Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Host Packers on Sunday Night Football

Injuries in the Packers' secondary could create an advantage for the Seahawks, while Seattle's offensive line will be challenged by a stout defensive front.

Jan 12, 2020; Green Bay, WI, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) runs the ball against Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) in the third quarter of a NFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

In a potential playoff preview between two NFC contenders in prime time, the Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football in the first battle between the two franchises since 2021.

Riding a wave of momentum behind a stingy defense, the Seahawks have rebounded from losing five out of six earlier in the season to win their past four games, including sweeping the Cardinals with two wins in a three-week span. As for the Packers, even after a tough loss to the Lions last Thursday night, coach Matt LaFleur's team won their previous three games and remains in the hunt for a wild card spot with a 9-4 record so far.

With both teams jockeying for playoff positioning under the lights, which matchups will dictate who snags a signature Sunday night win? Here are six key positional battles to watch at Lumen Field:

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett versus Packers cornerbacks Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Reisean Nixon: Earlier in the week, Green Bay looked to have reinforcements incoming in the secondary with All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander returning to practice on Wednesday after missing three games with a knee injury. Unfortunately for the Pack, however, he was deemed not ready to return to game action and ruled out on Wednesday, while the team also will be without rookie slot cornerback Javon Bullard due to an ankle injury, leaving the defensive backfield minus two starters against Seattle. In their place, Stokes and Valentine will likely handle boundary corner duties, while Nixon will slide inside to the slot.

Playing against a secondary missing Alexander and Bullard, no player may benefit more from those absences than Smith-Njigba, who has caught an NFL-best 63 passes from the slot this season and has done much of that damage on in-breaking routes to the middle of the field. Per Pro Football Focus, Nixon has allowed three touchdowns in coverage in the slot, tied for second in the NFL behind only Atlanta's Dee Alford. Stokes has also had his fair share of issues in coverage, yielding three touchdowns and a 108.8 passer rating, and both Metcalf and Lockett should be licking their lips with the opportunity to capitalize on an advantageous matchup on the outside, especially if Smith-Njigba feasts over the middle and the Packers can't bracket them as often on the perimeter.

--Seahawks outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall versus Packers tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom: Completely overhauling their tackle spots over the past two years, Wallace and Tom have exceeded expectations for the Packers, helping offset the departure of former All-Pro David Bahktiari. Both in their second NFL seasons, Wallace and Tom both rank in the top 13 among qualified tackles on PFF's pass blocking grades and sit in the top 20 in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate metric, combining to surrender four sacks and 42 pressures in 13 starts at the bookend spots. Tom has been the far superior run blocker, at least by PFF grades, ranking fourth out of 62 tackles while Wallace sits 60th overall.

While Wallace and Tom have both had successful sophomore seasons, the Seahawks will present a gauntlet of rushers with varying strengths and skill sets for them to deal with while dealing with deafening crowd noise and silent counts. Mike Macdonald's defense currently has three players - Mafe, Hall, and Dre'Mont Jones - ranking in the top 33 in the NFL in pressures, while Hall and Jones each sit in the top 15 in quarterback hits. Meanwhile, a healthy Nwosu should see an uptick in snaps in his second game back in action and his blend of explosiveness and power could cause problems for both tackles, making him a wild card to watch as the Packers try to protect Jordan Love on the road.

--Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith versus Packers safety Xavier McKinney: For much of the season, though not always his own fault due to subpar pass protection and some fluky bounces of the football that didn't go his way, Smith has struggled with turnovers and still ranks third in the NFL in interceptions thrown. But over the past two weeks, Smith has nipped that issue in the butt with no turnovers in wins over the Jets and Cardinals, throwing no interceptions while PFF charted him with zero turnover-worthy plays in those victories. During that span, he ranks sixth in the NFL in completion rate (72.1 percent) and unloaded five Big Time Throws, indicating he's still taking his shot plays downfield while being more careful with the football.

Those improvements by Smith will be put to the ultimate test on Sunday night, however, squaring off against the NFL's leader in interceptions in McKinney. Coming over from New York in free agency, Green Bay deploys the fifth-year defender all over the formation with more than 250 snaps as a free safety and in the box as a strong safety. One of the league's premier ball hawks at his position, he has excelled at baiting quarterbacks into making throws in his direction and maximized on his opportunities with seven picks. In a fun one-on-one chess match, Seattle's veteran signal caller will have to keep tabs on McKinney at all times, as he's also a threat as a rusher with three pressures and a sack on just 11 blitz attempts.

--Seahawks inside linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight versus Packers running back Josh Jacobs: Since making their first start together in Santa Clara four weeks ago, Jones and Knight have been catalysts for Seattle's remarkable improvements defending the run and keeping opponents out of the end zone. Amid a four-game winning streak, the Seahawks have allowed just 97.5 rushing yards per game and only a single rushing touchdown while giving up a league-best 13.7 points per game. Both linebackers have keyed those impressive numbers by combining to produce 50 solo tackles and 12 total run stops to go with Jones recording an interception and Knight generating his first career sack and two pass breakups.

Jones and Knight held their own defending a trio of quality backs in Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, and James Conner, but Jones could be their toughest challenge to slow down yet. Currently fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, the former Alabama star has done much of his damage on his own, racking up 824 yards after contact with 58 missed tackles, ranking in the top three in both categories. He's also offered explosiveness to Green Bay's rushing attack, ranking in the top five in 10-plus yard runs (27) and 13th in designed runs of 15-plus yards (nine). Offering a rare blend of power and speed, keeping the 223-pound back in check will be imperative for Seattle to have a shot at a win and the linebackers must be at the center of that effort.

--Seahawks guards Laken Tomlinson and Sataoa Laumea, center Olu Oluwatimi versus Packers defensive tackles Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and Karl Brooks: Finally establishing a bit of continuity in the trenches, particularly in the interior of the offensive line, the Seahawks have enjoyed their two best games of the season protecting Smith, including allowing only two quarterback hits and no sacks in Arizona last weekend. Oluwatimi and Tomlinson were near spotless in that regard last week, while the addition of Laumea to the lineup has also sparked a dormant run game with the physical rookie helping pave the way for Zach Charbonnet to rush for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns last weekend.

Similar to the Cardinals, the Packers don't have any interior defenders who have been dynamic pass rushing threats this season, as Wyatt and Clark have combined for four total sacks and neither player is in the top 35 among defensive tackles in pressures. But Clark has a prior history of being a problem disrupting the pocket and Brooks, a second-year defender out of Bowling Green, had four sacks a year ago, so the talent and depth is still in place to pose a problem, and the group as a whole has been stout helping Green Bay rank in the top 10 in rush defense. Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare also rotate inside occasionally on passing downs, pitting more athletic defenders against Tomlinson and Laumea for the guards to have to try to block.

--Seahawks safeties Julian Love, Coby Bryant, and Rayshawn Jenkins versus Packers tight ends Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave: The Packers have a bevy of talented receivers on their roster, including deep threat Christian Watson and savvy route runner Romeo Doubs. But when Love has needed a big play this year, he has often went to Kraft, who has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season so far with 39 receptions for 421 yards and seven touchdowns, tied for second-most among NFL tight ends behind 49ers star George Kittle. The ex-South Dakota State standout has been especially dangerous after the catch due to his elite athleticism and size, averaging a league-best 9.4 yards after the catch per reception and producing 13 forced missed tackles.

For most of the season, Love, Bryant, and Jenkins have done a solid job in coverage, but tight ends have remained a bit of a problem spot for Seattle's defense. Kittle scored two touchdowns against them in Week 6 and Arizona's Trey McBride had 12 catches for 133 yards three weeks ago, so opponents have been able to force feed standout tight ends when facing Macdonald's squad. The onus will fall primarily on Love and Bryant, who has been a revelation with three interceptions in six starts, to handle Kraft and Musgrave with Green Bay utilizing 12 personnel on nearly 25 percent of its offensive snaps this season, though Jenkins could see some action as a money linebacker in three-safety packages and offers a bit more size to match up with them.

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