In week 9, the Green Bay Packers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 13-7. While the Green Bay defense played great, the Jordan Love lead offense couldn’t get into gear. This week, the Packers will look to get back on track when they welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Lambeau Field. The Hawks are coming in fresh off a bye but have struggled this year at 3-5.
Russell Wilson is back
After missing over a month to a nasty throwing hand injury, quarterback Russell Wilson is returning this week. Seattle is 2nd to last in the league on 3rd down conversions, so getting back Wilson is huge. He is now in his 10th NFL season and is still one of the best at the position. Wilson is a smart field general that can win with his arm or his legs. He is a true competitor with an iron will to win.
More good news for the Seahawks. Running back Chris Carson could also be back this week. Carson has missed the last 4 games with a neck injury but according to head coach Pete Carroll he should have a chance to go. Carson is a solid physical back that doesn’t go down easy. Alex Collins has carried the load in Carson’s absence and is averaging 4.1 yards a carry with 2 touchdowns on the season.
Seattle has a real strength in the wide receiver room. The one-two punch in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will be an issue. Metcalf is a physical specimen that keeps getting better. At 6’4″ 235 lbs, Metcalf is a huge target that can fly. The nightmare matchup has 8 touchdowns to go with 580 receiving yards. The savvy veteran on the other side is Lockett. What Lockett lacks in size he makes up for in speed and elite route-running ability. Coming off his best game in week 8 with 12 grabs for 142 yards, Lockett also shows that he can be a problem.
Another wide receiver that could be on the field Sunday is rookie D’Wayne Eskridge. A wide receiver I loved in the 2021 draft, Eskridge has been out since Week 1 with a concussion. The Seahawks are high on Eskridge and he could produce another threat in the passing game.
Defense, They Are Who They Are
After the midway point of the season, the Seattle defense is just, well, average. Gone are the days of a feared unit with stars littered throughout. This 2021 group has struggled at getting pressure and forcing turnovers.
The defense is still spearheaded by all-world, Bobby Wagner. The future Canton resident is still one of the best inside linebackers in the league. Wagner is instinctive and always in on tackles. Second-year Jordyn Brooks is a hard hitter and athletic but the Seahawks are still waiting for him to break out and cut down on mistakes.
The other guy to pay attention to is Jamal Adams. Listed as a strong safety, Adams is more of a hybrid linebacker. He’s at his best in the box and attacking downhill. In 2020 he had an eye-popping 9.5 sacks on the campaign. However, he has yet to find the QB this season. If you want to attack Adams, it is by getting him in coverage.
Quandre Diggs man’s the other safety spot and leads the team with 3 interceptions. He has 11 picks over the last 3 years and is always looking to get another. Diggs has graded out solid so far but his aggressiveness can be exploited.
On the defensive line, Seattle has both struggled and battled injury. Brought in from the rival 49ers is Kerry Hyder Jr. Hyder had 8.5 sacks last year but has been a ghost in 2021. Second-year pro Darrell Taylor leads the team with 4 sacks in limited time. Taylor isn’t an every-down player at this point of his career but shows some pass-rush ability. Rasheem Green is another guy task to pressure quarterbacks but he only has 3 sacks on the year.
After Green Bay faced some of the best interior defensive linemen the last 3 weeks, the Seahawks defensive tackles are a step back. Al Woods and Poona Ford are space eaters and run defenders. Neither offer a ton in pass rush but are loads to move against the run. The Packers should be able to keep Aaron Rodgers clean this week and attack this defense.
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– Jesse Hall is a writer for Full Press Coverage Packers. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @hall_jhall1212 Follow @FPCoverage and Facebook.
– Kyle Senra is the managing editor for Full Press Coverage Packers. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @SenraSays Follow @FPC_Packers and Facebook.
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