”

Green topped 100 yards for the third time this season and has scored seven touchdowns.

However, Green Bay’s Mike Flanagan said the win was extra satisfying, no matter what his coach and teammates say.

“It definitely means something to them. It was personal,” Flanagan said. “You know, there’s that ‘Did Mike make Brett or did Brett make Mike?’ Obviously, Ahman, they thought he was expendable. All that stuff, it makes it personal.”

The Packers improved to 3-2, while the Seahawks lost for the first time after starting the season with three wins.

Shaun Alexander gained 102 yards in 20 carries for Seattle, but the Packers’ Cletidus Hunt stripped him of the ball on Seattle’s first series and that led to a Green Bay touchdown.

The Packers scored on their last three possessions of the first half to take a 21-13 halftime lead, then blitzed former Favre backup Matt Hasselbeck heavily in the second half, when the Seahawks committed costly penalties and lost their cool while the Packer offense scored on both third-quarter drives.