Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy admitted he was slow to adjust his offensive plan after the Seattle Seahawks dominated the first 30 minutes of "Monday Night Football."
"The offense didn't do our part in the first half," McCarthy told reporters, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I should have adjusted plans earlier. I'll take responsibility for that.
"The one regret I have is not going to that plan earlier. With that, I'll take responsibility. We were wearing that defense down."
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked eight times in the first half of the 14-12 loss for a variety of reasons. The offensive line, particularly right tackle Bryan Bulaga, regularly was beat. Rodgers held the ball too long. Receivers failed to get separation. But the Packers dropped back to pass on 27 of 30 first-half snaps. The lack of balance or threat of the run allowed the Seahawks to pin their ears back and solely focus on the quarterback. The Packers rushed for 40 yards on four attempts in the first half, including a 16-yard scramble by Rodgers.
Running back Cedric Benson was put to work in the third quarter as he ran five times for 32 yards in the first seven snaps of the second half. He finished with 45 yards on 17 attempts after just having two carries in the first half. The Packers had 17 second-half rushing attempts and did not give up a sack after halftime.
Offensive balance has been an issue for the Packers since Ryan Grant had 1,200-yard rushing seasons in 2008 and '09. That's the reason Benson was signed in mid-August. The Packers are a pass-first team with the reigning NFL MVP at quarterback. The last two seasons, they won a Super Bowl and went 15-1, so it's hard to nitpick those results.
But the lack of a run game, or even the attempt to run, was painfully obvious in the first half Monday night.
(Big ups to the Packers' defense, though, for keeping the team in the game all night.)
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
