Seattle hosts Green Bay in tough Sunday night matchup
(AP) -- The Seahawks have won four straight and are atop the crowded NFC West. The Green Bay Packers look to get closer to a playoff spot on Sunday when they visit Seattle Seahawks. The Packers have won seven of their past nine games, but are coming off a close loss to the Detroit Lions. That was the first of three tough road games as Green Bay wraps up the regular season. After Seattle, the Packers host the Saints, but then head out for a game at Minnesota.
Green Bay (9-4) at Seattle (8-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Packers by 3
Against the spread: Green Bay 7-6, Seattle 6-6-1
Series record: Green Bay leads 15-9
Last meeting: Nov. 14, 2021, Packers win 17-0 at Lambeau Field.
Last week: Packers lost 34-31 to the Detroit Lions. Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-18.
Packers offense: overall (6), rush (5), pass (11), scoring (7)
Packers defense: overall (13), rush (9), pass (21), scoring (9)
Seahawks offense: overall (13), rush (27), pass (3), scoring (15)
Seahawks defense: overall (18), rush (21), pass (10), scoring (11)
Turnover differential: Seattle -0.3 (22)
Packers player to watch
Josh Jacobs, who signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers in the offseason, looks to be matching his 2022 All-Pro form. That year he rushed for 1,653 yards with 12 TDs for the Raiders. This season he's run for 1,053 yards and 11 scores. He's on a roll, with three-touchdown games in two of his past three and he's scored eight times total over four games.
Seahawks player to watch
Zach Charbonnet had a career-high 134 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the victory over the Cardinals last week. Carbonnet was pressed into starting duty with Kenneth Walker sidelined by ankle and calf issues. Charbonnet needs 63 yards rushing to surpass his total last year (462) as a rookie. He needs three more rushing scores to become the first Seahawks player with at least 10 since Marshawn Lynch in 2014.
Key matchup
The Packers offense overall appears to have the upper hand with the steady leadership of quarterback Jordan Love, so Seattle's chances may hinge on how Green Bay's pass defense holds up against Geno Smith and the Seahawks passing offense, ranked third in the league. Smith has thrown for 3,474 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, but he's also got 12 interceptions.
Key injuries
Packers tight end Luke Musgrave participated in individual drills this week. CB Jaire Alexander (knee), who has missed the past three games, and WR Romeo Doubs (concussion), who has missed the past two, practiced this week and appear close to returning. LB Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring), who missed the past three games, also returned to practice this week.
Seattle's Kenneth Walker III missed the game against the Cardinals because of an ankle/calf injury. He’s run for a team-best 542 yards and seven TDs this season. He was listed as questionable for the game. Cornerback Tre Brown, who was inactive against the Cardinals because of a hamstring injury, is also questionable.
Series notes
The Seahawks have won the past three at home, but the Packers have won four of the past five since 2015. Three of those victories came at Lambeau Field, including the latest one on Nov. 14, 2021. Green Bay blanked Seattle 17-0. The Packers have not visited Seattle since 2018.
Stats and stuff
The Seahawks, coming off a 30-18 road win over Arizona, have won four straight and are atop the tight NFC West. … The Packers can technically clinch a playoff berth this weekend but it involves two unlikely scenarios. According to the NFL, the Packers can clinch with a win in Seattle, a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons and a tie between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. … The Packers’ most recent win in the series against the Seahawks was 17-0 at Lambeau Field in 2021. That’s the only shutout during coach Matt LaFleur’s six-year tenure. … LaFleur has won 10 in a row against the NFC West. … Over the course of a four-game winning streak heading into Sunday night's game, the Seahawks have allowed an average of just 15.5 points a game. … The Packers are No. 1 with 97 points off turnovers while Seattle has the eighth-most giveaways. … Green Bay's 34-31 loss to Detroit last Thursday night averaged 17.29 million viewers, making it the most-streamed NFL regular-season game in history and Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched game since exclusively taking over the prime-time package in 2022. … Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs 89 yards for his first career 1,000-yard season. … The Packers have won 10 consecutive regular-season games against NFC West foes. … The Packers have won seven of their past nine games. … Seattle QB Geno Smith needs one 300-yard game to tie Russell Wilson for single-season franchise record with five. … Green Bay has two wins against teams with winning records: the Texans (8-5) and Rams (7-6), both of which were reeling from injuries, while losses have come against Detroit (12-1; twice), Minnesota (11-2) and Philadelphia (11-2).
Fantasy tip
Seattle receiver Tyler Lockett didn't have a reception against the Cardinals — his first game without a catch since Dec. 2, 2019, against Minnesota. Lockett could be fueled by the end of his streak. He remains two touchdowns away from passing Marshawn Lynch for third place on Seattle’s touchdowns list with 67.