Clayton: Seahawks healthy at key time in critical game for playoff hopes
Nov 12, 2021, 2:19 PM | Updated: 2:25 pm
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Can a healthy Seahawks team change the bad history the team has in Green Bay?
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The Seahawks have not won in Lambeau Field since 1999. The Seahawks anticipate Aaron Rodgers will be back on the field after missing one game for a positive COVID-19 test. But the bye week did help the Seahawks gain some optimism.
The biggest piece of new is that Russell Wilson should be able start and return coming off his middle finger injury. He worked hard to put himself in a position to return. His doctor said it was the worst injury he’s seen for a player but he also said he’s never seen a player work harder to rehab an injury.
Wilson said the finger isn’t 100 percent but it’s not too far away. What will be interesting to see is if his throwing is a little bit off as his hand adjusts to a three-hour challenge. I would expect he would be mostly in shotgun so he doesn’t risk any further pain by taking snaps from center.
What also will be interesting is to see how effective Aaron Rodgers can be coming off the COVID-19 list. He didn’t practice this week. That’s not big because he clearly knows the offense, but some players are a little weaker coming off the list. Cam Newton admitted a few weeks after he came off the COVID-19 list last year in New England that he was weaker.
You know Wilson and Rodgers were campaigning management to sign Odell Beckham Jr. He ended up signing with the Los Angeles Rams. Wilson most likely handled it well, but you wonder whether Rodgers accepted it. One of his big gripes with management, which could lead to him getting out of Green Bay next year, is that the front office didn’t get him enough weapons at receiver. They also lost tight end Robert Tonyan for the season. He was emerging as a promising tight end and pass catcher in the offense.
Reports were the Packers where only willing to offer Beckham the minimum salary. The Rams got him for about $1.25 million.
Wilson will get a receiving option added Sunday in rookie Dee Eskridge, who hasn’t played since the season opener because of a bad concussion. He can get some plays as the third receiver.
The Seahawks’ defense will have to slow down wide Davante Adams, who is one of the best receivers in the league. They also will need to make sure the Packers don’t generate too many yards from the running game.
This is an important game for the Seahawks. They don’t want to lose and drop to 3-6. Clearly to think about the playoffs, the Seahawks have to win either this week or next week against Arizona.
But at least they have Wilson back at quarterback. They have a chance.
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