Russell Wilson gives Seahawks punchers chance against Packers

The Seahawks have to travel to Green Bay in the divisional round of the 2019 playoffs Sunday. Russell Wilson gives Seattle a chance to win.

The matchup between the Packers and the Seahawks is an interesting one. Their seasons are quite similar in that both teams played in a lot of 1 score games and most analysts like to suggest both teams aren’t as good as their record would have you believe.

But here we sit in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, the Elite 8 if you will, and both are still standing. You have to respect Green Bay and what they accomplished in the regular season.

Green Bay ran the ball, played solid defense, and let Aaron Rodgers do his best Alex Smith impression, managing the game until the end and winning it late. Rodgers isn’t the player he once was but is still dangerous, particularly at home. He won’t turn the football over, which is a problem for the Seahawks who haven’t forced a turnover in 8 games.

My biggest concern is not Rodgers. Aaron Jones has had a spectacular season and they can get to the quarterback rushing just 4 guys. They are a complete team and have the advantage of playing at home after an extended rest.

But they don’t have Russell Wilson and that gives the Seahawks a punchers chance. The weather could play a role and would seem to favor the Packers the worse it gets. But Wilson played some of his college football at Wisconsin and knows what to expect.

For Seattle to pull an upset in Green Bay, they’ll need to win the turnover battle, pressure Aaron Rodgers, and have Wilson playing his best ball. All are possible but it feels like Seattle needs to run the table on that list to win. The more points scored the more I favor the Seahawks, but overall, I think the scales tip too heavily in favor of Green Bay who is just healthier and more rested. I think Green Bay wins a close game 23-20.