NFL Wild Card Saturday Through Patriots Eyes

Why on earth would one of the best running backs in the league not play in a playoff game when he’s, apparently, healthy and looking good in practice?

“We’re doing things that have really been unprecedented”, is how Darrell Bevell, Seattle’s coordinator and play caller, put it last month at the height of his offense’s record-setting surge in yards, points and passing behind quarterback Russell Wilson. Lynch hasn’t played in a game since November 15 against the Arizona Cardinals. We don’t know for sure until we finish the week. Lynch, who rejoined the team earlier this week for three practices after sitting out nine weeks following sports hernia surgery, did not travel to Minneapolis.

Try as they might, the Seahawks couldn’t replicate those conditions in the Pacific North-West, although ‘Hawks cornerback Richard Sherman did offer one helpful suggestion. The team has won six of their last seven games, including a victory against the Vikings.

Lynch’s season has been plagued by injury thus far. “We’re going to take care of him”.

An ESPN article claimed that he is the second-best running back in the league, so expect him to make good plays against the Vikings.

The Seahawks now have to go forward with running backs Christine Michael and Bryce Brown. They are talented at every position aside from quarterback, as they have elite playmakers on offense, a solid offensive line, and an extremely balanced defense. Temperatures are in the single digits, the wind chill will make it feel like it is well below zero. Now, NFL analysts wonder if Lynch being out will keep the Seahawks from beating the Vikings in this wild card playoff.

Lynch has contemplated retiring in the very recent past, but he signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks last spring. Against the Vikings, Michael figures to get the bulk of the carries with Brown and Jackson subbing in. “We have had the best season we’ve had since I’ve been here and we earned the chance to play at home”.

All-time, only four teams have ever won three consecutive postseason games to reach the Super Bowl: those 2010 Packers, the ’07 New York Giants (as a fifth seed), those ’05 Steelers and the fifth-seeded, 1985 New England Patriots.

In $100 plays, I’ll go with Green Bay (plus-1) over Washington, Kansas City (minus-3) over Houston and Pittsburgh (minus-2.5) over Cincinnati. I think our team is ready.

The Vikings have been one of the NFL’s true surprises this season, thanks in large part to Adrian Peterson’s equally surprising return to on-field greatness. Even though he’s dealing with an injury, he’s going to be out there taking handoffs from Teddy Bridgewater and hoping to do much better than his performance in the first game between these two teams. “That was a game that just happens once in a while; that was not an indication of anything that’s going to come”. The Vikings didn’t bring a lot of heat in their lopsided Week 13 loss to the Seahawks but, with defensive tackle Linval Joseph, linebacker Anthony Barr and safety Harrison Smith all expected to return on Sunday, their defence will be complete.