NFC Wild Card: Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks
#6 Detroit Lions (9–7) vs. #3 Seattle Seahawks (10–5–1)
While both the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions stumbled entering the postseason, Russell Wilson gets a strong home stand in the NFC Wildcard.
Key Factors
Weakest Link — The Seattle Seahawks invested only $6 million into their entire offensive line — that’s four times less than the league average. Trust me, the results have shown this season. The Seahawks are ranked 32nd and 31st in run blocking and pass blocking respectively which is probably the big ticket for the Lions. Sure, Lions’ DE Ziggy Ansah is having a down year but he gets a promising matchup against Seahawks’ LT George Fant. Fant, a former basketball player, has very little experience let alone any postseason experience protecting Russell Wilson’s blind side. Also, keep an eye out for Lions’ DT Kerry Hyder, who was 51 QB pressures while surprising everyone as an undrafted practice squad player.
X-Factor — With a struggling offensive line and an injured secondary, the Seahawks are asking an awful lot from their franchise quarterback. Russell Wilson needs to turn the light on after struggling earlier this season due to injuries and an inconsistent run game to hamper his effectiveness. Interestingly, Wilson’s early injuries could be a blessing; he seldom ran the football and adjusted by releasing the ball quicker. Outside of CB Darius Slay, the Lions’ secondary remains an unimpressive group with zero interceptions their last three games. If I’m Wilson, I would continue to look early and often to WR Doug Balwin in the slot; the Wilson-Baldwin duo yields an 119.7 QB rating. Red zone wise, Wilson should have full confidence in TE Jimmy Graham matching up against Lions’ LB DeAndre Levy, who just returned from injury.
Legion of Boom — Since S Earl Thomas broke his leg, the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” secondary hasn’t been the same. The unit is now allowing a 99.5 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks, which is only better than the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. Former Seahawks’ WR turned Lion Golden Tate presents the biggest threat to the L.O.B; Tate forced 23 missed tackles this season which ranked third among all receivers. I wouldn’t too be worried about the Lions’ run game — the Seahawks boast the league’s top-ranked run defense. This should be the primary focus on Saturday; it’s good to know Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford is also dealing with a finger injury.
Special Teams — The Seahawks lost KR/PR Tyler Lockett (fibula) only a couple weeks ago which prompted them to make a quick signing on the fly. What makes this particularly interesting is who they signed. Now 34-years old, Devin Hester was added to the roster which adds a level of intrigue. Hester, once a game-changing return specialist with the Chicago Bears, was the first player to ever score an opening kickoff return in Super Bowl history. This season, he was released by the Baltimore Ravens earlier this month but now gets another opportunity to make his mark.
Overall Thoughts
The current spread indicates that the public feels the Seahawks can win by more than a touchdown, especially at home, but I still remain worrisome. The Seahawks weren’t too impressive finishing the season against the Cardinals and 49ers in comparison to last year when they entered the playoffs on fire averaging 32 points per game. This game is contingent upon Wilson’s ascension in the playoff atmosphere to cover the Seahawks’ aforementioned weak points. I think the Seahawks pull out the victory — they have not lost a postseason home game since 2005 — but it’s not going to be as easy as people think.
Lions +7 Under 44
Lions 14 Seahawks 20
JTW ATS Record: 20–23–1
2015 JTW ATS Record: 29–23–2
