The Sunday Night clash between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks is a possible NFC playoff preview. If the NFL playoffs started today, the 6 seed vs 3 seed NFC wild card matchup would be Packers at Seahawks. The last time the Packers finished as the 6 seed in the NFC playoffs was in 2010, when it went on to win Super Bowl XLV.
This weekend, the Packers are going into a stadium they haven’t had much success in. Since Lumen Field opened in 2002, the Packers have played in Seattle six times, winning just once. The one win was in 2008 with a first-year starter in Aaron Rodgers, defeating Mike Holmgren in his final season in Seattle. It was the Super Bowl-winning head coach’s worst season as a head man, as the Seahawks finished the season 4-12.
The last time the Packers played in Seattle, Green Bay held a 14-3 first quarter lead, but could not hold in the second half, falling by the score of 27-24. This will be the third straight regular season game between the two teams played at Lumen Field that will be played in primetime.
Need Jordan love and Tucker Kraft to replicate this pic.twitter.com/iiJWl5Md9D
— RELAX (@itssRELAX) December 10, 2024
With their chance to break their bad luck in Seattle, the Packers are also close to sweeping an NFC division for the just fourth time since realignment in 2002. The previous three times the Packers swept an NFC division were also teams that ended in the postseason (all unfortunately in their first playoff game).
2009: swept NFC West - defeating St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle and Arizona; lost to Arizona in the playoffs
2011: swept NFC South - defeating New Orleans, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay
2021: swept NFC West - defeating San Francisco, Arizona, Seattle, LA Rams; lost to San Francisco in the playoffs
2024: 3-0 vs NFC West - defeating LA Rams 24-13, Arizona 34-13, San Francisco 38-10
This edition of the Green Bay Packers is starting to peak in November and early December much like it did it last season. Green Bay is 3-1 since their bye in Week 10, scoring over 30 points in each of the last three games.
What a touchdown throw from Jordan Love. Christian Watson having a day. pic.twitter.com/GecccERlhi
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) November 23, 2023
Last year’s team had four of its best five scoring games all after Week 12, starting with 29 points scored against the Lions. They followed those up with back-to-back 33 point games at Carolina and at Minnesota, and the 48 points in the playoffs at Dallas.
Jordan Love 🚀 Jayden Reed pic.twitter.com/FaZlaLGE8l
— PFF (@PFF) January 1, 2024
It will likely be critical for the Packers offense to start off like games against San Francisco and Miami, in order to get this first win in Seattle in 16 years. In those two games, the Packers led 17-0 and 21-3 in the first half. The Packers trailed at the half by double digits in three of their four losses.
Green Bay is 6-0 when leading at halftime this season, 3-4 when trailing. The wins came in games against the Rams, Texans and Bears.