Packers face Seahawks with playoff positioning at stake

SEATTLE (AP) – Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson fought off a few memorable matches in Seattle, from the "Fail Mary" to the unforgettable NFC championship game that propelled the Seahawks into their second consecutive Super Bowl game.

For the fifth consecutive regular season – and the seventh time overall since 2012 – Green Bay and Seattle will meet again on Thursday night, but this time, the situation is uncertain.

Washington, New Orleans, Chicago and the Los Angeles Rams are the NFC's division chiefs, leaving a stack of seven teams – including Seattle and Green Bay – at two or three games each. other, likely to compete for the two places of wild-card. And every advantage or even breakage in this race – like a head-to-head win – could prove crucial.

"I know this team is very, very capable of doing what we are doing," Wilson said. & # 39; & # 39; I think everyone should pay attention to what we can do. & # 39; & # 39;

Seattle (4-5) lost two in a row after winning four of the previous five, and has not lost three in a row since the middle of the 2011 season. Green Bay (4-4-1) broke a a two-game losing streak with a 31-12 loss to Miami last week.

The & # 39; Fail Mary & # 39; "In 2012, the opening of the 2014 season when Seattle lifted its Super Bowl banner and the NFC title game after the 2014 season are the only three times when Rodgers lost to the Seahawks during of her career.

The last two encounters with Seattle were among Rodgers' best, scoring 311 yards in a 17-9 win to open last season and in 2016 posting a score of 150.8 in a defeat at Green Bay 38-10.

He also has the distinction of having won in Seattle – although it happened 10 years ago.

"It's a challenging environment, as I said, but we've certainly done it before," Rodgers said. & # 39; & # 39; You just have to start fast, take care of football. They are very good at returning the ball. I know the side of the ball is different from the staff we've seen over the years, but they still play very well. & # 39;

Rodgers and Wilson are helped this year by improved matches among the best in the league. Aaron Jones of Green Bay leads the NFL with rushing yards, while Seattle is the No. 1 offensive and last week he had 273 yards against the Rams without defeating defenseman Chris Carson.

Here's what to watch for on Thursday night:

THE FIRST STAND

Seattle expects Carson to be available after missing Sunday's game due to a hip injury. If Carson can go, he will be the starter. But Seattle finally saw the promise of first-round rookie pick Rashaad Penny last week when he rushed for 108 yards in 12 carries and one touchdown. Penny showed the dazzling capacity and big game that was missing since the first half of the season.

Expect Penny to get extra chances, regardless of Carson's health, as the Seahawks plan to use their three-back trio – Carson, Penny, Mike Davis – all playing a 100-yard game this season.

SECONDARY QUESTIONS

Another week, another reshuffle is expected to take place in Green Bay High School. Kentrell Brice was walking around the locker room with a shoe on his left foot at the beginning of the week, which suggests that he is unlikely to be ready to perform a short turnaround.

The Packers gave Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington two weeks ago. Jermaine Whitehead was released last week. No Brice, that would probably mean veteran Tramon Williams and sophomore Josh Jones starting safety. Kevin King (hamstring) is also likely to miss another game, while his cornerback Bashaud Breeland (groin) was limited during the week.

Here's Jimmy

Jimmy Graham returns to Seattle for the first time since signing with the Packers as a free agent during the off season. With only two touchdowns so far this year, Graham may not have had as much impact in the end zone as in 2017, when he had 10 scores with Seattle.

But with 33 catches in nine games, Graham keeps pace with his production with the Seahawks. He is also proud of his stalemate in the race and his role in assisting Aaron Jones in the race for career records of 145 yards and two goals last week.

"I know everyone knows me for race racing and home touchdowns, but I think I've dedicated myself to the race because I'm having a tight end now," Graham said Sunday. & # 39; & # 39; For us to succeed, I must do these things and I must be good at them. & # 39; & # 39;

The story continues