Matchups for the NFC championship game Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink

Matchups for the NFC championship game Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field:WHEN THE PACKERS (13-4) HAVE THE BALL:Pretty simple, really: balance. Daeshon Hall Panthers Jersey . With a healthy QB Aaron Rodgers (12) and RB Eddie Lacy (27), that usually is not problem for the Packers. But Rodgers has been bothered by a calf injury and was particularly hobbled in the second half last week vs. Dallas. Still, he threw for two second-half touchdowns.Running against Seattle is about as easy as hearing each other at CenturyLink Field for a visiting team. Led by dynamic LB Bobby Wagner (54) and a stout defensive line featuring Michael Bennett (72), the Seahawks rarely allow an opponent to control the clock on the ground. Establishing any sort of rushing attack is a major challenge for Green Bays line, particularly rookie C Corey Linsley (63) and guards T.J. Lang (70) and Pro Bowler Josh Sitton (71).An inability to do so would force Rodgers to the air early. Sounds like a good idea when your quarterback is an All-Pro, but only if Rodgers has the mobility he needs to escape pressure from DE Cliff Avril (56) and LBs Wagner and Bruce Irvin (51), plus whichever Legion of Boom member blitzes from the secondary.Then theres the equally difficult chore of completing throws against All-Pros CB Richard Sherman (25) and S Earl Thomas (29), plus S Kam Chancellor (31), who comes off a dominant performance against Carolina. Rodgers should feel comforted that his two outstanding main targets, WRs Jordy Nelson (87) and Randall Cobb (18) are complemented by the emerging WR Davante Adams (17) and TE Andrew Quarless (81).Regardless, if the Packers cant establish a semblance of a running game, it figures to be a long Sunday.WHEN THE SEAHAWKS (13-4) HAVE THE BALL:Also relatively simple, and the same formula that worked on the way to last seasons championship: Seattle must feed the Beast, RB Marshawn Lynch (24), and give QB Russell Wilson (3) freedom to create.Lynch, like Lacy, has the power, speed and determination to ruin a defences day. The way DeMarco Murray marauded through Green Bays defence last week is worrisome. And Lynch gets better as the game progresses, with defenders tiring.The Packers will need outstanding showings by an underrated defensive line, including DLs Mike Daniels (76) and Letroy Guion (98), who come off a strong game against Dallas, and more from star LB Clay Matthews (52). If Lynch gets through the first wave, the Pack will be in trouble because the secondary lacks good tacklers.Matthews and LB-DE Julius Pepper (56) must be disruptive, and also need to keep Wilson from escaping outside, whether as a scrambler or on designed runs.With the unsung offensive line, led by LT Russell Okung (76) and C Max Unger (60), pretty much back intact, the Seahawks are capable of dominating the trenches. Green Bay must find ways to make Wilson uneasy.The matchup of Seattle receivers against the Packers secondary isnt nearly as high-profile as the other way around. But even after losing free agent Golden Tate and trading Percy Harvin, the Seahawks have gotten timely plays from Doug Baldwin (89), Jermaine Kearse (15) and TE Luke Willson (82). Packers CBs Tramon Williams (38) and Sam Shields (37) struggled last week against Dallas, which has more dangerous wideouts. Safeties Morgan Burnett (42) and rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) had problems covering Jason Witten, which bodes well for Willson. And Wilson.SPECIAL TEAMS:Green Bays Mason Crosby (2) and Seattles Steven Hauschka (4) are solid placekickers, reliable in the clutch. Hauschka has gotten better on kickoffs through his career, too. But both the kickoff coverages werent great in 2014 for either squad.Micah Hyde (33) ran back two punts for TDs, but Seattles Jon Ryan (9) is one of the leagues most dependable punters. Neither Ryan nor Green Bays Tim Masthay (8) have had big seasons, though.COACHING:Both Seattles Pete Carroll and Green Bays Mike McCarthy pulled off one of their best coaching jobs this season. Carroll saw his team suffering from a Super Bowl hangover early in the schedule and not only got the Seahawks to snap out of it, but reach peak form down the stretch. His energy is contagious; his top assistants, Dan Quinn on defence, Darrell Bevell on offence, are masterful game planners.McCarthy is more low-key than Carroll, and oversees the prolific offence while leaving the defence to co-ordinator Dom Capers. McCarthy has found ways to overcome injury issues better than most coaches, particularly on offence.INTANGIBLES:CenturyLink Field is as difficult a place for visitors as any stadium/arena on the planet. The best way to describe the noise level when the fans get pumped is beyond deafening. Indeed, local seismologists plan to measure the surge of sound on Sunday.Green Bay has been mediocre on the road (4-4), with only one truly well-rounded performance, at Chicago. But the Packers have some key veterans such as Rodgers, Nelson, Peppers, Matthews, Sitton and Crosby who have been through such tough challenges before.No team has been to successive Super Bowls since New England 10 years ago. Seattle is primed to do it.___Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Dontari Poe Jersey . Costa injured his right thigh muscle against Barcelona last Saturday and had sought treatment in Belgrade from a doctor specializing in using fluid derived from horse placenta to repair damaged cells. Donte Jackson Panthers Jersey . Julien coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2010-11 and is the longest serving coach in consecutive seasons in the teams history. Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Sunday in announcing the signing. http://www.thepanthersfootballpro.com/Panthers-DJ-Moore-Jersey/ .ca. Kerry, I hope you address Ron MacLeans comment during the second intermission of Game 4 in Montreal-Tampa series. Basically, he suggested that the NHL should not have used a referee from Quebec, following the Game 3 disputed non-goal, because the referee could be biased towards Montreal. It was a night for NHL teams to even up their respective playoff series, as the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks all won to get their series to 2-2. Scott Cullen has notes on Brandon Dubinsky, Jack Johnson, Shawn Horcoff, Alex Goligoski, Patrick Kane, Ben Smith and more. MY MORNING JACKETS The Pittsburgh Penguins coughed up a 3-0 lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to the Columbus Blue Jackets, leaving the series tied at two games apiece. To this point in the series, the most valuable Blue Jacket has been C Brandon Dubinsky who, in addition to spending his time matched up against Penguins star C Sidney Crosby, Dubinsky contributed a goal and an assist, giving him a team-leading six points in the series. Dubinsky has earned a reputation as a solid two-way forward who can play tough minutes, facing top-tier opposition but, in this series, hes been more assertive offensively and thats the kind of performance that the Blue Jackets need to knock off the higher-seeded Penguins. Crosby was held off the scoresheet, and had a negative Corsi, for the first time in the series in Game Four. Blue Jackets C Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist, giving him five points in four games, and his line -- with rookie LW Boone Jenner and journeyman RW Jack Skille -- got the better of Pittsburghs second line of Evgeni Malkin, Jussi Jokinen and James Neal. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury was having a decent game, but turned the puck over leading to Dubinskys tying goal, then the winning goal was a 65-foot wrist shot from Blue Jackets LW Nick Foligno. Considering Fleurys dubious playoff history, he and the Penguins cant afford to have those kinds of gaffes appear with the game on the line. Blue Jackets D Jack Johnson played a game-high 31:12, mostly against Crosby, and, for the first time in the series, was break-even in terms of shot attempts for and against during 5-on-5 play. Score effects or not, given that they were chasing for much of the game, the Blue Jackets will take it. For the fourth consecutive game, Penguins D Paul Martin recorded a pair of assists. He has eight points to lead all playoff scorers. Blue Jackets D James Wisniewski also had a pair of assists and had nine unblocked shot attempts, his first points of the series, and had a game-high plus-15 Corsi. With the series even, the Blue Jackets arent carrying play, but theyre not getting dominated either. If G Sergei Bobrovsky can give them a few solid games, they can put pressure on Fleury and the Penguins. SHOOTING STARS The Dallas Stars evened their series with the Anaheim Ducks, taking Game Four by a 4--2 score, rallying to score four unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0. Torrey Smith Jersey. Anaheim came into the game with some lineup changes, making veteran RW Teemu Selanne a healthy scratch, and then missing C Ryan Getzlaf due to an upper-body injury. As a result, C Rickard Rakell and RW Emerson Etem were inserted into the lineup. Dallas line of Shawn Horcoff, Vernon Fiddler and Colton Sceviour was particularly effective. Horcoff and Fiddler each had two points and the trio was on for more than two-thirds of even strength shot attempts. Ducks D Francois Beauchemin, who played a team-high 27:14, got eaten up in terms of puck possession, finishing minus-14 (29.4% Corsi%) On the other hand, Stars D Alex Goligoski logged 32:48, scored a goal and, through the first four games, is running a 56.7% Corsi%. Needless to say, if the Ducks dont have Getzlaf back in the lineup, in a hurry, then they are really vulnerable to be upset. KANE COMES THROUGH Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane scored his second goal of the game, 11:17 into overtime, giving Chicago a 4-3 win in Game Four, tying the series at two games apiece. In the third period, the Blackhawks shifted Ben Smith into the middle on the line with Kane and Patrick Sharp, and that unit created several scoring chances before connecting on the winner. Smith had the best Corsi differential (+13), and percentage (74.1%), among Blackhawks forwards. Blackhawks defencemen Nick Leddy and Michal Roszival had a tremendous game, carrying possession against weaker competition. They matched up most frequently against the Blues line of Maxim Lapierre, Steve Ott and Chris Porter. While Lapierre scored St. Louis second goal late in the second period, that line was dominated possession-wise. Leddy was on for 26 shot attempts for and five shot attempts against (83.9%). When Leddy was off the ice, the Blackhawks were virtually even (50.6%) in possession terms. Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews added two assists, giving him five points through the first four games of the series. Blues RW Vladimir Tarasenko continued to find the net, scoring a pair of goals to give him four goals in four games for the series. Having tied the series, the Blackhawks are likely in a slightly better position going forward, particularly as long as St. Louis C David Backes remains out of the lineup, but this is an even series. Literally, both teams have a 50.0% Fenwick Close (unblocked shot attempts) for the series. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Black China NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Hoodies Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Online Stitched Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys 2020 ' ' '