· NFL season opens in Seattle at CenturyLink Field
· Super Bowl champion Seahawks face early test vs Green Bay
· Seattle QB Russell Wilson faces Packers Aaron Rodgers
· Tweet your thoughts to: @lengeldavid
· Or email: david.lengel@theguardian.com
9.19pm ET
After a Seahawks holding penalty, its 1st & 20.
Wilson hands off to Lynch who slams up the middle for 10 yards. Then the speedy QB has some room, running right, and finds his man - Percy Harvin, again, who is just short of the first down and that will do it for the first quarter of 2014.
9.13pm ET
Three straight completions for Rodgers to Cobb, then back-to-back to Nelson takes it down to the Seahwaks two-yard line.
Big fullback John Kuhn gets the yardage he needs to put six on the board for Green Bay, and the Packers are on the board and ahead as we head towards the end of the first quarter.
9.10pm ET
Rodgers is looking for Cobb on 2nd & 14, incomplete. On the next play, he cant find Jordy Nelson. So we have a Packers punt.Sherman blocks Davon House, into his own man and Thomas cant handle the kick.
9.04pm ET
*Center of attention*
Hauchka, who is getting name checked an awful lot thus far, kicks it into the endzone and we have a touchback. Green Bay start at their own 20 yard line.Im going to pray for him Its going to be a long night, man. Weve got to just take advantage of it.
9.04pm ET
8.59pm ET
its up and its good. We have our first points of the season, with the Hawks enjoying three completely unnecessary points, courtesy of Mike Daniels.
8.57pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 6:08, 1st quarter****
On the punt, Mike Daniels runs into the kicker, which is not what you want to do - it hands Seattle a free first down - just like that! B-A-D.
8.53pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 8:44, 1st quarter****
On 3rd & 2, Wilson is in the shotgun. Hes looking for Miller, Sam Shields gets a hand on it, and the ball is in the air! Dante Jones has it for the Packers, but Miller gets up and immediately swats it out of his hands. So after all that, its incomplete, and Seattle has to punt.
8.51pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 9:23, 1st quarter****
Percy Harvin is involved early. He receives Wilsons first pass of 2014 - its a little gain for about five yards on the far sideline. Then after a Lynch run for a few yards, Harvin is back with another catch on a quick throw to Wilsons right on 3rd & 1 - its enough a first down. So Seattle is moving right along...
8.47pm ET
**Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 11:53, 1st quarter**
The Pack face a 3rd & 10 now. Rodgers is in the shotgun. He has time, and steps up, but the pocket collapses and here comes OBrien Schofield to take him down! Pack punt, and Seattle will take over at their own 35 after Earl Thomas makes the catch. Good field position for the Seahawks.
8.44pm ET
*Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 12:59, 1st quarter*
Eddie Lacy with a wiggle for six yards, and then the Seahawks D, which led the league in penalties in 2013, gets done for offsides. First down for Green Bay, moving on up to their own 23 yard line.
8.42pm ET
The 2014 season is underway!Steven Hauschka kicks off - DuJuan Harris carries out to the 13 for Green Bay. Game on!
8.40pm ET
*Alumni action*
Steve Largent, Walter Jones and Cortez Kennedy, three Seattle Hall-of-Fame players are raising the flag of the 12th man. No earthquakes just yet - still think its a bit subdued.8.38pm ET
*National Anthem*
Ariana Grande is out there, doing her thing, as she apparently has done before...
8.33pm ET
*Here come the Hawks*
Seattle storm onto the field, but for some reason, it doesnt seem that loud. Maybe its just my television....anyway, we are very, very close to getting 2014 underway!
8.32pm ET
*The rugby influence*
You may have heard that brain concussing hits are no longer trending in the NFL. Thats one reason why the Seattle Seahawks have looked to the sport of rugby to figure out how to get players down on the turf more efficiently and strategically without trying to maim them. Check out how Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll took up the challenge in a colorful piece penned by Martin Pengelly last month.
8.25pm ET
*2013-2014*
Before we leave last year behind, lets take one last look at how the Seahawks destroyed Peyton Maning and the Broncos.
8.21pm ET
*Predictions*
@MartinPengelly @LengelDavid you heard it here first, GB wins tonight, Arodg 300+ yds 2 tub 0 int, Lacy 100+ APY 1 tub; GB 24 SEA 20
@LengelDavid NEP 2 break all records en route 2 the SB but fall at the final hurdle 2 the Steelers! Brady won't get a 4th SB win this season
8.17pm ET
*Poison chalice*
Winning the Super Bowl buys you just that, but nothing the following season. You have to go all the way back to the 2004 New England Patriots to find a team that won more than one playoff game after winning the big one (they repeated as Super Bowl winners). Most teams since didnt even make the postseason after winning it all, which is kind of amazing when you think about it. The thing about Seattle however, is that this team won early in its lifecycle. That means theres a young core that is still on their way up the ladder, and having said that, the Seahawks probably have a better chance to do damage in the ensuing season than any of prior champs during that period.
8.09pm ET
The time has finally come again, we are ready to start another journey and ready to kickoff another NFL season. Let's go. #NinersEmpire
The 49ers have a new stadium for 2014, but can they reach the promised land working out of their new digs?
8.07pm ET
*Richard Sherman*
Everybodys favorite cornerback has 20 interceptions since coming into the NFL in 2011. Hines Ward of NBC thinks he isnt even the best player in the Seattle secondary, bestowing that honor to Earl Thomas. Regardless, Sherman got the cover of the legendary Madden 15, which was released this week. Just for fun, check out this video that highlights 25 years of the game in one drive.
8.01pm ET
*Fail Mary*
Some of you may recall the infamous Inaccurate Reception controversy that made headlines the last time these two teams played in Seattle. With the Pack in control 12-7 and time winding down in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson threw a hail mary towards Golden Tate. M.D. Jennings and Tate both got a piece of the ball, but one referee ruled a touchdown, and the other ruled for a touchback. Eventually, simultaneous possession was ruled, which meant a Seattle TD, that despite some significant offensive pass interference by Tate and the Seahawks stole one, thanks to the replacement refs, who were working thanks to a strike by the usual zebras.
7.53pm ET
*Season previews*
My colleague Paolo Bandini has been hard at work on his division-by-division AFC and NFC previews. Prepare for many many links:
7.46pm ET
Its opening night in the NFL, where we begin anew with a game that kick starts the march towards another set of Roman numerals, XLIX, which Google Translate tells me will be the 49th installment of the Super Bowl.
If youre a fan of the game, well, youve been waiting for this precise moment for quite some time in our last installment, all the way back in February, we watched the Seattle Seahawks make all of us who predicted a spectacle between two supposedly evenly matched teams look a lot bit foolish. Seattle romped over Denver 43-8 in the most interesting Super Bowl blowout of all-time, 60 minutes of football that made Broncos general manager and executive vice-president of football operations John Elway wish he signed with the Yankees back in 81.
Were a lot more experienced. There are a bunch of young guys, last year, you forget, Russell [Wilson] was a second-year quarterback going into his third year, theres going to be a lot of growth for him. Im going into my fourth, Earl [Thomas] and Kam (Chancellor) are going into their fifth, Bobby Wagner going into his third, weve got some young guys coming up on the D-line that are going to do some things, Mike Bennett and Cliff Avril, another year of experience. Jermaine Kearse, I think, is going to have a big year. Guys are elevating their game to another level.
Hopes that were high in the heat of September, can wilt and die in the chill of November.
Continue reading... Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
· Super Bowl champion Seahawks face early test vs Green Bay
· Seattle QB Russell Wilson faces Packers Aaron Rodgers
· Tweet your thoughts to: @lengeldavid
· Or email: david.lengel@theguardian.com
9.19pm ET
After a Seahawks holding penalty, its 1st & 20.
Wilson hands off to Lynch who slams up the middle for 10 yards. Then the speedy QB has some room, running right, and finds his man - Percy Harvin, again, who is just short of the first down and that will do it for the first quarter of 2014.
9.13pm ET
Three straight completions for Rodgers to Cobb, then back-to-back to Nelson takes it down to the Seahwaks two-yard line.
Big fullback John Kuhn gets the yardage he needs to put six on the board for Green Bay, and the Packers are on the board and ahead as we head towards the end of the first quarter.
9.10pm ET
Rodgers is looking for Cobb on 2nd & 14, incomplete. On the next play, he cant find Jordy Nelson. So we have a Packers punt.Sherman blocks Davon House, into his own man and Thomas cant handle the kick.
9.04pm ET
*Center of attention*
Hauchka, who is getting name checked an awful lot thus far, kicks it into the endzone and we have a touchback. Green Bay start at their own 20 yard line.Im going to pray for him Its going to be a long night, man. Weve got to just take advantage of it.
9.04pm ET
8.59pm ET
its up and its good. We have our first points of the season, with the Hawks enjoying three completely unnecessary points, courtesy of Mike Daniels.
8.57pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 6:08, 1st quarter****
On the punt, Mike Daniels runs into the kicker, which is not what you want to do - it hands Seattle a free first down - just like that! B-A-D.
8.53pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 8:44, 1st quarter****
On 3rd & 2, Wilson is in the shotgun. Hes looking for Miller, Sam Shields gets a hand on it, and the ball is in the air! Dante Jones has it for the Packers, but Miller gets up and immediately swats it out of his hands. So after all that, its incomplete, and Seattle has to punt.
8.51pm ET
****Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 9:23, 1st quarter****
Percy Harvin is involved early. He receives Wilsons first pass of 2014 - its a little gain for about five yards on the far sideline. Then after a Lynch run for a few yards, Harvin is back with another catch on a quick throw to Wilsons right on 3rd & 1 - its enough a first down. So Seattle is moving right along...
8.47pm ET
**Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 11:53, 1st quarter**
The Pack face a 3rd & 10 now. Rodgers is in the shotgun. He has time, and steps up, but the pocket collapses and here comes OBrien Schofield to take him down! Pack punt, and Seattle will take over at their own 35 after Earl Thomas makes the catch. Good field position for the Seahawks.
8.44pm ET
*Packers 0-0 Seahawks, 12:59, 1st quarter*
Eddie Lacy with a wiggle for six yards, and then the Seahawks D, which led the league in penalties in 2013, gets done for offsides. First down for Green Bay, moving on up to their own 23 yard line.
8.42pm ET
The 2014 season is underway!Steven Hauschka kicks off - DuJuan Harris carries out to the 13 for Green Bay. Game on!
8.40pm ET
*Alumni action*
Steve Largent, Walter Jones and Cortez Kennedy, three Seattle Hall-of-Fame players are raising the flag of the 12th man. No earthquakes just yet - still think its a bit subdued.8.38pm ET
*National Anthem*
Ariana Grande is out there, doing her thing, as she apparently has done before...
8.33pm ET
*Here come the Hawks*
Seattle storm onto the field, but for some reason, it doesnt seem that loud. Maybe its just my television....anyway, we are very, very close to getting 2014 underway!
8.32pm ET
*The rugby influence*
You may have heard that brain concussing hits are no longer trending in the NFL. Thats one reason why the Seattle Seahawks have looked to the sport of rugby to figure out how to get players down on the turf more efficiently and strategically without trying to maim them. Check out how Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll took up the challenge in a colorful piece penned by Martin Pengelly last month.
8.25pm ET
*2013-2014*
Before we leave last year behind, lets take one last look at how the Seahawks destroyed Peyton Maning and the Broncos.
8.21pm ET
*Predictions*
@MartinPengelly @LengelDavid you heard it here first, GB wins tonight, Arodg 300+ yds 2 tub 0 int, Lacy 100+ APY 1 tub; GB 24 SEA 20
@LengelDavid NEP 2 break all records en route 2 the SB but fall at the final hurdle 2 the Steelers! Brady won't get a 4th SB win this season
8.17pm ET
*Poison chalice*
Winning the Super Bowl buys you just that, but nothing the following season. You have to go all the way back to the 2004 New England Patriots to find a team that won more than one playoff game after winning the big one (they repeated as Super Bowl winners). Most teams since didnt even make the postseason after winning it all, which is kind of amazing when you think about it. The thing about Seattle however, is that this team won early in its lifecycle. That means theres a young core that is still on their way up the ladder, and having said that, the Seahawks probably have a better chance to do damage in the ensuing season than any of prior champs during that period.
8.09pm ET
The time has finally come again, we are ready to start another journey and ready to kickoff another NFL season. Let's go. #NinersEmpire
The 49ers have a new stadium for 2014, but can they reach the promised land working out of their new digs?
8.07pm ET
*Richard Sherman*
Everybodys favorite cornerback has 20 interceptions since coming into the NFL in 2011. Hines Ward of NBC thinks he isnt even the best player in the Seattle secondary, bestowing that honor to Earl Thomas. Regardless, Sherman got the cover of the legendary Madden 15, which was released this week. Just for fun, check out this video that highlights 25 years of the game in one drive.
8.01pm ET
*Fail Mary*
Some of you may recall the infamous Inaccurate Reception controversy that made headlines the last time these two teams played in Seattle. With the Pack in control 12-7 and time winding down in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson threw a hail mary towards Golden Tate. M.D. Jennings and Tate both got a piece of the ball, but one referee ruled a touchdown, and the other ruled for a touchback. Eventually, simultaneous possession was ruled, which meant a Seattle TD, that despite some significant offensive pass interference by Tate and the Seahawks stole one, thanks to the replacement refs, who were working thanks to a strike by the usual zebras.
7.53pm ET
*Season previews*
My colleague Paolo Bandini has been hard at work on his division-by-division AFC and NFC previews. Prepare for many many links:
7.46pm ET
Its opening night in the NFL, where we begin anew with a game that kick starts the march towards another set of Roman numerals, XLIX, which Google Translate tells me will be the 49th installment of the Super Bowl.
If youre a fan of the game, well, youve been waiting for this precise moment for quite some time in our last installment, all the way back in February, we watched the Seattle Seahawks make all of us who predicted a spectacle between two supposedly evenly matched teams look a lot bit foolish. Seattle romped over Denver 43-8 in the most interesting Super Bowl blowout of all-time, 60 minutes of football that made Broncos general manager and executive vice-president of football operations John Elway wish he signed with the Yankees back in 81.
Were a lot more experienced. There are a bunch of young guys, last year, you forget, Russell [Wilson] was a second-year quarterback going into his third year, theres going to be a lot of growth for him. Im going into my fourth, Earl [Thomas] and Kam (Chancellor) are going into their fifth, Bobby Wagner going into his third, weve got some young guys coming up on the D-line that are going to do some things, Mike Bennett and Cliff Avril, another year of experience. Jermaine Kearse, I think, is going to have a big year. Guys are elevating their game to another level.
Hopes that were high in the heat of September, can wilt and die in the chill of November.
Continue reading... Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.