5 keys to Packers beating Vikings in Week 17

Breaking down what the Packers need to do to beat the visiting Vikings on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur can improve to 16-2 against the NFC North and 39-9 overall when the Minnesota Vikings come to Lambeau Field for a frigid showdown between division rivals in Week 17.

The Packers, now 12-3, will get to 13 regular-season wins for the third straight season under LaFleur with a victory.

The Vikings won the first meeting and desperately need a win to stay alive in the race for the final playoff spot in the NFC. But Mike Zimmer’s team faces a significant hurdle: quarterback Kirk Cousins is out for Sunday after testing positive for COVID-19.

Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Vikings on Sunday night:

4 keys to a Lions victory over the Falcons in Week 16

How can the Lions beat the 6-8 Falcons in Week 15? Here are four keys to a potential Detroit road win.

A week after stunning the NFL and blowing out the NFC West-leading (at the time) Arizona Cardinals, the Detroit Lions look to make it two wins in a row. The trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons gives the Lions their first chance at a winning streak since Weeks 6 and 7 of the 2020 season.

Ironically enough, the second game of that win streak came against these same Falcons in Atlanta. It was certainly a memorable victory; Matthew Stafford hit T.J. Hockenson for a game-winning touchdown pass as time expired, elevating the Lions to 3-3 with a fun road win.

Repeating that glorious win is certainly possible, but it will not be easy. For starters, both Stafford (now a Ram) and Hockenson (now on IR) are gone. So is a lot of the projected starting defense for Detroit. This year’s edition of the Falcons is a better one than the team the Lions dropped to 1-5 in that fateful win a year ago, too.

How can the Lions beat the 6-8 Falcons in Week 15? Here are four keys to a potential Detroit road win.

Cowboys Keys to Victory: Parsons’, Diggs’ defensive playmaking, Prescott’s precision

For the Cowboys to escape Arrowhead Stadium victorious, the stars are going to have to pick up the slack for the missing pieces. | Froom @StarConscience

The Dallas Cowboys got back to their winning ways with a 43-3 beatdown of the Atlanta Falcons last week. In Week 11, however, they face a different challenge with the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is coming off a 400-yard performance with five touchdown passes against the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Chiefs defense has forced five turnovers during their three-game win streak.

Dallas has performed well away from AT&T Stadium this season, posting a 3-1 record and with their lone loss a close defeat at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champions on coronation night. The Cowboys can make a huge statement going into Arrowhead Stadium and picking up a win, and here are three players who will be key in making that a reality.

5 keys to victory for Alabama vs. LSU

5 keys to victory for Alabama as they face off against the LSU Tigers.

No. 2 Alabama is set to host the LSU Tigers this Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. With the dismissal of Ed Orgeron looming, the matchup doesn’t have quite the amount of anticipation as in seasons past.

Even with the lack of national exposure, this is a significant matchup within the western division of the SEC.

Let’s take a look at five keys to victory for Alabama as they face off against the Bayou Bengals as well as the remainder of its regular-season schedule.

4 keys to an upset victory for Washington over Seattle Seahawks

It’s going to take a long-shot for Washington to find a victory on Sunday, but if they can let loose and take some chances, it’s not out of the question.

Heading into this Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, it doesn’t feel like many people are giving Washington a great chance to come out with another upset victory. It’s a pivotal game for Ron Rivera and his team, one that could ultimately sway their postseason dreams if they are to pull off a win, and it could also be a chance for them to assert their dominance over a potential playoff opponent, and announce their presence to the rest of the NFL world.

However, it’s going to be extremely hard to accomplish. News came out on Friday that it would be QB Dwayne Haskins getting the start, rather than Alex Smith, and the defense in Washington would be without three of their regular starters. On top of that, Seattle is a good team, with a dynamic offense and a much-improved defense from the start of the season. Sitting at 9-4 with a future Hall of Fame quarterback and a second-year WR who can find success in every aspect of the passing game, Washington is going to have to play a near-perfect game in order to come out on top.

Of course, we’ve said that a number of times over the past month and Washington continues to get the job done, so this isn’t to say that they can’t do it. If they are to pull off the upset, though, here are some things they need to take care of.

Week 14 keys to victory: New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks

The Week 14 keys to victory for both the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets when they face off Sunday at Lumen Field.

The Seattle Seahawks are set to host the New York Jets in Week 14 at Lumen Field. Here are the keys to victory for both teams.

Jets’ keys to victory

The winless New York Jets will be continuing their campaign for the league’s top 2021 NFL draft pick when they head to Seattle to face the Seahawks in Week 14. Despite almost sneaking by the Raiders to nearly everyone’s surprise, the Jets still have a lot to do to earn their first victory this year.

While New York’s offense may seriously be challenged by the Seahawks on Sunday, the Jets’ defense will be up against a very questionable offensive line in Seattle if right tackle Brandon Shell isn’t back in the linehup. If New York wants a chance against QB Russell Wilson, testing his protectors may be the best game plan for the Jets in the Emerald City.

The Jets also know exactly what to expect from one member of Seattle’s secondary . . . more on him later.

3 keys to victory for Washington in NFC East Thanksgiving showdown vs. Cowboys

Between these two fairly evenly-matched teams, it’s going to take a mistake-free game for Washington to walk away with the division lead.

Based on the timing of this game and the circumstances that now surround it, it’s clear that the Thanksgiving showdown between Washington and Dallas is the biggest game that will be played by the Burgundy & Gold in quite some time. On a national stage, in front of a national audience, on arguably the biggest day of the football season, Washington will play for the top spot in the NFC East, facing off against a team that they beat 25-3 just a few weeks ago.

This game will be a bit harder than the matchup they had in Week 7 against the Cowboys, a team that has some renewed confidence after a big win over the Minnesota Vikings, precluded by a valiant effort against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, though, Washington is also coming off of their first win in several weeks, and they have a right to be feeling confident as well. If they are going to take their spot atop the rest of the NFC East for the time being, it’s going to take a solid gameplan, and excellent execution as well. Here are our biggest keys to victory for Thursday:

3 keys to victory for Washington in must-win game vs. Detroit Lions

This matchup against Detroit has become a must-win game if Washington hopes to contend in the NFC East, and they need to take advantage of some key areas.

With the halfway point of the season now behind us, the number of chances for Washington to make up ground in the NFC East is growing smaller, and with a stretch of winnable games ahead of them, each Sunday becomes more important than the last.

That’s surely the case this weekend against the Detroit Lions, especially after failing to grab a win over the New York Giants last weekend. While both teams are dealing with injuries, it will be Washington who is arguably the healthier squad going into this game, and it’s imperative that they take advantage of a solid matchup against a middling team.

If they’re going to do so, these are a few things they need to focus on:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys: Week 3 keys to victory

The Seattle Seahawks are set to host the Dallas Cowboys Week 3 at CenturyLink Field – here are the keys to victory for each team.

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The Seattle Seahawks (2-0) are set to host the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) Week 3 at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday afternoon. Here are the keys to victory for each team.

Cowboys’ keys to victory

The Cowboys head north Week 3 after an incredible comeback win over the Falcons but had better not let their guards down in Seattle. Even in a stadium with no fans, the confines of CenturyLink Field can be suffocating for the visiting team.

While the Seahawks’ defensive line is a work in progress, Dallas will have to show it means business from the get-go. Quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw for 450 yards against Atlanta, will want to test Seattle’s pass-rushing abilities but won’t stand a chance unless his offensive line is able to tighten things up quickly. 

Seahawks’ keys to victory

The Seahawks are coming off a wild, Week-2 win over the Patriots on the national stage and appear to be firing on all cylinders.

Seattle has been letting quarterback Russell Wilson cook and he’s likely going to do just that against the Cowboys but faces a similarly shaky offensive line as Dallas. His big guys up front have got to rein in their penalty count or it may be a long day in the kitchen for Wilson Week 3.

Seattle’s defense is not off the hook however, the Seahawks will still need some big plays to seal the deal. 

Matchup to watch: Dak Prescott  vs. Seahawks secondary

The Seahawks aren’t going to let Prescott put on an air show all day in Seattle. The Seahawks need to see they got what they paid for in their secondary this season.

Who wins?

Seattle will advance to 3-0 on the year slipping by the Cowboys at home, showing Dallas the NFC West means business in 2020.

Seahawks 34, Cowboys 27.

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Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers: Week 17 keys to victory

The keys to victory for both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers as the two teams square off Sunday night for the NFC West crown.

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will meet Week 17 for the final game of the regular season to determine who heads to the playoffs as the winner of the NFC West. Here are the keys to victory for both teams.

49ers’ keys to victory: The 49ers stamped an impressive win over the Rams in Week 16 to knock Los Angeles out of the playoffs and remain atop of the NFC West. With a victory in Seattle on Sunday, San Francisco could ensure a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

However, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. have to get by the Seahawks in the very unfriendly confines of CenturyLink Field first. To do so, the 49ers must exploit Seattle’s depleted defense, who will be doing everything in its power to get to the quarterback. 

The 49ers will also now have to account for the additions of running backs Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin, who Seattle signed to boost the run game.