Packers, Seahawks feature battle of runners
In 2014, the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks played in the NFC Championship Game. While those teams are still led by the same head coaches (Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy and Seattle’s Pete Carroll) and quarterbacks (Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Seattle’s Russell Wilson), plenty has changed.
First and foremost, it’s their place in the standings. Green Bay enters Thursday night’s game at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field with a 4-4-1 record. Seattle is 4-5. With those records, this could serve as an elimination game considering the state of the loaded NFC.
“The reality is both teams are at a point in the season, past the halfway point, where we both need wins to stay alive in this NFC playoff picture,” Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said. “So it’s a pivotal game in that regard. But especially playing on the road and playing in a difficult environment, it’ll be a big one if we come up and get a win out there. Hopefully, we carry that forward after this past week.”
Both teams believe they are better than their records would indicate. Green Bay had a late lead at the Los Angeles Rams and was driving toward a fourth-quarter lead at New England. All five of Seattle’s losses have come by one score.
“It’s finishing at the right time, making the right play,” Carroll said. “We’ve been so good at those games for such a long time that the fact that it’s not happening is a little bit unusual. I’m disappointed because we’ve been able to always feel like we’re going to win those games and do it. We still have the same mentality about it and attitude about it, but we’ve got to show it. We’ve got to get those finishes done.”
The quarterbacks are stars, but the key could be the running games. Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay’s 31-12 victory over Miami on Sunday. He leads the NFL with 6.8 yards per carry. In back-to-back losses to the Chargers and Rams, the Seahawks yielded 7.3 yards per carry and 6.5 yards per carry, respectively. With Rodgers’ inconsistent play this season, the Packers almost certainly will try to get Jones going early.
Seattle, on the other hand, has the most run-heavy offense in the league and is No. 1 in rushing with 152.2 yards per game. Green Bay’s run defense got chewed up by Miami’s Frank Gore during the first half last week before settling down. The Packers are 21st with 4.50 yards allowed per carry.
“Their run attempts is the primary focus for them,” McCarthy said. “You just look at their last game, the production they’re getting from the run game. I think as you go through the defensive game plans each and every week, it’s to try to make the offense one dimensional. Their run game is a huge challenge.”
SERIES HISTORY: 19th regular-season meeting. Packers lead series, 11-7. Green Bay has won the last three games, all at home. Seattle won the previous three, all in Seattle, including the 2014 NFC Championship Game on Russell Wilson’s game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.
