Packers vs. Seahawks: 3 things you need to know
A lot has happened since the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks met in the premier matchup of Week 1. It took some twists and turns to get here but, unequivocally, the two best teams in the NFC will play Sunday for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.
The Packers will have to travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in one of the toughest environments in the NFL. They have not won at CenturyLink Field, and the Seahawks have only lost at home twice in their last 27 games.
Here's what you need to know:
Pressuring Aaron Rodgers
The Seahawks will blitz Aaron Rodgers early to assess his level of comfort in the pocket, but don't expect them to send six or seven rushers all game. If the Packers run the ball well early, as they did against the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round, it could force the Seahawks to blitz less and find a way to get pressure from their front four alone.
After last week, when Rodgers appeared extremely limited in his mobility at times, the perception has been that the Seahawks will exploit that and send waves of exotic blitzes at him to throw a knockout punch early.
But that's not what the Seahawks do.
They will get pressure from their front as the game wears by out executing, while staying in two or three basic defensive coverages. Look for them to blitz early and then pull back and let their talent try and win.
Containing Russell Wilson
The multiple dimensions of Russell Wilson's game make him an absolute nightmare for a defense to keep track of. He can beat you with designed run plays, which have increased since last year and coincided with the Seahawks midseason turnaround. Or he can beat you though the air, taking shots deep and over the middle to his tight end.
But what makes him special is his ability to extend plays in the pocket.
He senses and reacts to pressure so well that defenses find it difficult to goad him into making bad throws and are demoralized by their inability to sack him. In order to get an advantage on Wilson, the Packers will look to contain him in the pocket, taking away his athleticism and forcing him to beat them with his arm.
Who can run the ball?
Both of these teams feature dangerous running backs that pose a significant threat for different reasons.
Marshawn Lynch can run through an entire defense on any given run. According to Pro Football Focus, Lynch has caused defenders to miss 88 tackles when rushing the ball - by far the most of any running back. This is how he earns his paycheck: running over weaker defenders, racking up yards past the line of scrimmage.
Eddie Lacy poses the same threat, but has made defenders miss in the screen game. When catching the ball out of the backfield, Lacy has caused the second-highest missed tackles total on the season. The Packers will try to get Lacy going early and slow down the Seahawks' rush by making him a pass-catching threat out of the backfield throughout the game.