The Green Bay Packers are headed to Seattle to play the Seahawks at Lumen Field for the first time since 2018. With both teams in a playoff position entering Week 15, this game will be the biggest in the series since the Packers and Seahawks faced off in the NFC Divisional Round in 2019.
The Packers have never faced first-year head coach Mike Macdonald or starting quarterback Geno Smith, creating an uncommon opponent.
To help preview Packers-Seahawks, we asked five questions of Seahawks Wire managing editor Kole Musgrove.
Here’s the Q&A:
1. The Seahawks have been excellent since the bye. What factors have fueled the impressive stretch?
Seahawks Wire: The defense that Seattle hired Mike Macdonald to fix finally arrived. They are stopping the fun, far more fundamentally sound, and are finally generating turnovers… something that was largely absent in the first nine weeks of the season. The turnaround on defense can be pinpointed to the dominance of Leonard Williams up front, as well as the upgrades at linebacker with Ernest Jones IV and rookie Tyrice Knight. For the first time in a few years, Seattle’s defense is not an unmitigated liability.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a Packers fan favorite in the 2023 draft. Is he becoming one of the young stars at WR in Seattle?
SW: When JSN was the first WR off the board in the 2023 draft, the 12th Man was certainly excited. While his rookie season was not horrible by any means, it definitely was not what fans were hoping for. That is no longer the case. The former Buckeye has truly emerged as a force in this offense, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is far better at getting him involved in the offense than Shane Waldron was last year. JSN has shown he can be a No. 1 contributor with or without DK Metcalf in the lineup. But combined? The two keep defensive coordinators up at night.
3. Geno Smith has thrown 12 picks and fumbled 7 times. How has he played this season overall?
SW: I am a firm believer that numbers never lie… but they don’t always tell the whole story. Such is the case for Geno Smith, who has played much better than the box score might indicate. Smith has thrown some bone-headed interceptions, but mainly due to incredible pressure from playing behind the worst offensive line in the league and feeling forced into trying to make something happen. Smith has played incredibly efficient football for the most part, and has been the one constant on this offense.
4. The Seahawks have 5 players with 30+ pressures this season. Tell me about the pass-rush. Really good?
SW: This pass rush is becoming suffocating. They are making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, which has been such a delightful change of pace. What is also key is they are becoming more consistent, as earlier in the season they were hit or miss. The return of linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (assuming he can stay healthy) is surely going to help make this unit even more lethal once he gets back up to speed.
5. The Seahawks win if…? The Packers win if…?
SW: The Seahawks win if the defense continues holding firm, can force some more turnovers from turnover-prone Jordan Love, and the offense can avoid self-inflicted wounds. Keep Geno Smith upright, finish drives in the red zone (a struggle all year) and play clean football. Sounds simple enough, but with the Seahawks, they rarely play in normal games… as I’m sure Packers fans know full well. The Packers win if Jordan Love and the offense are allowed to run rampant and the Green Bay defensive front punishes Geno Smith. Seattle will likely be without Ken Walker, and while Charbonnet has shown he can carry the load, not having No. 9 back there to make plays will be tough for the Seahawks.
SW: In this rivalry, it seems the home team reigns supreme. The Seahawks have not won at Lambeau since 1999, but the Packers have not won in Seattle since 2008. I’m picking the Seahawks in a narrow one, 26-23.