Packers vs. Seahawks Playoff Preview

This playoff matchup will be the 4th time the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks have met in the playoffs. The Packers lead the playoff series 2-1. The home team has won all three games in the series, and two of the games have gone to OT. The first of those games was the infamous Matt Hasselbeck “We’ll take the ball and we’re going to score” game (He then threw a pick-six on the team’s opening drive so in a way he was kind of right), and the second overtime game was the tragic/depressing comeback win for Seattle when the Packers botched an onside kick recovery. The third remaining game was a 42-20 blowout win for the Packers on their way to a heartbreaker in Brett Favre’s final game in the Green and Gold against the Giants in the NFC Championship one week later. In the spirit of more useless stats, the Packers have won both their playoff games against Seattle in the Divisional round. Since numbers never lie, the Packers are a guarantee to win tomorrow, but I’ll break down the game anyway.

This game is not looking like it’s going to be easy for the Packers, but it’s very winnable. Russell Wilson has never won a game at Lambeau Field, going 0-3. I don’t really think this stat holds any weight, but I’m sure it’s going to be talked about throughout the game. Neither of these teams are the same as when they last met in the playoffs, as the Seahawks were more of a defensive team with a solid running game and could rely on Wilson to get 200 yards passing, maybe a touchdown or two, and to not turn the ball over. Wilson is now more of a focal point in the offense, accounting for 34 of Seattle’s 45 touchdowns. With that being said, the Seahawks still have gained over 2,000 yards rushing as a team and have the League’s 3rdbest Rushing Offense. While the defense still has some playmakers, they aren’t what they used to be when the Legion of Boom was at its prime state. The Seahawks rank just 22ndin scoring defense and 26thin yards, both the worst the team has finished in those categories since 2010. The ‘Hawks also rank right in the middle of the league at #16 in both 3rddown conversions and opponent’s 3rddown conversions.

Looking at the 2019-2020 Packers, it’s also not the same style of team we’re used to seeing. In years past, we’re used to enjoying Aaron Rodgers shred any defense he faces and winning games 35-31 on a last-minute touchdown drive. This year, we’ve still been able to witness the greatness of Rodgers on some game-winning drives, but the offense isn’t nearly as potent. The Packers come in at 15thin the League in points and 18thin the league in yards. While I don’t count the 2017/2018 seasons because Rodgers was hurt, the only season the offense has been worse since 2007 was the 2015 season, where the Packers finished 2ndin the division at 10-6 and lost in the Divisional round. Defensively, Green Bay is ranked 9thin the league in scoring, the highest placing since the 2010 Super Bowl-Winning season. While the point differential of 63 isn’t all that impressive, it’s the best the team has had since 2014. With Aaron Jones, the Packers will look to keep the Seattle Defense honest and open up some areas for the young receivers to get open for Rodgers.

Keys to the game:

Seahawks:

· Keep Russell Wilson upright, don’t let the Packers Defense ruin drives with sacks

· Get the running game going, as the Packers Rushing Defense is just 22ndin the NFL

· Shut down Aaron Jones

· Make the Packers Wide Receivers fight to get open, work towards coverage sacks

Packers:

· Create Turnovers and take care of the ball on offense, you cannot give Russell Wilson a short field or he’s going to score almost every time

· Special Teams-Generate good field position on punt returns (something that has vastly improved since the edition of Tyler Ervin) and don’t let the Seahawks gain easy yards in their own return game

Prediction:

I think this is going to be a low scoring game. The Packers should come out swinging after having time to fully rest. If the Seahawks are without one or both of their starting offensive tackles, which both are listed as questionable, Wilson could be in for a long day as the Smith “Brothers” should feast on reserve lineman. The Seahawks are also likely without starting guard Mike Iupati, so the running game isn’t getting any extra help either. The Packers have been relatively fortunate in the injury department, and there are no serious injuries listed, although a few players, including fullback Danny Vitale and defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster are both listed as questionable. The Packers health is another huge advantage. D.K. Metcalf is a matchup nightmare, and while he may have a few big catches, I think the Packers Secondary should contain him as there haven’t been many stellar performances by one player against them this season. As long as the defense can get some sacks and maybe a pair of takeaways, and Rodgers can make some vintage Rodgers plays to pair with Aaron Jones pounding the ball, the Packers will win a close one with a final score of 20-17.