SEATTLE — The excitement didn’t get him.
Neither did trying to neutralize an all-pro such as Clay Matthews.
Seattle Seahawks rookie Justin Britt wasn’t overwhelmed in his first NFL start.
The right tackle, drafted in the second round out of Missouri, said his first live NFL action was a bit slower than he expected.
For an offensive lineman, boring is good. Russell Wilson was sacked only once. There was only one holding penalty.
Britt looked comfortable in an offensive line that lacked continuity last year, mostly due to injuries.
“He’s coming along,” Seahawks center Max Unger said of Britt. “Mentally, he’s right where we want him to be.”
Seattle’s offensive line basked in a 207-yard rushing performance Thursday against Green Bay. Britt was quick to deflect credit to Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for 110 yards.
“Having a back who will fight for those yards makes everything easier,” Britt said.
Thomas takes hits on punts
Earl Thomas makes a living dishing out hits.
As Seattle’s new punt returner, the Pro Bowl safety showed he isn’t afraid to take them either.
On his first return, Thomas ran forward to receive a 29-yard punt, taking a hard hit instead of a fair catch.
His aggressive approach backfired on his second punt. Thomas lost a fumble upon being hit as the ball arrived.
In the preseason, Thomas returned four punts, including one for 59 yards, and took two fair catches.
New read-option wrinkle
Seattle’s first touchdown, a 33-yard pass to Ricardo Lockette featured a new wrinkle in the zone-read offense Wilson runs.
Called a “pop pass,” the play starts as a zone-read between the quarterback and running back. As Wilson kept the ball and ran left, he made an additional read to see if the corner would stay with Lockette or approach Wilson.
The corner attacked Wilson, who “popped” a quick pass to an uncovered Lockett.
The result: a touchdown and another example of the many reads and options Wilson might make during a play.
Pass rush takes advantage
A key moment in the game occurred when Green Bay offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a knee injury in the second quarter.
Seattle’s pass rush, which was absent in the first half, had its way with the Packers’ depleted line in the second half.
Cliff Avril sacked Aaron Rodgers on fourth-and-5 to force a turnover near midfield.
On the Packers’ next offensive play, Michael Bennett sacked Rodgers, forcing a fumble and a safety to put Seattle ahead 22-10.
Quick kicks
• Seattle cornerback Jeremy Lane left the game in the third quarter with a groin injury.
• Linebacker Bobby Wagner had a team-high 14 tackles, including 10 in the first half.
• Green Bay was in no mood to test the self-proclaimed best corner in the game. Richard Sherman was not targeted Thursday.
• The Seahawks’ three Hall of Famers, Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones, raised the 12th Man flag. At halftime, a ceremony honored Jones’ induction in August.
