NFC Playoff Preview - Seahawks @ Packers

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Seattle Seahawks (11-6) vs. Green Bay Packers (13-3)
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Saturday,1:30 p.m., FOX

Coaches' playoff records: Mike Holmgren, Seattle, 13-10 Mike McCarthy, Green Bay, 0-0

Last meeting: November 27, 2006 at Seattle. Playing in a rare snowstorm in the Northwest, Shaun Alexander rushed for a season-high 201 yards on 40 carries as Seattle rallied for a 34-24 victory. Matt Hasselbeck threw three second-half touchdown passes to offset three interceptions as the Seahawks erased a 21-12 deficit. Seattle sacked Packers quarterback Brett Favre twice and picked him off three times.
Green Bay's rushing game also was stuffed by the Seahawks, accounting for a mere 52 yards on 18 carries.
Seattle offense vs. Green Bay defense -------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Matt Hasselbeck vs. NFL's 12th-ranked pass defense
RB Shaun Alexander vs. NFL's 14th-ranked run defense
WR Bobby Engram vs. CB Al Harris
WR D.J. Hackett vs. CB Charles Woodson
RT Sean Locklear vs. LE Aaron Kampman

Seattle has been unable to get its running game untracked all season, lending little reason to believe it will happen against the Packers. That will put the onus on Hasselbeck, who threw for a career-high 28 touchdown passes against just 12 interceptions this season. Since the Green Bay cornerbacks will play Seattle's receivers one-on-one, the Seahawks could receive a big boost if injured wideout Deion Branch is healthy to play. The Super Bowl MVP in 2005 with the New England Patriots, Branch sat out the past two games with a calf injury but did practice Wednesday. His presence will allow Seattle to spread the field and give Alexander and backup Maurice Morris to find seams in the Packers' defense.
Green Bay offense vs. Seattle defense -------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Brett Favre vs. NFL's 19th-ranked pass defense
RB Ryan Grant vs. NFL's 12th-ranked run defense
WR Donald Driver vs. CB Marcus Trufant
WR Greg Jennings vs. CB Kelly Jennings
WR Koren Robinson vs. SS Deon Grant
Green Bay relied almost exclusively on the passing game out of necessity early in the season, but injuries opened the door for Ryan Grant, who had a magnificent second half of the season. Grant rushed for 956 yards - all but 27 coming in the final 10 games - and eight touchdowns while recording five 100-yard games. That has made the passing attack that much more dangerous behind Brett Favre, who bounced back from back-to-back sub-par seasons to throw 28 TD passes and 15 interceptions. Green Bay likes to utilize five-receiver packages at times, which has been effective but will expose Favre to a strong pass rush that has produced 45 sacks in the regular season and three more in last weekend's wild card playoff victory over Washington.

Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Quarterback shuffle: Favre and Hasselbeck both want to throw early and often, and it's likely the game will hinge on which QB limits the turnovers.
2) Home sweet Holm: Seattle coach Mike Holmgren led Packers to Super Bowl championship? Can he figure out a way to stop Favre, the three-time MVP who delivered that title?
3) Elements of surprise: Weather is always is a factor at Lambeau Field, but the forecast calls for relatively benign conditions - possible snow showers and temps in the 20s.