If heavy is the head that wears the crown, the Seattle Seahawks showed Thursday they have the broad shoulders to carry it.
Marshawn Lynch ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns for the defending champions and Seattle's defense wreaked its usual havoc en route to a 36-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers to kick off the 2014 NFL season.
The Seahawks unveiled the franchise's first Super Bowl banner prior to kickoff with a capacity crowd at CenturyLink Field emitting their signature deafening boom, and the hosts responded in a resounding rout.
The battle in the trenches heavily favored the Seahawks, who gained 207 yards on the ground to Green Bay's 80.
Percy Harvin was a focal point of Seattle's offense, catching seven passes for 59 yards and running four times for 41 yards, while Russell Wilson passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
The Packers, who are vying for their fourth straight NFC North title this season, were felled by a mistake-filled third quarter.
Aaron Rodgers took very few chances downfield and tossed for just 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
[SportsNetwork.com]
