| GAME PREDICTIONS Conference Championship Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Record To-Date | This Week’s Pick | Score Prediction |
| Kris Burke | 12-5 | Seattle Seahawks | 24-17 |
| The magical Packers’ run comes to a heartbreaking end in Seattle. Rodgers’ calf proves to not have enough left in it as the Packers suffer back to back sacks to end a heroic attempt to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. | |||
| “Jersey” Al Bracco | 13-4 | Green Bay Packers | 21-20 |
| All year long I’ve felt the Packers would be meeting up with the Seahawks in the playoffs, and I was pretty sure the Packers would not be able to beat them. The last few weeks I’ve started to believe. It will be extra difficult with a non-mobile Aaron Rodgers, but I’m counting on some Eddie Lacy ground and pound and some big plays by the defense. Go Pack! | |||
| Adam Czech | 14-3 | Seattle Seachickens | 28-24 |
| What gives me hope for the Packers is the fact that I don’t think Seattle’s front four is good enough to consistently get after one-legged Aaron Rodgers. But Green Bay’s WRs have never matched up well with physical secondaries like Seattle’s, so that’s a wash. In the end Russell Wilson makes one too many plays, growing his legend and putting him team in another Super Bowl. | |||
| Thomas Hobbes | 13-4 | Green Bay Packers | 24-21 |
| If you go from a straight matchup alone, I don’t think there’s much of a shot for the Packers to win. In order to win, the Packers have to pull out another game plan like they did with the Patriots, get players in favorable positions with scheme and play calling and make the Seahawks cover everybody; one big difference between the season opener and this week is that Rodgers now has a viable #3/4 option in Richard Rodgers and Davante Adams. On defense, the Packers just have to keep everything in front of them and limit the big plays from Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. | |||
| Chad Toporski | 13-4 | Green Bay Packers | 27-24 |
| It’s funny when people criticize the Packers for not having beaten any “legitimate” teams to prove their worth, yet turn around and proclaim the Seahawks as unstoppable when they’ve only beaten one playoff team since the Panthers in Week 8. And they haven’t even faced a top tier quarterback since Week 6 against Tony Romo’s Cowboys. I’m not saying they can’t get the job done, but the Packers have more than a fair chance of making it to the Super Bowl. It could be a Mason Crosby FG that makes the difference. | |||
| Jason Perone | 14-3 | Seattle Seahawks | 28-17 |
| The magical ride that has been 2014 ends here for the Pack. I’ve been saying all along this is a bad match up. Rodgers’ immobility against the league’s best defense and a Packers defense that can’t figure out how to corral Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch are the big determining factors. Wilson throws a late touchdown and Lynch seals it with a power run to send Seattle to their second-straight Super Bowl. | |||
| Jay Hodgson | 13-4 | Seattle Seahawks | 38-17 |
| My heart tells me the Packers can win this game, but my head prevails and says the Seahawks prevail. The Packers are clearly a different team away from Lambeau, and they have the unfortunate draw of playing the toughest opponent in their home stadium. If Aaron Rodgers was fully healthy, it would be a very close game, and perhaps a coin flip. But, with his mobility severely lacking, the Seahawks defense will just be too much. | |||
| Cory Jennerjohn | 14-3 | Green Bay Packers | 23-21 |
| Aaron Rodgers proved last week that he can win a playoff on one leg. This week he will prove he can win a playoff game vs, a sufficient amount of pressure. Julius Peppers and Nick Perry will do yeoman’s work of closing off the edges to bottle up Russell Wilson and Clay Matthews will lead the charge to stop Marshawn Lynch up the middle. Most importantly, the Packers’ offensive line is much better than Week 1 sans the overmatched Derek Sherrod and the defense won’t have to worry about Percy Harvin. | |||
| Mike Reuter | 3-0 | Green Bay Packers | 21-20 |
| I am not a believer in the Seahawks this season. They are a good team, I do not see them as a great team. They haven’t really played anyone good since Dallas in week six. They played four good teams in their first five games and went 3-2 against them. They have played cupcakes since and looked not impressive against a lot of them. I don’t think for one second that Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, or the rest of the Packers haven’t been dreaming all season of a chance to go make up for the performance they had week 1. I think they’ll be more than ready and confident going into this one. Assuming Rodgers stays healthy and can be at least as mobile as he was in the 2nd half of the Dallas game, I’ll take the Packers in a close one. | |||
| Jeff Albrecht | 1-0 | Green Bay Packers | 24-20 |
| I might be accused of being a homer by picking the Packers to win this game, and people may be right. But my gut tells me that the Packers pull this one out. Mike McCarthy has an edge about him this week that I haven’t seen for a while. His team’s comments exude the quiet confidence that comes with knowing they are up to the task at hand. McCarthy will hold nothing back and will not play scared as he did in week one. The collective talent level is really pretty close between the two teams, and if the Packers have even moderate success in stopping Wilson and Lynch from running all over the place, surely no easy task, they will win. I like the Pack in a close one. | |||
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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I think it comes down to the Packers scoring enough points. What I mean is that I doubt this is a 17 to 14.game. Seattle should score 3 TD’s and maybe 2 FG’s, so that is 27 points. We need a minimum of 30 points to win, so that is 3TD’s and 3 FG’s. That means we don’t punt much. I don’t see this as a defensive battle despite how highly touted Seattle is on defense.
Oddsmakers say we lose by 10 or 15. Why? When we are 7 pt underdogs the last 5 years, we have lost 11 and won 2 and lose by an average of 15 according to an article I read. Assuming that is true, the coaches know this and we have to have a perfect game plan going in with changes made on the fly in personnel and play calling on both sides of the ball. If we do that and each player outplays his opposite number over 55% of the time, we win.
It will be a defensive battle. The Seahawks defense was the first one last year to lead the league in fewest points allowed, fewest yards and most takeaways. They were a top three defense again this year. If Rodgers was healthy I would be more optimistic.
I also think the turf favors the quick pass rushers on both teams, I just hope the Packets benefit from it the most because Seattle’s offensive line is very average.
The Packers defense is the best it’s been since the Super Bowl run, but still was ranked 23rd vs. the run. If Lynch runs wild, that does not bode well. The Packers must have a turnover to swing momentum their way. Be it Peppers or Matthews with a forced fumble, or a key interception from someone in the secondary, the Packers need to create a takeaway.
Let’s not forget about special teams either. A blocked kick of any kind is unacceptable. We can be sure the Seahawks have seen the Packers struggles on special teams and will try to capitalize on any mistakes.
Mike Holmgren made an interesting observation that I hope the Packers pick up on.
The Seahawks have their run stuffing unit on 1st downs, then do a lot of subbing on 2nd down to bring in their lighter, faster pass rushers. This is a recipe to put the Packers into 3rd and long: stuff Lacy and Starks on 1st Down, bring pressure on 2nd down to result in a sack or incompletion and before you know it, it’s 3rd & long.
My hope is either Aaron Rodgers can call audibles in the deafening noise or the Packers hurry up offense will disrupt the Seahawks’ substitution patterns. GO PACK GO!
If our OL continues to play well I think Aaron Rodgers becomes the difference in this game, injured calf and all. Everyone is talking about stopping Lynch and Wilson. Ok, who’s stopping Aaron Rodgers? Against the Lions it was all about the Lion’s defense and their front 4. Result, our OL played well and we ran for 152 and Rodgers even had a QB sneak for a TD, Pack wins. Against Dallas it was who was going to stop DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant. Result, our OL gives up only 1 coverage sack, Rodgers throws for over 300 yards and Pack wins with the ball for the final 4 minutes. I don’t know the script yet for this Seattle game but I’m confident that it will include our OL and Aaron Rodgers. Packers 26- 17. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
I see the Seattle defense stopping the Packers altogether unless Lacy can change the game around. I am wishing Lynch can be stopped but that is only half the problem with Wilson’s mobility to contend with. Plus Rodger’s calf injury. I don’t see a way out of this one, quite frankly.
Maybe a miracle.
Trust in Saint Vince. Run for daylight.
I feel better about GB as underdawg, than going into a game as favorite. Packers have played well when matched against a favored opponent, b/c they get out of status quo and assuming they can just win by execution. They execute well, but MM just has to add schemes that exploit the other team. GB can win if MM puts out his best.
I think Chad, Cory, and Mike have it right…the Seachickens are overrated. They have not played a tough game since Dallas.
Personally, I am glad that the Seachickens seem to be overwhelming favorites. As we saw in 2010-2011, the Packers seem to play better as underdogs. Also, so many things are different since week one – especially with the offensive line and the defense. Like Thomas, I think MM game plans the hell out of this (as he did vs. the Pats). As long as they keep Hawk and Jones off the field, they should be able to limit the Seattle offense. I think CMIII should be an ILB for the whole game.
you got to be kidding me,,,, the Hawks have play nothing but good teams all year,,,, and one all there players came back on D then things happen,,,,, love the Pack and even bought a share,,,, but Hawks are for real so deal with it
What Mike Reuter mentioned is very true, Seattle really hasn’t played a very tough schedule, especially the last few weeks when they really padded the defensive stats. In the last 6 weeks of the season they played two 2nd string Quarterbacks and two 3rd stringers. If there was ever a game the Defense needed to punch a team in the mouth this is it.
Don’t think Packers are up to the challenge. Beat Dallas by (a) controversial call(s) at home. Rodgers doesn’t appear to be as hurt as it is being reported. If they complained about the noise last time, do they think it will be any less noisy this time. I’m thinking 35-7 Seattle. Not even close.
Either not a fan or a very depressed pessimist. Either way i’m sorry.
This is a game to be gear up for. Two great teams squaring off. Their strength against ours. At noon PST, the BS ends and the truth will finally begin to revealed.
If the weather turns out to be as bad as they say (and it’s not so much the rain as it is the wind), it impacts the Packers more than Seattle. It essentially takes a team like the Packers and cuts their offense down to two quarters (with the wind) and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on their defense and on the running game. If it turns out to be as poor as they’re reporting (winds in the 25+ mph range, gusts up to 50 mph), I don’t see the Packers generating enough offense to win. They’ll need a couple breaks from a team that doesn’t generally give up the football very much.
The wind would affect both sides. I suspect Rodgers gets a higher velocity on the ball and could still get short passes out. Also the Packers run game can be very dominant. I would not be surprised if it was able to wear down Seattle’s D. That is how the Cowboys beat them, and Lacy and the O line proved they could run the ball against the Lions in week 17.
Seatlle is a better team all around. Rodgers is supposedly injured, although it seems he is doing it for sympathy because when he needed to run, he seemed to forget about his ‘injury’. Also, most QB’s, see Manning and Brady, play injured without broadcasting it until after the season. But hey, now he has an excuse and will get sympathy if they lose.
Packers must toss the “predictable play book” out the window. The Seattle defense will enter this game expecting the Packer offense to run certain plays on certain downs. Right from the start, Green Bay must demonstrate an affinity for the unpredictable. Once doubt enters the equation for Seattle, that defense will be rendered ordinary. On defense, Green Bay must recognize Russell Wilson’s ability to improvise when the pocket disintegrates. Consideration must be given to putting a “spy” on Wilson. Who gets that assignment I’ll leave to the DC, but Wilson, himself, is enough of a disruptive force that he must be accounted for on each play.
The weather for this game will not be conducive to passing the football vertically. Lacy will prove to be invaluable in the short passing game. Cobb, operating in the slot, can run short crossing patterns that frustrates the Seattle linebackers trying to cover him. This game is very winnable for the Packers. Be unpredictable on offense, rely on the short passing game and allow Perry, Matthews and Peppers to make enough plays on defense to neutralize Russell Wilson’s penchant for sandlot football.
I get so tired of everyone thinking Wilson is not a good QB,,,, not doubt that Rodgers is a Hall of famer,,, but Wilson does what is needed to win besides being a great person and spending time helping out sick kids,,,, watch the game and when its over tell me Wilson is a sandlot player,,,, have a clue,, check out his record against the best QB’s
I watched and saw your QB thoroughly outplayed by Green Bay’s. You won the game on his last second heroics, but if you call that a performance worthy of coronation, your standards for excellence are pretty low.
yes Russell had his worse game ever for sure,,,the Pack should of won the game,,, but Seattle luck out and came back and won,,,,, but funny thing is,,,, I don’t think one game tells if your good or bad,,,,,, if that was the case then I guess his record for 3 years means nothing,,,, Rogers for sure is a Hall of famer and belongs there,, but don’t cut down Wilson give him a chance,,,, if you ever listen to him he never talks about him self or takes credit
23-20 GB. GoPack!
well its going to be raining hard in Seattle,,,, so the game will come down to turnovers,,,,,,, and the crowd ,,,,, 20-17 Hawks
Game time: curgent weather is 22 mph winds gusting to 40 with off-and-on showers. I’d love to pick the Packers, but I don’t think it will happen. SEA 14-10.