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http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL+Zone/Game+Previews/2007/week19.htm
Seattle at Green Bay - Jan. 12, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
At a glance: This matchup pits some familiar foes, as Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren and QB Matt Hasselbeck used to call Green Bay home. The Packers have won three of the past four meetings, including an overtime shootout in the 2003 playoffs.
Overview: The Packers were one of the pleasant surprises of the 2007 season, entering the playoffs fresh off a 13-3 regular season that saw them rank second in the league offensively and 11th defensively.
With Brett Favre at the helm, the Packers are very tough to beat at Lambeau, having won nine of their last 10 home games, but it’s worth noting they have come out on the losing end of two of their last three playoff games at home.
The emergence of RB Ryan Grant has created some much-needed offensive balance to go with a stellar bounce-back season for Favre.
The Seahawks, champions of the NFC West, didn’t panic last week when the Redskins took a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter of their wild-card matchup. That composure, and some questionable decisions by Redskins QB Todd Collins, led to a flurry of points late, as the Seahawks cruised to a 35-14 win.
This showdown in Green Bay will mean a little more to Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren and QB Matt Hasselbeck, as both used to be employed in Green Bay. Hasselbeck will surely hear some kidding this week, as he is remembered for having made the claim (which was picked up on the referee’s microphone) that the Seahawks were going to score upon winning the coin flip at the start of overtime when these two teams met in the wild-card round on Jan. 4, 2004. On Seattle’s first drive, Hasselbeck threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by CB Al Harris, thus sealing the Seahawks’ fate in a 33-27 loss.
When the Seahawks have the ball: The Seahawks, especially if the weather is rough in northeastern Wisconsin, will be pressed to find some semblance of a running game. Everyone knows Hasselbeck and crew can move the ball through the air, but keeping a good, young Packers defense honest will be key. The Seahawks’ two best rushing performances of 2007 came in the final two regular-season games. The versatile Maurice Morris, who provided a spark off the bench when Shaun Alexander was sidelined from Weeks 10-12, rushed for 273 yards and two touchdowns on 62 carries in those three games, but he curiously was given only four carries in the win over Washington last week. Alexander remains the No. 1 option, but Morris’ shiftiness could give Green Bay trouble.
If Deion Branch returns from a calf injury, Seattle will have its top four wideouts — an impressive group that includes Bobby Engram, D.J. Hackett and Nate Burleson — available and healthy for one of the few times all season. Their presence allows the Seahawks to spread the field and use a lot of personnel groupings in operating their no-huddle attack. Green Bay’s secondary is led by the physical, veteran CB tandem of Charles Woodson and Harris, but there is a significant drop-off with depth beyond them and at safety.
MLB Nick Barnett and WLB A.J. Hawk had solid years and track the ball well, but SLB Brady Poppinga can be a liability in coverage against tight ends and backs. DE Aaron Kampman and DT Ryan Pickett lead a deep defensive line for the Packers.
When the Packers have the ball: With the way he has bounced back from consecutive subpar seasons, Favre has gotten a lot of praise in throwing for 4,155 yards and 28 TD passes. And the way he has shed his gunslinger approach and done a better job of taking what defenses give him is perhaps the most impressive part of his resurgence. That’s not to say he doesn’t remain a dangerous downfield passer, however, as there is plenty of big-play potential with a receiving corps that has gone from raw and inconsistent to polished and explosive in a year’s time.
Although Pro Bowler Donald Driver remains Favre’s favorite target, especially on third down, it has been speedy WR Greg Jennings who has emerged as a major force in just his second year. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch in ’07 and hauled in 12 touchdowns. TE Donald Lee also came on as a legitimate threat in the passing game. He has soft hands and runs well for his size.
Grant had to wait for DeShawn Wynn, Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency to fail at the RB position before he got his first serious opportunity in Week Eight, and he never looked back, rushing for 956 yards in 10 starts. Grant is an excellent downhill runner whose one-cut-and-go style is an ideal fit for the Packers’ zone-blocking scheme. He keeps his legs moving on contact and has the speed to go the distance if he gets a crease.
Veteran OTs Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are solid, but OLG Jason Spitz is nursing a quad injury and is questionable for this game. The OG spots were already considered a weak link, and now Green Bay could be forced to reshuffle the deck a bit up front.
The Seahawks lost their top two defensive tackles (Marcus Tubbs and Chuck Darby) to injury in 2007, but they have survived against the run, thanks to the play of Rocky Bernard and rookie Brandon Mebane, who have done a good job of holding the point of attack to free up a playmaking LB corps.
Expect the Packers to keep an extra blocker in against Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney, who, along with versatile OLB Julian Peterson, was credited with four QB hurries against the Redskins.
With better safety play in Seattle, CB Marcus Trufant has been given more freedom to make plays on the ball this season, and Jordan Babineaux is an underrated nickel corner.