TEXAS, Sporting Alert – NFL regular season games are now over so let’s take a quick look at this year’s playoff picture, with the NFC Wild Card round getting underway this weekend.
Seattle at Minnesota
TV Channel: NBC, TCF @ 1:05 PM ET
Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
Sunday, Jan. 10
No. 6 Seattle Seahawks at No. 3 Minnesota Vikings: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks start the road to another Super Bowl against the Vikings in a NFC Wild Card game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. When these two teams last met, Seattle (10-6), the two-time defending NFC champion, thrashed Minnesota 38-7, with Wilson throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score on a very productive day that assisted in building a five-game winning streak.
The Vikings (11-5) and Adrian Peterson closed out the regular season fixtures with a 20-13 win over the Green Bay Packers and will look to build on their three-game winning streak. Minneapolis was held to just 125 total yards on offense when it faced the Seahawks last time out, including a mere 31 yards on the ground. So, although they are playing well, and collecting the most wins since winning 12-games in the 2009 season, the Vikings would have rather a different matchup.
Green Bay at Washington
TV Channel: FOX @ 4:40 PM ET
FedEx Field, Landover
Sunday, Jan. 10
No. 5 Green Bay Packers at No. 4 Washington Redskins: Aaron Rodgers and Packers will travel to the FedEx Field in Landover searching for their real identity, especially on offense, after failing in back-to-back weeks to convince anyone that they are ready for the playoffs. Packers (10-6) enter this NFC Wild Card round game on a two-game losing streak and average 10.5 points per game during that period. They are averaging 23 points per game in the regular season.
Green Bay, however, might be a little less anxious facing the Washington Redskins instead of the Seahawks. Washington (9-7) won a very scrappy NFC East division and is currently on a four-game winning streak after scoring wins over Chicago, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Dallas. Kirk Cousins is also having a very strong season at quarterback for the Redskins, so maybe it won’t be as easy for Green Bay as we are thinking.
Still, I am sure the runner-up in the NFC North division would take this battle all day over facing Seattle in their NFC Wild Card round game.
For more on the playoffs picture and schedule, visit NFL.com