Packers: Five takeaways from divisional-round win vs. Seahawks

3. Graham steps up

Jimmy Graham hasn’t lived up to expectations in his two seasons with the Packers, but he may have had his best game with the team on Sunday. His stats don’t tell the full story. While the box score shows just three catches for 49 yards on four targets, it was the importance of the plays he made that stood out.

His first catch was on Green Bay’s opening possession. Facing a third-and-8, the Packers were potentially looking at a long field goal attempt. But Rodgers found Graham for a 13-yard reception to move the chains, and the Packers ended up scoring a touchdown.

Early in the third quarter, the Seahawks put together an impressive 10-play touchdown drive to cut the Packers’ lead to 11. In need of a quick response, Green Bay faced another third down, this time requiring six yards.

That’s when Rodgers found Graham for one of the plays of the game. Rodgers placed the ball in the perfect spot over the defender’s shoulder, while Graham made the catch and held on after taking a big hit. It was a 27-yard reception, extending the drive. Two plays later, the Packers found the end zone.

Graham’s final catch was the game-winner on third-and-9. After making the reception, he was able to stretch over the first-down marker to give the Packers a fresh set of downs and the chance to run down the rest of the clock.

Against his former team, Graham stepped up and made three crucial catches.