The Green Bay Packers (4-4-1) travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks (4-5) in a match featuring two teams that badly need to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
With Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson on the field airing it out to keep their seasons alive, this game should have plenty of drama and be a close affair until the very end.
The Packers have won the last three games against the Seahawks, but they are 0-3 in Seattle since 2012, which marked the start of the Russell Wilson era. Furthermore, they haven’t won at CenturyLink field since 2008, which was Rodger’s first season as a starter for the Packers.
Both teams have had disappointing seasons and are struggling as they have lost two of their last three games. The bad news for the Packers though, is that they have yet to win a game on the road this year and Seattle does not look like the best-suited place to break that streak as they are 1-4 in their last five games at CenturyLink Field.
The Seahawks are on a two-game losing streak and will try to put an end to it by recommitting to their running game against a Packers team that allows 120.89 rushing yards per game to rank 22nd in the league in run defense.
To accomplish that they will look to give Wilson free rein to scramble to try to extend the plays and take off whenever the Packers defense lets the guard down.
Of course, the Packers also have a very mobile quarterback in Rogers and he is also capable of taking off when the pocket collapses around him. Although he’s been dealing with a nagging knee injury he’s been moving much better in recent weeks so the 18th ranked rush defense of the Seahawks will also have to be on their toes to contain him.
If their running game sputters the Seahawks can always try a different approach and allow Wilson to let his deep passes fly. Entering Week 11 he ranks first in the league with nine passing touchdowns of 20 or more yards, numbers that showcase his good his deep-ball ability and strong arm.
Although both teams have very solid defenses against the pass (Packers rank fifth and Seahawks seventh) this won’t keep these elite quarterbacks from taking to the air as they rate first and second in passer rating in league history. We should expect to see a game with plenty of offense on both ends of the field that may come down to who has the ball last.
Prediction: Packers 24 – 28 Seahawks
