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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- During his seven years in Green Bay, Mike
Holmgren helped make Brett Favre a superstar. Holmgren returned Monday night and his Seattle defense made Favre look like a novice.
Led by Cortez Kennedy and Shawn Springs, Holmgren's Seahawks forced seven turnovers, six by Favre, as they beat the Packers
27-7.
|  | | Seattle's Shawn Springs picked up a blocked field goal attempt and ran it back 61 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. |
Jon Kitna chipped in with touchdown passes to Derrick Mayes and Sean Dawkins. Ricky Watters ran for 125 yards on 31 carries, and Springs returned a blocked field-goal attempt 61 yards for a touchdown.
Green Bay, which lost for only the second time in 35 games at
Lambeau Field, also contributed to its own demise with 10 penalties
for 103 yards. That included two personal fouls on one play against
offensive tackle Earl Dotson, who was so frustrated trying to block
Kennedy that he got thrown out of the game for shoving him twice.
Holmgren's return was an emotional time for everyone, including
the man who led Green Bay to a Super Bowl win and left last year to
be coach and general manager for the Seahawks.
"I'd be less than honest if I said this was just another
game," he said. "Coming out of the tunnel in this stadium would
give anyone goose bumps."
But the defense did the real work for Seattle (5-2), which has
won five of its last six and moved into a tie with Kansas City for
the lead in the AFC West.
In addition to his return of a kick blocked by Lamar King,
Springs intercepted two passes, the first in his own end zone the
play after teammate Charlie Rogers had fumbled a punt on his own
20.
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Habib's parents were
booked on fatal flight
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Seahawks guard Brian Habib told Seattle coach Mike Holmgren that Habib's parents were booked on Egyptair Flight 990, reported ESPN's Ed Werder. Habib does not know if his parents were on the plane, and he has not been able to reach them.
The flight, which originated in Los Angeles and was bound for Cairo, Egypt, was carrying 217 people when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean early Sunday morning after taking off from New York's Kennedy Airport. The passenger list, released Monday night, did not include anyone with the last name Habib.
Habib started Monday night's game against the Packers.
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Kennedy had three sacks and forced a fumble that stopped a
Packers drive.
"All week it was Holmgren vs. Favre," Kennedy said. "I think
our defense got overlooked."
Favre, perhaps pumped up too much to impress his old boss, had
an abysmal game.
He finished 14-of-35 for 180 yards and threw four interceptions
for just the second time in his career -- the first came in 1994,
when Holmgren was still trying to transform him from an erratic
prospect with a strong arm into the quarterback who became a
three-time league MVP and led the Packers to a victory in the 1997
Super Bowl.
"Seattle played well but we couldn't beat anybody the way we
played tonight," Favre said. "The mistakes we made, turning the
ball over, costly penalties. It's as simple as that."
Springs said Holmgren gave them some simple advice about Favre.
"He told us to just stay on our man and he might throw a couple
of picks," Springs said. "He really didn't say much more than
that. Just stay on our man."
That translated into the fewest points the Packers (4-3) have
scored in a game since a 21-6 loss in Dallas in 1996. If that's any
consolation, that was the season they won the Super Bowl.
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GAME NOTES |
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There was a moment of silence before the game for Walter
Payton, the NFL's career rushing leader, who died Monday at age 45.
The loss was the Packers' worst since 1992, when they lost
30-10 to Chicago in Mike Holmgren's first season as Green Bay's coach.
Ricky Watters had a touchdown run called back by a penalty, meaning
the Seahawks still have not had a rushing touchdown this season.
Green Bay linebacker Brian Williams strained his right knee in the game and did not return.
Matt Hasselbeck, the Packers'
backup quarterback, relieved Favre and completed his first NFL
pass, finishing 2-of-6 for 32 yards.
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Holmgren's decision to decline a penalty that would have taken
the Packers out of field goal range led to Seattle's first
touchdown. So Ryan Longwell tried a 50-yarder, King blocked it and
Springs took it back 61 yards for the game's first score.
"I wasn't sure if I made the right call because Ryan can make
that kick," Holmgren said. "After we blocked it, one of my guys
upstairs said 'You know, you were right.' "
The Packers tied it five minutes into the second quarter when
Favre hit Corey Bradford on a 74-yard slant.
Seattle went ahead after an exchange of fumbles typical of the
game.
One play after Tyrone Williams had grabbed a Reggie Brown fumble
for Green Bay, Jay Bellamy wrested the ball from Dorsey Levens and
Darrin Smith recovered. That set up a six-play, 52-yard drive
capped by Kitna's 10-yard TD pass to former Packer Derrick Mayes,
who on the previous plays had an 11-yard catch.
Seattle made it 21-7 on the opening drive of the second half,
going 73 yards in nine plays capped by a 2-yard TD pass from Kitna
to Sean Dawkins. Watters had seven carries for 39 yards in the
drive, which was helped by a 21-yard pass interference call against
Green Bay's Williams.
The Packers drove to the Seattle 7 late in the third quarter.
But on third and goal, Kennedy sacked Favre, stripped him of the
ball and Michael Sinclair picked it up and took it out to the 35 to
end the threat.
Holmgren was glad to head back to Seattle.
"I'm glad this game's over with," he said. "I didn't want my
situation to take away from our players on the field."
From the way they played, it didn't.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Green Bay Clubhouse
Favre gets thumbs up to play Sunday against Bears
Two killed as helicopter crashes while flying to Packers game
Week 8 wrap-ups
Week 8 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Any questions?
Week 8 PrimeTime Players
Week 8 stats leaders
It's Holmgren's way or the highway
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mike Holmgren says this was a great win.
wav: 110 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Ricky Waters discusses Seahawks win over the Packers.
wav: 187 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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