After losing to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football last week, Green Bay will look to bounce back with a win on Sunday Night Football in Seattle against the Seahawks. With the NFC North out of reach, the Packers need to finish the season strong in order to solidify their spot in the playoffs.
According to NFL.com the Packers are the sixth seed and sit at a 96% chance to make the playoffs. Those odds increase to a 99% chance if they win Sunday night. The odds drop to 93% if they lose to Seattle. All in all, the Packers seem to control their fate. Keep winning and they practically have the 6th seed locked up.
Green Bay has had no trouble beating Seattle in Lambeau, however, their record in Seattle is a different story. The last time Green Bay won in Seattle was in October of 2008. The Packers will need to break that streak of losing in Seattle Sunday. Here’s what needs to happen in order for Green Bay to secure a win.
Sticking with the run game
Josh Jacobs has been nothing short of spectacular for the Packers this season. Jacobs has 239 carries for 1,053 rush yards so far this season. He averages 4.4 yards per carry and has 11 touchdowns on the season. Jacobs has scored seven touchdowns in his last three games.
The free agent signing has become a huge part of the Packers offense. Seattle’s run defense ranks 21st in the league and allows 126.5 rushing yards a game. The Seahawks defense not only surrenders a lot of yards, but they rank 25th in the NFL with 4.71 yards allowed per carry.
Relying on a running back who is third in the NFL in rushing yards seems like a solid plan. Jacobs propelled his former team, the Raiders, past Seattle in overtime back in 2022 with a 229-yard performance. Seattle’s defensive coordinator Aden Durde stated, “Obviously they can run the ball, they run the ball really well.”
Get Josh Jacobs going and test the Seattle defense. If Josh Jacobs is able to establish a solid run game for Green Bay, I think it will be tough for Seattle to win.
Limit the Damage in Coverage
The Packers will be without star cornerback Jaire Alexander once again this week. An already thin defensive back room has struggled without Alexander on the field. The Packers have a tall task this week as they face a Seattle wide receiver room that possesses D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett.
Thankfully, rookie Safety Evan Williams and rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper should be available Sunday. These two rookies have been great additions to the defense and will once again prove their importance on Sunday night.
The Packer’s run defense has actually been quite efficient compared to their previous run defenses in the last few years. While the run defense has been efficient, the middle of the field is almost always open for short yardage gains for opponents.
Takeaways
A big difference between Green Bay’s defense from this year and the last few years are the number of turnovers generated. Green Bay currently ranks 3rd in the league with 24 takeaways. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the year.
The pass rush for Green Bay has been underwhelming the majority of the season. Generating pressure on Geno Smith, who is very inconsistent when pressured, will only improve the likelihood of adding to the takeaway column for Green Bay.
My original prediction made in early November had Green Bay taking this game 35-17. Seattle has managed to find life the last few weeks and is on a four-game winning streak. While I still think Green Bay wins, I think the final will be much closer than previously anticipated. If Green Bay can get Josh Jacobs going, limit the easy completions over the middle and get to Geno Smith they will win Sunday night. Final prediction: Green Bay 31 – Seattle 21.
