A.J. Dillon rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Green Bay beat the Seattle Seahawks 17-0 on Sunday as Aaron Rodgers returned after missing a game with COVID-19. Seattle was shut out for the first time in a decade.
A week after his positive test caused him to sit out a 13-7 loss at Kansas City, Rodgers went 23 of 37 for 292 yards and threw an interception in the end zone in the third quarter as the Packers won for the eighth time in their last nine games.
Although Rodgers was hardly at his best, his return made this much clear: With him, the Packers (8-2) are among the best teams in the NFC and a Super Bowl contender.
Seattle's Russell Wilson also struggled in his return after missing three games with an injury to the middle finger on his throwing hand that required surgery. He went 20 of 40 for 161 yards with two interceptions.
The Seahawks (3-6) wasted two scoring chances when Kevin King and Adrian Amos picked off Wilson passes in the end zone.
Green Bay recorded its first shutout since a 22-0 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 30, 2018. The Seahawks hadn't been shut out since falling 24-0 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 18, 2011, the year before Wilson's arrival in Seattle.
Green Bay's 3-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter matched the second-lowest score through three quarters of any NFL game since 2008. Dallas and Philadelphia were scoreless through the third quarter of a 2017 game that Dallas eventually won 6-0.
With 2020 Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones sidelined by a knee injury in the second half, Dillon carried the Packers' rushing attack down the stretch to put the game out of reach. Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no further details about Jones' injury after the game.
On a third-and-goal play from the 3, Dillon ran into Bobby Wagner around the line of scrimmage but essentially carried the six-time All-Pro linebacker into the end zone for his first touchdown run of the season. That extended Green Bay's lead to 10-0 with 10:37 left.
Dillon also scored on a 2-yard run with 2 minutes left, setting up that TD with a 50-yard reception. He finished with 21 carries for 66 yards and two catches for 62 yards.
Packers are at Minnesota on Sunday.
