3 bold predictions for Seahawks' Week 15 game versus Packers

I am at a moral crossroads. As the Seattle Seahawks embark on a three-game campaign against the very tough NFC North – a set of games that will most likely define their season – I have come to realize that the more accurate I am with my bold predictions, the less success Seattle has on the field.

Since the bye, the Hawks haven’t lost and I have hardly been right. Last week’s Cardinals’ game marked the second time this season that I completely whiffed on all of my picks. So this week, I’m going big – a series of outlandish predictions that could certainly come to pass. But if they don’t at least I can take solace in the fact that I have not jinxed one of the hottest teams in the league through Nostradamification.

Green Bay does a lot of things well. They can run. They can throw. They play defense. They win a lot. But they also have areas of weakness that can be exploited. Jordan Love faces a lot of pressure and sometimes makes bad decisions. Injuries have made their pass coverage units suspect.

Bold predictions for Week 15 when the Seattle Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers

With that in mind, here are three bold predictions about what may happen this Sunday night at Lumen Field.

There will be some Love on Love thievery

Julian Love has two picks so far this year. He gets his third against Jordan Love on Sunday. I admit that this prediction is primarily based on how much fun we’ll have if Love intercepts Love, but upon deeper reflection, it does make sense. Jordan has thrown eleven picks this year. His 3.4 pick percentage is second worst in the league amongst starting QBs.

He will take some deep shots and on one of them, here’s what’s going to happen. Leonard Williams will take a hard inside angle, tying up two blockers. Someone else – it could be a linebacker, but I’ll go with Jarran Reed – will slip in behind him and get pressure in Love’s face. He will not be able to step into his throw and the ball will flutter. Julian Love will be waiting to snag it. Now, you don’t even have to watch the game.

Unrelated to pick 1, Seattle’s defense will score

I suppose the Hawks could score on the aforementioned Julian Love pick, but that seems unlikely to me. However, I think there is an excellent chance of the defense putting points on the board. This will come in one of three ways.

Most likely, Devon Witherspoon finally gets the interception he’s been close to over the last half dozen games. He just jumps an out and sails untouched into the end zone.  Of course, Coby Bryant is the best candidate for a pick-six, having done it just a few weeks back. But he seems to specialize in tormenting Kyler Murray so I’ll go with Spoon.

The score may not come on an interception. Under scenario two, it is again Leonard Williams who causes the turnover, while someone else is the beneficiary. As great as Josh Jacobs is, he will occasionally put the ball on the ground. He has averaged three fumbles per season throughout his career, and he’s sitting on two right now. Williams will blow up a suspect interior Packers line and cause a fumble, which someone else – let’s just say Derrick Hall – will take to the house.

And option three – once again, Leonard Williams blows up the line, but this time, he finishes the deal himself, either tackling Jorden Love in the end zone for a safety or else drawing a penalty that results in two points for the Hawks. One way or another, the Seahawks' defense puts points on the board.

A trifecta of 100s

Three out of the following four things will happen in the game:

* Josh Jacobs rushes for more than 100 yards
* Seattle’s running backs combine for more than 100 yards in pass receptions
* Keisean Nixon puts up more than 100 yards in kick returns
* Jaxon Smith-Njigba goes for over 100 combined yards

Seattle’s run defense has improved since the bye but Jacobs is a beast. In the last two games, both Breece Hall and James Conner averaged five yards per carry, but Arizona fell behind and didn’t pound Conner as much as they might have, and the Jets – well, they’re just the Jets. Matt LeFleur won’t make the same mistake. Jacobs will run a lot and have pretty good success.

It’s not as if Ryan Grubb hasn’t been getting the ball to his backs in space. I just think there are times when the Hawks could be doing it a little more. This week is one of those times. Whether it’s to Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet, or Kenny McIntosh, Green Bay’s Isaiah McDuffie has been a liability in coverage this season. Seattle should exploit that.

I’m scared to death of what Keisean Nixon might do against Jay Harbough’s beleaguered coverage squads. Though he has not been as productive as he was in ’22 and ’23, the Packers returner remains a dynamic threat every time he touches the ball.

JSN going for 100? OK, that’s not especially bold. But I’m picking a lot of other longshots and I wanted to tilt the odds in my favor just a bit.

This figures to be a close game. Jordan Love – in effect, if not in style – is more reminiscent of Brett Favre than of Aaron Rodgers. He will make mistakes, but he will also make plays and most likely have his team in position to win at the end. With four games remaining, Seattle faces at least three tough opponents (Chicago is a tricky team to figure). If they are going to hold onto the division, they will have to split with Green Bay and Minnesota, and then probably beat the Rams in Week 18. May as well take care of that split this week and beat the Packers.

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