The 7-2 Green Bay Packers return to Lambeau this week after a two-game road stretch to face off against the 3-5 Seattle Seahawks. Here are six things to look for heading into Sunday’s 3:25 p.m. CT kickoff.
1. There’s No Place Like Home
How’s this for a crazy stat? The Packers have won the last nine matchups against Seattle at Lambeau Field, dating all the way back to 2003. In fact, the Seahawks haven’t beaten Green Bay at Lambeau in so long, Seattle was part of the AFC West last time a victory occurred. You’d have to go all the way back to 1999 when Mike Holmgren was Seattle’s head coach to find a win.
What’s more, there’s possibly no greater home field advantage than the one that exists in the Green Bay vs Seattle rivalry. Dating back to 2009, whichever team has hosted the matchup has won the game, with the Seahawks winning in 2012 (Fail Mary), 2014 both regular and postseason (sorry), and 2018, and the Packers collecting victories in 2009, 2016, 2017, and the 2019 playoffs.
2. Don’t Let Pete (Car)Roll
The Seattle offense has been a bit of an enigma through eight games this season. While the unit is ranked 31st and 32nd on third and fourth down, respectively, it’s the second-best unit in the NFL in the red zone, scoring on 15-of-20 attempts. What does that mean? Don’t let the offense find a rhythm and sustain drives.
Pete Carroll’s offense is also getting healthy at the right time. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been cleared to start Sunday after injuring his finger. Running back Chris Carson has been designated to return from injured reserve after suffering a neck injury. And rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge has also begun practicing this week after being sidelined since Week 1. The Seattle offense is currently ranked 19th in the NFL in points for, averaging 22.6 points per game. With the return of some key pieces, the offense’s production should see a boost, despite already having dangerous receivers D.K. Metcalf (eight touchdowns, 580 yards) and Tyler Lockett (three touchdowns, 579 yards) on the roster.
3. Keep Pace in the NFC
The Packers will close out the 2021 regular season playing six of its final eight games against NFC opponents. Green Bay is 5-1 against NFC teams this season, a record that ties the Los Angeles Rams for No. 1 in the conference over that span. Both the Packers and Rams lost in Week 9 to AFC squads, making their matchup on Nov. 28 even more significant for tie-breaking procedures.
While Seattle might not look too imposing with a 3-5 record, it’s a game the Packers can’t afford to lose in a crucial race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Up next are the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium before a return to Lambeau to square off against the aforementioned Rams. The Packers won’t see an AFC opponent again until Week 15 in Baltimore.
4. Protect the Pigskin
The Packers are 7-2 this season when the team wins the turnover battle, which is coincidentally Green Bay’s overall record. Last week against Kansas City was the first time since Week 1 the Packers defense didn’t force a turnover.
The Seattle offense does a good job protecting the football and has only turned the ball over in three of eight games this season. Wilson and interim quarterback Geno Smith have combined to throw only two interceptions this season, but seven different players on offense have fumbled at some point. If Green Bay’s defense can force the Seahawks to make some mistakes, that bodes well for the game ending in the Packers’ favor.
5. Legion of Whom?
The Seahawks defense looks a lot different than it did in the early 2010s when the Legion of Boom was at its peak. Inside linebacker Bobby Wagner is really the only true member of the Legion that remains on Seattle’s roster. Wagner still looks like Wagner, though, with one sack, two passes defensed, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and 93 total tackles through eight games. In addition to Wagner’s production, free safety Quandre Diggs is also off to a hot start this season with three interceptions and five passes defensed.
What’s missing from Seattle’s defense, however, is a consistent pass rush. While Darrell Taylor leads the team with four sacks, Seattle ranks 29th in the league in sacks with only 14 through eight games. This is, perhaps, wonderful news for a Packers offensive line that had its worst performance of the season at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 9. Green Bay could also potentially get All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari back in the lineup, as he was officially activated off the physically unable to perform list this past Wednesday.
6. The Return of Rodgers
Saturday, Nov. 13 is the absolute soonest that quarterback Aaron Rodgers can return from the COVID-19/reserve list. While Head Coach Matt LaFleur has already declared that Rodgers will start if he’s healthy, there are a number of medical tests Rodgers must pass before he’s cleared to play to make sure his body can handle the stress of an NFL game.
Wide receiver Davante Adams mentioned in his media availability earlier this week that he didn’t feel quite like himself in his Week 9 return from the COVID-19/reserve list, but he acknowledged part of that could have been because he didn’t return to practice until the Friday before the game.
If Rodgers is able to play, it’ll be the first time since Week 3 he’ll have speedy receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling at his disposal. Rodgers had said earlier in the season that he owed Valdes-Scantling a few touchdowns since he’s missed on a some of his passes, so MVS’ presence in the lineup should provide a significant boost for the offense, not only for the quarterback but for the amount of Cover 2 Adams sees, too.
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Maggie Loney is a writer for Cheesehead TV and podcaster for the Pack-A-Day Podcast and Pack’s What She Said. Find her on Twitter at @MaggieJLoney.