The last time these teams met was the 2019 playoffs. The Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead before cruising to a 28-23 victory that didn't get close until the very end. The Packers struggled in the run game, but the defense was stout early and Aaron Rodgers had an efficient day with a 113.7 rating.

That marked the 4th victory for the Packers in the last 5 meetings between the teams. The Packers have had Seattle's number ever since The Playoff Game We Don't Talk About.

Today, both teams have are expecting to get some injured players back, but the Packers have fared far better with their backups this year than the Seahawks.

WHEN THE SEAHAWKS HAVE THE BALL

Wide receiver DK Metcalf is a monster. He's 6'4, 230 pounds and has 4.33 speed. To put that in perspective, he's about the same size as De'Vondre Campbell and runs a little faster than Jaire Alexander. Even with Geno Smith throwing him the ball the last 4 games, he still came up with almost 300 yards and 5 touchdowns. In two of those games, he averaged an absolutely silly 19 yards per target.

The Packers probably won't be able handle him one-on-one and are going to have to get creative in coverage to contain him because Russell Wilson is aggressive in getting him the ball. Green Bay can't ignore Tyler Lockett on the other side, either, though - he's a productive veteran who can make big plays against single coverage.

The Packers have done a good job slowing down the passing attack in the past by keeping Wilson in the pocket so that he can't run or extend plays outside the tackles. Rashan Gary has been coming on as a pass rusher, but he often goes for pressure at the expense of containing the edge. He'll need to avoid over-pursuing this week or Wilson will find lanes to scamper.

Kenny Clark is questionable with a back injury, Kingsley Keke is doubtful, and Dean Lowry is just getting over his hamstring injury. The Seahawks may try to run a little more today, both to attack the weak Packers defensive line and to take pressure off a quarterback dealing with a sore finger in his throwing hand. Luckily, the Packers inside linebacker duo of De'Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes have been playing stout in the middle and should be able to keep the run game contained.

If they can continue their high level of play, the Packers won't need to bring a safety up and can keep all their defensive backs in coverage to help slow down the passing attack.

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

Aaron Rodgers will be back running the offense, and he'll surely be an upgrade from a developing prospect, but his illness and subsequent quarantine could impact his conditioning.

The Packers would be wise to lean on their dominant run game this week (just like they would have been wise to lean on their dominant run game last week). No team has really been able to stop the Packers running game since their 4th preseason game against New Orleans.

After a week off, Rodgers should hand the ball off frequently. Should. He has all his primary receivers back, though, and may be antsy to sling the ball around after a week off. With David Bakhtiari doubtful, the passing game may not be able to do all the things it used to do just quite yet. Plus, Seattle's defense is no pushover. 

The Legion of Boom is long gone, but the Seahawks still have a formidable defense. DJ Reed is only 5'9, but the undersized corner has been have a great season in coverage and rookie Tre Brown has been coming on as a 4th round pick.

Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is the heart of the Seattle defense and outside linebacker Jordyn Brooks is a dynamic player, but this is not the dominant Seahaws defense of years passed. Their defensive line is solid, but if  they can attack Lucas Patrick and Royce Newman the way the Chief did, they may some success in disrupting the Packers rhythm.

OTHER NOTES

After all the drama of the last week and a half, it'll be a nice change of pace to watch a football game. There could be some potential spillover from the latest chapter in the Rodgers saga, though. If QB1 comes out wanting to show up his naysayers (instead of running a balanced offense), things could go south. He hasn't practiced in 10 days, his body is recovering from a tough illness, and he doesn't have the regular midseason rhythm he normally does with his receivers because of all their injuries.

The Packers special teams... you know what? I can't even.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Seahawks are having a bad season. A lot of that is due to injuries, but even with Russell Wilson coming back, they don't feel like a team that's up to the challenge of going on the road and knocking off a top contender.

The Packers can definitely botch this up with another disastrous special teams showing or getting away from the run game for no reason when they're getting 5 yards a carry.

This doesn't feel likely, though.

Matt LaFleur has never lost back to back games and I think a big part of that is because he takes winning very seriously and takes accountability for what his team does. In last week's post-game press conference, he took full blame for the team's loss.

I expect that to fuel him in game-planning this week. I think the Packers come out ready for a balanced attack on offense that controls the game from the get-go. On defense, I see the Packers forcing Russell WIlson into some mistakes - playing with a recently-healed broken finger on your throwing hand in the cold is not a recipe for success.

Packers 24, Seahawks 16