NFL Championship Picks

By Chris Palochko
SportsTicker Staff Writer

Playoff record: 4-4 (Home team in caps)

1. San Diego (+14) over NEW ENGLAND - Perhaps the Chargers could make this interesting for a half. In the end, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are headed to another Super Bowl. PICK: NEW ENGLAND, 30-17

2. NY Giants (+7 1/2) over GREEN BAY - In what likely will go down as one of the coldest games in NFL history, the Giants will keep it close until the final gun. In the end, Brett Favre will be dancing around Lambeau Field as the Packers book their trip to sunny Arizona. PICK: GREEN BAY, 20-17

AFC Championship Preview

San Diego Chargers (13-5) vs. New England Patriots (17-0)
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts,
Sunday, 12p.m., CBS


Coaches' playoff records:
Norv Turner, San Diego, 3-1
Bill Belichick, New England, 14-3


Last meeting:
September 16, 2007 at Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In the immediate aftermath of "Spygate," the fired-up Patriots rolled to a 24-point halftime lead en route to a 38-14 victory over the Chargers. Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes - two to Randy Moss - and linebacker Adalius Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown as New England bolted to a 24-0 lead. Brady threw for 279 yards and Moss and Wes Welker had eight receptions apiece. Laurence Maroney added 77 yards on 15 carries. The Chargers, who lost to the Patriots, 24-21, as the No. 1 seed in the divisional playoffs in 2006, never posed a threat as running back LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to just 43 yards on 18 carries. New England intercepted Philip Rivers twice and sacked him three times.


San Diego offense against New England defense -------------------------
----- Key Matchups: RBs LaDainian Tomlinson vs. NFL's 10th-ranked run defense QB Philip Rivers vs. NFL's 6th-ranked pass defense WR Chris Chambers vs. CB Asante Samuel TE Antonio Gates vs. SS Rodney Harrison RT Jeromey Clary vs. LB Mike Vrabel Big ifs abound for the Chargers. Tomlinson and Rivers suffered knee injuries in Sunday's 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and both are listed as questionable. In addition, All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates is suffering from a dislocated toe that limited him to two catches for 28 yards against the Colts. While the Chargers received spectacular production from backup running backs Michael Turner and Darren Sproles, and reserve quarterback Billy Volek led the game-winning drive, it might be asking too much of them to provide similar results and match the firepower of the high-scoring Patriots. Rivers has put together superb back-to-back games and has been helped by the emergence of wide receiver Vincent Jackson opposite Chris Chambers. Jackson has 12 receptions for 207 yards and two TDs in the two postseason wins.


New England offense against San Diego defense --------------------------
----- Key Matchups: QB Tom Brady vs. NFL's 14th-ranked pass defense RB Laurence Maroney vs. NFL's 16th-ranked run defense WR Randy Moss vs. CB Antonio Cromartie WR Wes Welker vs. FS Marlon McCree LT Matt Light vs. LB Shawne Merriman Brady carved up the San Diego defense in the first meeting, finishing 25-of-31, but Cromartie was inactive in that contest. The second-year cornerback has 11 interceptions in his last 16 games and likely will draw the task of covering Moss, who served primarily as a decoy in New England's 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. With attention focused on Moss last weekend, Welker had nine receptions and a touchdown - the ninth time this season he has had at least eight catches in a game. Tight end Ben Watson also had a pair of scoring passes against the Jaguars. Running back Laurence Maroney continued his last-season resurgence, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. It was the third 100-yard game in the last four for Maroney, who also has five rushing TDs in his last four games.


How they got here -----------------
San Diego 17, Tennessee 6: Trailing at halftime, 6-0, the Chargers scored 17 straight points as Rivers threw for 292 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jackson. San Diego 28, Indianapolis 24: Despite injuries to Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates, backup QB Billy Volek led the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to eliminate the defending Super Bowl champs.

New England 31, Jacksonville 20: Brady threw a pair of third-quarter TD passes as the Patriots broke away from a 14-14 halftime tie. New England limited the Jaguars to two second-half field goals.


Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Perfect solution: San Diego will need to muster pressure on Brady, who had the highest completion percentage (92.9) in postseason history against the Jaguars as he finished 26-of-28 for 262 yards and three TDs.

2) Walking wounded: San Diego cannot afford to lose one of its three marquee players, much less two. Bizarre as it sounds, Rivers may be more vital than Tomlinson given the Pats' recent defensive struggles.

3) Familiarity breeds contempt: These two teams do not like each other, stemming from the Patriots dancing on the Chargers' turf following a 24-21 playoff victory last season.

A Closer Look at the Coaching Staffs

San Diego Chargers
Norv Turner, coach
Clarence Shelmon, offensive coordinator
Ted Cottrell, defensive coordinator
Clancy Barone, tight ends
Bill Bradley, secondary
Steve Crosby, special teams
John Henry, offensive line
Hal Hunter, offensive line
James Lofton, wide receivers
Wayne Nunnely, defensive line
John Pagano, outside linebackers
John Ramsdell, quarterbacks
Ron Rivera, inside linebackers
Kevin Ross, assistant secondary-quality control
Matt Simon, running backs
Jeff Hurd, strength & conditioning
Vernon Stephens, assistant strength & conditioning

New England Patriots
Bill Belichick, coach
Dante Scarnecchia, assistant head coach-offensive line
Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator-quarterbacks
Brian Daboll, wide receivers
Ivan Fears, running backs
Pete Mangurian, tight ends
Dean Pees, defensive coordinator
Pepper Johnson, defensive line
Matt Patricia, linebackers
Joel Collier, secondary
Brad Seely, special teams
Mike Woicik, strength & conditioning
Harold Nash, assistant strength & conditioning
Don Davis, assistant strength & conditioning

AFC Championship Game Preview

San Diego Chargers (13-5) vs. New England Patriots (17-0)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Sunday, 12 p.m., CBS


Coaches' playoff records:
Norv Turner, San Diego, 3-1 Bill Belichick, New England, 14-3

Last meeting:
September 16, 2007 at Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In the immediate aftermath of "Spygate," the fired-up Patriots rolled to a 24-point halftime lead en route to a 38-14 victory over the Chargers. Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes - two to Randy Moss - and linebacker Adalius Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown as New England bolted to a 24-0 lead. Brady threw for 279 yards and Moss and Wes Welker had eight receptions apiece. Laurence Maroney added 77 yards on 15 carries. The Chargers, who lost to the Patriots, 24-21, as the No. 1 seed in the divisional playoffs in 2006, never posed a threat as running back LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to just 43 yards on 18 carries. New England intercepted Philip Rivers twice and sacked him three times.


San Diego offense against New England defense ---------------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
RBs LaDainian Tomlinson vs. NFL's 10th-ranked run defense
QB Philip Rivers vs. NFL's 6th-ranked pass defense
WR Chris Chambers vs. CB Asante Samuel
TE Antonio Gates vs. SS Rodney Harrison
RT Jeromey Clary vs. LB Mike Vrabel
Big ifs abound for the Chargers. Tomlinson and Rivers suffered knee injuries in Sunday's 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and both are listed as questionable. In addition, All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates is suffering from a dislocated toe that limited him to two catches for 28 yards against the Colts. While the Chargers received spectacular production from backup running backs Michael Turner and Darren Sproles, and reserve quarterback Billy Volek led the game-winning drive, it might be asking too much of them to provide similar results and match the firepower of the high-scoring Patriots. Rivers has put together superb back-to-back games and has been helped by the emergence of wide receiver Vincent Jackson opposite Chris Chambers. Jackson has 12 receptions for 207 yards and two TDs in the two postseason wins.


New England offense against San Diego defense ----------------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Tom Brady vs. NFL's 14th-ranked pass defense
RB Laurence Maroney vs. NFL's 16th-ranked run defense
WR Randy Moss vs. CB Antonio Cromartie
WR Wes Welker vs. FS Marlon McCree
LT Matt Light vs. LB
Shawne Merriman Brady carved up the San Diego defense in the first meeting, finishing 25-of-31, but Cromartie was inactive in that contest. The second-year cornerback has 11 interceptions in his last 16 games and likely will draw the task of covering Moss, who served primarily as a decoy in New England's 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. With attention focused on Moss last weekend, Welker had nine receptions and a touchdown - the ninth time this season he has had at least eight catches in a game. Tight end Ben Watson also had a pair of scoring passes against the Jaguars. Running back Laurence Maroney continued his last-season resurgence, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. It was the third 100-yard game in the last four for Maroney, who also has five rushing TDs in his last four games.


How they got here -----------------
San Diego 17, Tennessee 6: Trailing at halftime, 6-0, the Chargers scored 17 straight points as Rivers threw for 292 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jackson.

San Diego 28, Indianapolis 24: Despite injuries to Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates, backup QB Billy Volek led the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to eliminate the defending Super Bowl champs.

New England 31, Jacksonville 20: Brady threw a pair of third-quarter TD passes as the Patriots broke away from a 14-14 halftime tie. New England limited the Jaguars to two second-half field goals.


Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Perfect solution: San Diego will need to muster pressure on Brady, who had the highest completion percentage (92.9) in postseason history against the Jaguars as he finished 26-of-28 for 262 yards and three TDs.

2) Walking wounded: San Diego cannot afford to lose one of its three marquee players, much less two. Bizarre as it sounds, Rivers may be more vital than Tomlinson given the Pats' recent defensive struggles.

3) Familiarity breeds contempt: These two teams do not like each other, stemming from the Patriots dancing on the Chargers' turf following a 24-21 playoff victory last season.

Giants and Packers Meet For NFC Title

NY Giants (12-6) at Green Bay (14-3), Sunday, 6:30 pm, FOX

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- There will be a Manning playing in a conference championship game this weekend, just not the one most people expected. Eli - not Peyton - will represent the family on Sunday when the surprising New York Giants face the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game.

A year ago, Eli watched big brother Peyton lead the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title after the Giants were eliminated in the wild card round of the playoffs. A year later, the roles are reversed. Now, Peyton will have to watch in street clothes as his baby brother tries to reach his first Super Bowl. The Colts were dethroned last week by the San Diego Chargers. The Giants advanced to their first conference championship in seven years by upsetting the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys, 21-17, at Texas Stadium. New York avenged two regular-season losses to Dallas. The Giants continued their remarkable road success with their ninth straight victory away from Giants Stadium, setting a single-season NFL record for most consecutive road wins.

On Sunday, they hope to match the feat of the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, who won three road playoff games en route to a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks. New York also will be looking to avenge another regular-season defeat. The Packers routed the Giants, 35-13, in Week Two at Giants Stadium, with Brett Favre completing 28-of-39 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

Sunday's rematch is a delight for traditionalists, as it pits two of the NFL's oldest and most storied franchises. The teams played for the NFL championship in 1961 and 1962, with Vince Lombardi's Packers winning each time. As satisfying as last week's win was, New York faces an even bigger challenge this week. The Giants have to contend with the mystique of Lambeau Field, the weather (the early forecast calls for a high of six degrees on Sunday) and a still-hungry Favre, who would love to play in another Super Bowl. Favre has split his two Super Bowl appearances, beating the New England Patriots, 35-21, in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997 and losing to the Denver Broncos, 31-24, the following season.

Criticized for erratic play throughout the season, Manning clearly benefited from his four-touchdown effort in the Giants' 38-35 Week 17 loss to the Patriots. He has thrown four TDs and no interceptions in the Giants' two playoff wins. "I don't know if he silenced the critics," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "In this game, you're always going to have critics. "I think Eli Manning is a great quarterback. He's the best I've ever played with. I love the guy to death." The 27-year-old Manning may have done some growing up the last three weeks. Still, he played poorly in cold-weather games down the stretch. That usually isn't a concern for Favre, who has played some of his best games in frigid conditions. He excelled in the snow last week at Lambeau Field, passing for three touchdowns in the Packers' surprisingly easy 42-20 win over the Seahawks. With the top-seeded Cowboys eliminated, the Packers host another playoff game instead of traveling to Texas Stadium.

That is good news for Favre, who has a career mark of 0-9 at Dallas. In another interesting storyline, the Giants will be re-united with Packers running back Ryan Grant, who will be looking to inflict some damage on his former team. The Giants gave up on Grant, trading him to the Packers before the start of the season. Not much was known about the Notre Dame product, but he became an instant hit for the Packers, boosting a running game that ranked last in the league for most of the season. Last week, Grant overcame two early fumbles to rush for a Packers' playoff record of 201 yards on a slippery field. Green Bay is hosting its first NFC championship game since defeating the Carolina Panthers, 23-10, in 1997.

Giants Upset Cowboys in NFL Playoffs

By John Tranchina
SportsTicker Contributing Writer

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) -- The third time was the charm for the New York Giants. Eli Manning threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Giants avenged a pair of regular-season losses to the Dallas Cowboys by rallying for a 21-17 victory Sunday in an NFC divisional playoff game. In beating the Cowboys for the first time in three attempts this season, the Giants advanced to the NFC Championship at Green Bay's Lambeau Field next Sunday.

Chargers Playoff Preview vs. Colts

San Diego Chargers (12-5) at Indianapolis Colts (13-3)
RCA Dome, Sunday, 10:00 a.m., CBS

Coaches' playoff records:
Norv Turner, San Diego, 2-1 Tony Dungy, Indianapolis 9-8

Last meeting:
November 11, 2007 at San Diego. Darren Sproles returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown as the Chargers scored the first 23 points and held on for a 23-21 victory over the Colts. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown, but San Diego's defense was the story of the game, forcing a career-high six interceptions by Peyton Manning. Still, the Colts rallied and had a chance to win, but kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a potential go-ahead 29-yard field goal with 1:31 to play.

Chargers offense against Colts defense ---------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson vs. NFL's 15th-ranked run defense
QB Philip Rivers vs. NFL's 2nd-ranked pass defense
WR Chris Chambers vs. CB Marlin Jackson
FB Lorenzo Neal vs. LB Gary Brackett
TE Antonio Gates vs. SS Bob Sanders

Despite beating the Colts earlier in the season, San Diego's offense, and Philip Rivers in particular, was dreadful in the first meeting. Rivers completed 13-of-24 passes for 104 yards and no touchdowns and threw two interceptions. Playing with a big lead, Tomlinson was held in check for the most part as the Chargers' last six possessions resulted in four punts, a fumble and an interception. After a slow start against Tennessee in last weekend's wild card game, Rivers played splendidly in the second half, completing 10-of-11 passes for 132 yards in the third quarter alone to rally San Diego. With Antonio Gates questionable at best, Tomlinson must have a big game to keep the ball out out the hands of Peyton Manning. And Rivers cannot afford anything close to a repeat of the first meeting.

Colts offense against Chargers defense --------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Peyton Manning vs. NFL's 14th-ranked pass defense
RB Joseph Addai vs. NFL's 16th-ranked run defense
WR Reggie Wayne vs. CB Antonio Cromartie
TE Dallas Clark vs. SS Clinton Hart
LT Tony Ugoh vs. LB Shawne Merriman
Manning certainly won't throw four interceptions on the first five possessions, as he did against the Chargers during the regular season. That also was a classic letdown game for Indy, which was forced to go on the road one week after a titanic showdown with the New England Patriots. The Colts are much healthier this time around, with tight end Dallas Clark available and Marvin Harrison a possible go. Indy should also be able utilize Joseph Addai more effectively. Manning was forced to throw 56 times in Week 10 but the Colts won't be so one-dimensional this time. One thing the Colts must do is protect Manning. In 2005, the 13-0 Colts hosted the Chargers and saw their bid for a perfect season slip away as Manning was sacked four times and threw two picks.

Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Peyton's place: Despite all the accolades, Manning is not at his best in the postseason. In 13 playoff games, he is just 7-6 with 18 TD passes and 15 interceptions.
2) Running start: Tomlinson has to have a huge game to alleviate the pressure on Rivers and keep Manning and the Indianapolis offense on the sideline.
3) What about Bob: If Gates is able to play, strong safety Bob Sanders is somewhat neutralized. If Gates sits, Sanders will be free to zero in on Tomlinson.

NFC Playoff Preview - Giants @ Cowboys

New York Giants (11-6) at Dallas Cowboys (13-3)
Texas Stadium, Sunday, 1:30 p.m., FOX

Coaches' playoff records:
Wade Phillips, Dallas, 0-3 Tom Coughlin, NY Giants, 5-6

Last meeting:
November 11, 2007 at East Rutherford, New Jersey - Cowboys 31, Giants 20.
Cowboys end New York's six-game winning streak and complete a season sweep behind another strong effort by Tony Romo, who throws four touchdowns for the second time in as many games against the Giants. After New York forges a 17-17 halftime tie, Cowboys pull away in second half as Terrell Owens catches TD passes of 25 of 50 yards.

First meeting:
September 9, 2007 at Dallas - Cowboys 45, Giants 35. The Cowboys open the Wade Phillips era by holding off the Giants in a shootout. The teams accounted for more than 900 yards of total offense as Romo and Giants quarterback Eli Manning each throw four TDs. Dallas gains 478 yards but surrenders 438 and sees New York close within 38-35 with four minutes left before Romo finally puts away the Giants with a 51-yard TD pass to Sam Hurd a minute later.

Giants offense against Cowboys defense --------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
RB Brandon Jacobs vs. NFL's 8th-ranked run defense
QB Eli Manning vs. NFL's 13th-ranked pass defense
WR Plaxico Burress vs. CB Terence Newman
LT David Diehl vs. LB DeMarcus Ware
RT Kareem McKenzie vs. LE Marcus Spears
The Giants beat the Buccaneers last week with a relatively conservative game plan, trying to avoid mistakes against a team with a plus-15 turnover ratio. Although the Giants got off to a slow start with three-and-outs on their first three possessions, Manning played with poise and confidence. He threw two TDs and no interceptions against the league's top pass defense as the Giants dominated after spotting Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead. However, New York may need more big plays against a team considerably more explosive than the Buccaneers. Manning passes for only 185 yards against the Buccaneers. They also probably need more from bruising running back Brandon Jacobs, who rushed for only 26 yards last week.

Cowboys offense against Giants defense --------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Tony Romo vs. NFL's 11th-ranked pass defense
RB Julius Jones vs. NFL's 4th-ranked run defense
WR Terrell Owens vs. CB Sam Madison or Corey Webster
LT Flozell Adams vs. RE Osi Umenyiora
RT Marc Colombo vs. LE Michael Strahan
The Cowboys need to get their potent offense back in high gear after struggling down the stretch. After rolling to an 11-1 start, Dallas seemed to lose an edge down the stretch, splitting its last four games. The Cowboys were kept out of the end zone in losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. Dallas, however, is still capable of putting up huge numbers, especially if WR Terrell Owens returns to the lineup. Owens has been sidelined since suffering a high ankle sprain against Carolina on December 22 and the Cowboys say he will be a game-time decision. The Cowboys will be looking to reverse their recent playoff struggles. They have lost five straight playoff games since their last postseason win in 1996.

Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) They need a T.O, baby: Assuming Owens plays, the Giants need to do a much better job of limiting his damage. In the two regular-season games, he combined for nine receptions for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
2) Putting pressure on Romo: Increased pressure contributed to Romo's struggles down the stretch. The Giants led the NFL in sacks during the regular season with 53 but they got to Romo only twice.
3) Still plenty potent: Despite their struggles down the stretch, the Cowboys led the NFC in scoring with 455 points, including 76 in the two wins over the Giants. The Cowboys want to turn Sunday's contest into a shootout.

NFL Injury Report

NEW YORK (Ticker) - Following is a list of injured players for the Divisional Playoffs (January 12-13):

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at GREEN BAY PACKERS on Saturday
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
QUESTIONABLE WR D.J. Hackett (ankle)
PROBABLE RB Shaun Alexander (wrist), LB Kevin Bentley (illness), DT Rocky Bernard (groin), WR Deion Branch (calf), S Mike Green (knee), QB Matt Hasselbeck (thigh), T Walter Jones (shoulder), DE Patrick Kerney (knee), LB Niko Koutouvides (knee)

GREEN BAY PACKERS
QUESTIONABLE CB Will Blackmon (foot)
PROBABLE LB Nick Barnett (hamstring), WR Greg Jennings (groin), WR Koren Robinson (knee), DT Corey Williams (hamstring), CB Charles Woodson (toe)


JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS on Saturday
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS OUT LB Mike Peterson (hand)
PROBABLE DT John Henderson (hamstring), DT Grady Jackson (knee), WR Reggie Williams (back)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
QUESTIONABLE S Willie Andrews (elbow), TE Kyle Brady (foot), RB Kyle Eckel (stomach), S Rodney Harrison (thigh), CB Ellis Hobbs (groin), T Nick Kaczur (foot), G Steve Neal (shoulder), TE Stephen Spach (knee), CB Antwain Spann (hamstring)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (right shoulder)

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
DOUBTFUL TE Antonio Gates (toe)
QUESTIONABLE RB Lorenzo Neal (fibula)
PROBABLE CB Antonio Cromartie (illness), K Nate Kaeding (left fibula)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
QUESTIONABLE TE Ben Utecht (shoulder)
PROBABLE CB T.J. Rushing (illness)

NEW YORK GIANTS at DALLAS COWBOYS
NEW YORK GIANTS
OUT CB Kevin Dockery (hip)
DOUBTFUL CB Sam Madison (stomach)
QUESTIONABLE WR Plaxico Burress (ankle)
PROBABLE TE Kevin Boss (illness), T Kareem McKenzie (ankle), C Shaun O'Hara (knee)

DALLAS COWBOYS
QUESTIONABLE WR Terrell Owens (ankle)
PROBABLE WR Terry Glenn (knee), C Andre Gurode (knee)

NFC Playoff Preview - Seahawks @ Packers

Ticker Preview

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.