5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 15 Game vs. Packers

Working their way through an NFC West gauntlet from Weeks 11–14, the Seattle Seahawks are now turning their attention to a non-divisional contender in the conference.

Seattle (8-5) hosts the Green Bay Packers (9-4) on Sunday Night Football at Lumen Field in Week 15. Even though they’ve won four in a row, every game holds weight down the stretch and massively swings the Seahawks’ playoff chances.

The Seahawks are as hot as any team in the league currently, but that doesn’t guarantee anything against a Packers team that went toe-to-toe with the Detroit Lions — the NFC’s top seed — in Week 14. There are no easy wins in December football.

Seattle and Green Bay kickoff at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday. Here are five storylines to watch in the Seahawks’ massive primetime contest against the Packers.

1. Can Seattle break through the Packers’ stout run defense via an improved offensive line?

Green Bay enters this game with the ninth-ranked run defense, allowing just 106.9 yards per game and most recently held the Detroit Lions — one of the league’s top rushing attacks — to just 111 ground yards.

Seattle, on the other hand, has struggled all year with the run game but posted a season-high 176 rushing yards against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14. With running back Kenneth Walker III sidelined, Zach Charbonnet was the Seahawks’ bell cow, and he produced in a big 30-18 victory.

The pressure will also be on Seattle’s offensive line to continue paving lanes for Charbonnet and, if he can play, Walker. Walker is listed as doubtful for the game as he works back from injury. Another strong performance against one of the NFL’s best run defenses would display the offense’s evolution through this season.

2. With plenty of new faces on both teams, is the former rivalry reflected in the Lumen Field atmosphere?

The Packers possess the advantage in the all-time head-to-head series against the Seahawks, 15-9. Green Bay has won five of the last six matchups, with Seattle’s last win coming during the 2018 season.

These teams have gone more than three years without meeting after regularly playing a decade ago when both were consistently postseason contenders. The Seahawks and Packers played seven times from 2012–18, with Seattle going 4-3 against Green Bay during that stretch.

One of those games was the 2014 NFC Championship game, with the Seahawks emerging with a 28-22 victory in overtime. Both rosters have been turned over since then. But the players are learning about what this storied rivalry once was.

“I’m learning this is a big one, not just because it’s the next game, because it’s the Packers, and there’s some rivalry there,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said on Thursday. “So, I’m learning. Still kind of getting adjusted to that and what teams we don’t like at all. But I’m picking it up.”

3. Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba lead the Seahawks in receiving for the seventh straight game?

The Jaxon Smith-Njigba breakout campaign continued in Week 14, as the second-year receiver notched his sixth straight game leading Seattle in receiving yards — totaling at least 69 yards in each of those contests and topping out at 180 in Week 9.

Smith-Njigba continues to be Geno Smith’s favorite target to move the sticks, as the pass-catcher is now up to 45 receiving first downs on the season (sixth in the NFL). His 911 receiving yards on 75 catches also ranks fifth in the league with four games remaining.

It’s been a developing topic, but the attention DK Metcalf requires has continued to open up the offense for Smith-Njigba. There’s no reason for that to change in Week 15 unless Metcalf finds a way to take over.

4. Will the defense continue its turnover streak?

Seattle has six takeaways in its last four games after logging nine in their initial nine games. The defense has flipped the script completely on turning the ball over during their win streak, and two of those have been interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Those plays change games. The Seahawks offense also capitalized on those turnovers against the Cardinals last week, scoring touchdowns after both of their interceptions of Kyler Murray.

Green Bay is middle of the league in giveaways, but quarterback Jordan Love is tied for the fourth-most interceptions in the NFL this season (11). There will be opportunities for the Seahawks to turn the game in their favor.

5. Seattle remains in must-win territory.

A loss to the Packers would drop Seattle to second place in the NFC West standings. The Los Angeles Rams (8-6) are closely trailing the Seahawks with a regular season finale on the docket in Week 18.

Every game is critical, and Seattle has to prove it can hang with the top contenders in the NFC. That adds another layer to this game that isn’t present every week. The Seahawks have won four in a row, but their only guaranteed a postseason spot if they win the rest of their games to conclude the season.