Green Bay Packers: 3 battles they must win vs Seattle Seahawks
The Green Bay Packers must take care of business in these three areas in order to win their divisional round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The wait is on, as we trudge toward Sunday’s divisional round matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. The two teams will renew their rivalry at Lambeau Field, as they try to advance to the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers and Seahawks have a history of dramatic games between the Fail Mary, the Seahawks’ epic NFC Championship game comeback and Al Harris’ pick-six in overtime. We’ll see if they can add another historical game to that list.
As they prepare for one another, let’s take a peep at three battles within the war the Packers must win:
Battle at the Line of Scrimmage
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has been able to rely on his natural pass rush far more often this season. The additions of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have helped them get after the quarterback far more often than before using just four rushers. That’s been a huge advantage in the secondary, and one Pettine will rely on again.
Russell Wilson was one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL this season. Part of the issue is his offensive line, but the other part is how long he holds onto the ball. If Green Bay can get after him quickly, they can take him out of rhythm and greatly affect his ability to hit receivers in stride.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks struggled to generate pressure consistently-ranking 31st in sacks. The Packers should be able to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and give him plenty of time to find open receivers.
Passing Game
Green Bay’s ability to limit the Seahawks’ passing game will speak volumes about their ability to win this contest. Seattle lost their top three running backs and rely heavily on the pass. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are extremely dangerous and the Packers must be able to slow them down.
The Packers will likely load up in the secondary to stop them, and assign Kevin King and Jaire Alexander as the primary defenders. The two young corners must be at the top of their game if they want to swing this battle in Green Bay’s favor.
Next. Packers: 5 Seattle Seahawks to know for Sunday. dark
Turnover Battle
It’s important to win the turnover battle in every game, but especially in this one. The Packers’ defense tends to give up a lot of yards, but is at their best when forcing the other team into mistakes. If they can capitalize on a couple of mistakes by Seattle and create turnovers, it will go a long way to dictating the outcome of this game.
Seattle is even more dangerous when it comes to takeaways. They finished third in the NFL with 32, including 16 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries. Ball security will be extremely important, as the Packers don’t want to make life easier for the depleted Seahawks’ offense.