The Green Bay Packers will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks at Lumen Field for the first time since 2018. Both teams are in the playoffs heading into Week 15, meaning this will be the most critical game in the series since the Packers and Seahawks faced off in Week 15. 2019 NFC Divisional Round
The Packers never faced first-year head coach Mike Macdonald or starting quarterback Geno Smith, which created an unusual opponent.
To aid preview Packers-Seahawks, we asked five questions Seahawks wire editor-in-chief Kole Musgrove.
Here are the questions and answers:
1. The Seahawks have played brilliantly since the bye. What factors contributed to such an impressive episode?
Seahawks Wire: The defense that Seattle hired Mike Macdonald to fix has finally arrived. They stop the play, are much more solid, and finally generate turnovers… something that was largely absent in the first nine weeks of the season. The defensive turnaround can be attributed to the dominance of Leonard Williams in attack, as well as the improvement in the situation at the defensive line thanks to Ernest Jones IV and debutant Tyrice Knight. For the first time in several years, Seattle’s defense isn’t the total problem.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a Packers fan favorite in the 2023 draft. Will he become one of Seattle’s teenage WR stars?
SW: When JSN was the first WR left in the 2023 draft, the Twelfth Man was certainly excited. While his rookie season wasn’t terrible by any means, it certainly wasn’t what fans were hoping for. This is no longer true. The former Buckeye has truly emerged as a force in this offense, with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb doing a much better job of involving him in the offense than Shane Waldron did last year. JSN has shown he can be a No. 1 factor with or without DK Metcalf in the lineup. But connected? Both keep defensive coordinators up at night.
3. Geno Smith made 12 picks and lost 7 times. How has he played overall this season?
SW: I firmly believe that numbers never lie… but they don’t always tell the whole story. Such is the case with Geno Smith, who performed much better than his box score would indicate. Smith threw a few meaningless interceptions, but mostly because of the incredible pressure of playing behind the worst offensive line in the league and the feeling that he was forced to try to accomplish something. Smith played extremely effective football for the most part and was the only constant player in attack.
4. The Seahawks have 5 players with over 30 pressures this season. Tell me about the rush down the aisle. Really good?
SW: This pass rush is starting to choke. They make life tough for opposing quarterbacks, which was a great change of pace. What’s also key is that they’re becoming more consistent because they hit the bull’s eye at the start of the season. The return of defenseman Uchenna Nwosu (assuming he can stay fit) will certainly make this unit even more lethal once it gets back up to speed.
5. The Seahawks will win if…? The Packers will win if…?
SW: The Seahawks will win if the defense continues to hold tight, they can force more turnovers from turnover-prone Jordan Love, and the offense can avoid self-harm. Keep Geno Smith upright, finish drives in the red zone (a year-round struggle) and play the ball cleanly. Sounds elementary enough, but the Seahawks rarely play normal games… I’m sure Packers fans are well aware of this. The Packers will win if Jordan Love and the offense let their offense run wild and Green Bay’s defensive front punishes Geno Smith. Seattle will likely be without Ken Walker, and while Charbonnet has shown he can handle the load, not having a No. 9 running back who can play will be tough for the Seahawks.
SW: The hosts seem to dominate in this rivalry. The Seahawks haven’t won at Lambeau since 1999, but the Packers haven’t won at Seattle since 2008. I’m going for a 26-23 Seahawks draw.
