Packers expect unexpected with Seahawks Wilson
Seattle pivot the big variable in Sunday’s game
There will be a good old- fashioned Wisconsin welcome waiting for Russell Wilson when he makes his latest return to the state that was once his football home.
The snow is on its way, possibly a foot of it on Saturday alone. It’s certainly enough of a dump for the Seahawks star to recall his college days down the road in Madison where he quarterbacked the Wisconsin Badgers and got acclimated to the weather and the love folks have for football around here.
Given the banged- up status of the Seattle offensive line and given the ferocious Packers pass attack, Wilson figures to be perhaps the most crucial variable to the outcome of Sunday’s divisional- round meeting at Lambeau Field.
With the Seahawks running game as good as shut down due to injuries, running backs Marshawn Lynch and Travis Homer managed just 19 yards in last week’s NFC wild card game, doing so on a combined 17 carries. Could Lynch be a handful in his third- game back after coming out of semi- retirement? Sure. But more than likely it will be the plays Wilson makes with his legs and arm that decide Seattle’s fate.
Wilson saved the day in last week’s win in Philadelphia with the same act he’s perfected doing throughout his career: Scrambling to extend plays while always being a threat to complete a pass.
So how do you stop him? Get ready to expect the unexpected and to run to the point of exhaustion.
“It’s tough because we talk to our guys about defending both plays — the intended play they called in the huddle and the extend play,” said Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine “We always have to assume he’s going to make the first guy miss. He’s probably the best in the league at it.
“It really turns into street ball after the first play is extended. It’s tough to replicate in practice. I’ve told our guys to be prepared to run more. The GPS trackers are going to be through the roof.”
While not a Packers fan during his one year with the Badgers, Wilson is young enough and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers old enough that the former can remember the way the latter was revered at that point of his career.
“I’ ve always watched Aaron,” said Wilson, who won a Big 10 championship with the Badgers in 2011 after transferring from North Carolina. “He’s the epitome of what success looks like in terms of being able to make plays in his career so far. I love studying great players and he’s one of those guys. He’s one of the greatest to play the game.”
LET IT SNOW
So just how bad is the weather expected to be for Sunday’s kickoff?
The good news is the snow is expected to have stopped by earlier Sunday morning. The bad news is as much of a foot will have fallen by then and with temperatures at kickoff projected to be at minus- 8 Celsius, the infamous Frozen Tundra home-field advantage will be in place.
On Friday, Packers officials put out a call for fans willing to show up early Sunday morning to shovel the stands at Lambeau before the gates open at 1: 40 p. m. local time.
“It’s not going to do anything for us because we’ve been playing in it all season,” said Packers wide receiver, Jake Kumerow. “We’re the Green Bay Packers. We’re ready for it. It might affect the other guys.”
ATACKING THE PACK?
With a 13- 3 record that earned them the NFC North title and a bye week, the Packers are the No. 2 seed in their conference.
An erratic season, which i ncluded some underwhelming victories over dubious opponents such as the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, has led to doubts about Green Bay’s ability to contend in its first post- season appearance in three years.
The Seahawks weren’t exactly a blow- out- the- opposition type team, either, becoming just the second team in NFL history to win 10 one- score games in a single season.
Like all of the home teams in the divisional round, the Packers are favoured this weekend, a four- point pick over the 11-5 Seahawks.