Man, this is getting old.
The Green Bay Packers couldn't hold on to another 4th quarter lead on the road, falling to the Seahawks 27-24 at the historically horror house of CenturyLink Field.
The loss drops Green Bay to 0-5 outside of Lambeau Field and 4-5-1 overall, reducing their playoff hopes to life support status.
Granted three of the five road losses have come against division leaders in the NFL but this one was against another team looking for the spark that could ignite a second half run. Seattle gets back to .500 with the victory.
It sure looked like the drought would end for the Pack as Clay Matthews knocked the ball out of Chris Carson's arms on the very first snap with Tramon Williams recovering the fumble at the Seattle 29.
Three plays later, Aaron Jones was in the end zone on a pitch around the right end from 8 yards out for a 7-nothing lead 1:14 into the contest.
The defense put up a three and out and Davante Adams hauled in a 41 yard catch on the first snap after the punt. But the Packers couldn't cash in as Mason Crosby missed a 47 yard field goal wide left, his first miss since the disaster in Detroit.
Seattle got on the board with a Sebastian Janikowski 39 yard field goal but the Packer offense responded with another huge play. And from a very unlikely source.
Aaron Rodgers was flushed from the pocket and rolling right, heaved an arcing bomb downfield where rookie free agent Robert Tonyan hauled it in at the goal line for a 54 yard scoring play. It was a rare double-double for Tonyan, his first catch as a pro was also his first career touchdown. The play gave the visitors and inspiring 14-3 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
The league's top rushing team got it's ground game going, driving 77 yards in 14 plays, consuming over 7 and a half minutes. Russell Wilson hit Doug Baldwin on a fade route that beat Josh Jackson for a six yard score.
Trevor Davis, just activated off injured reserve, took the next kickoff 53 yards into Seattle territory but the return was called back on a Korey Toomer hold.
Another big penalty helped push the Seahawks in front when Raven Greene was called for pass interference, giving Seattle a 48 yard advance. Carson then plowed in from the one to make it 17-14.
The Packers two minute offense clicked again with Jones weaving his way for 22 yards on one catch and then making a terrific grab falling to the seat of his pants from 24 yards out for his second TD and Green Bay went to the locker room up 21-17 at the break.
Wilting pass protection, despite good field position in the second half, limited the Packers to just three the rest of the way. After Janikowski brought Seattle within one in the 4th, Davante Adams pulled down a 57 yard catch. He finished with 10 receptions for 166 yards.
Rodgers was sacked
on third and five from the 12, bringing on Crosby for a 36 yard field goal.
With 8:23 to go, Wilson drove Seattle for the lead, hitting Tyler Lockett on back to back snaps for 18 and 34 yards. On third and 9 from the 15, tight end Ed Dickson got loose up the seam for the TD catch that made it 27-24.
Rodgers got the ball back with 5:08 to go but on third and 2 from the 33, his pass to the right flat for Marquez Valdes-Scantling was way off target low. Rodgers said afterwards the ball simply stuck in his hand.
Mike McCarthy considered going for it on 4th down but punted with one timeout and the two minute warning left.
But the Seahawks picked up two first downs and ran out the clock.
McCarthy had to address the media after yet another 4th quarter fizzle on the road:
(Audio: Mike McCarthy)
And the state of the team is dire, even with a mini-bye before the mid-season road show wraps up at US Bank Stadium in 10 days against the Minnesota Vikings.
The defense, already without three starters who didn't make the trip, Nick Perry, Kevin King and Kentrell Brice, lost several more during the game. Bashaud Breeland went down, then Raven Greene got hurt, Mike Daniels couldn't finish with a foot injury (he was seen holding some crutches in the locker room after the game) and Kenny Clark also got hurt late. The Packers tried to get the ball back from Seattle late in the 4th quarter with the likes of Tyler Lancaster, Montravious Adams, Tony Brown, Will Redmond and Ibraheim Campbell on the field. Not ideal.
Randall Cobb was the 4th player who stayed home and the perimeter was already without Geronimo Allison on IR. Then Jimmy Graham didn't return for the second half with a thumb injury.
The offensive attack seemed intent on getting Adams and Jones as many touches as possible. It worked early but went almost too far to the extreme. Jones had 11 rushes (only 40 yards) and 5 receptions for 63 yards while Adams was targeted 12 times for his 10 receptions.
The rookie wide receivers, Valdes-Scantling and Equamineous St. Brown were targeted just 7 times with only two receptions and for only 24 yards. They struggled to get open against Seattle's secondary and Rodgers ran out of time trying to wait for Adams to beat coverage. That led to five sacks on the night, four in the second half.
Rodgers did finish 21 of 30 for 332 yards and two scores for a rating of 128.8.
Seattle rushed for 173 yards on 35 carries, 19 yards above their league leading per game average.
Kyler Fackerell had another huge game for the defense, coming up with his second, three sack game of the year. He also delivered four quarterback hits.
Alas, it's the Pack's post-season hopes that took the biggest hit. They almost have to run the table, now a tired sounding phrase, beginning with the Minnesota Vikings who would like nothing more than to bury their rivals a week from Sunday at US Bank Stadium.
Close again, but still no cigar on the road.