GREEN BAY – The defense the Packers will face Sunday night in Seattle has provided plenty of fuel, primarily in the way of interceptions, for the Seahawks' current four-game winning streak.
A month ago, they picked off San Francisco QB Brock Purdy to set up an early field goal in an eventual three-point win. The following week, they turned a critical fourth-and-1 play in Seattle territory into a 69-yard pick-six off of Arizona QB Kyler Murray.
The week after that, it was a 92-yard pick-six against former Packers and current Jets QB Aaron Rodgers that sparked a comeback from a multi-score deficit. And then last week, they picked off Murray twice more to set up a pair of first-half TDs as the Seahawks took control of the AFC West at 8-5.
That's five of their 11 interceptions on the season coming in the last four games, all of them producing points – 31 in total – and four wins.
"They're going to throw a lot of different things at you," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said of new Seattle head coach Mike MacDonald's defense. "You've got to be ready to adjust to them."
MacDonald came to Seattle after two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore, where he'd also spent several years as a defensive assistant. The Packers certainly see principles from the Ravens' defense, but QB Jordan Love also mentioned similarities to the Houston defense Green Bay saw earlier this season, one that focuses on keeping plays in front and limiting big gains.
Love hasn't thrown an interception since the first half in Chicago four games ago, so this has the feeling of a "something's gotta give" game in that regard. Either the Seahawks will break Love's INT-free streak, currently at 76 pass attempts and counting, or the Packers will force Seattle's defense to beat them some other way.
"They're a solid defense all around, they're very sound," Love said. "I think the big thing with these guys is you've got to stay out of the negative plays, going backwards, pre-snap penalties, turnovers. All those things is where they thrive."
That'll start with handling the noise in Seattle's loud Lumen Field to keep the offense in sync. In general, the Packers have handled crowd noise well, but last Thursday in Detroit, the Lions were getting a jump on Green Bay's silent cadence early in the game, according to LaFleur, and it contributed to the offense's slow start.
LaFleur added there are "tools and mechanisms to try to alleviate" those issues, so Sunday night will reveal any adjustments the Packers have made. They'd certainly prefer not to fall behind by 10 points in a tough road venue before getting going, which was what transpired in Detroit.
Working in the Packers' favor, not just on offense, is the team appears to be getting healthier for the stretch run.
Receiver Romeo Doubs and rookie safety Evan Williams remain in the concussion protocol, but both are practicing, with Doubs now a full participant after missing the Lions game. Williams had exited mid-game in Detroit.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) also was a full participant in practice Wednesday after having played just 10 snaps (in Chicago) over the last five games. Fellow corner Corey Ballentine (knee) was also back at practice, along with rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring), who has missed the last three games.
Last but not least, tight end Luke Musgrave (ankle) was practicing for the first time since his early-season injury/surgery and has been designated to return from injured reserve. He'll need some ramp-up time after such a long layoff, but he could be back in action later this month.
Only rookie safety Javon Bullard (ankle), who left the Detroit game late, wasn't practicing among the players on the 53-man roster.
"The name of the game is trying to stay as healthy as possible, especially late into the season (when) there's definitely injuries that stack up," Love said. "To have everybody relatively healthy and to be able to have our top guys out there would be huge for us."
The Packers know where they stand. They're maybe just one win, and probably no more than two wins, away from locking down a wild-card playoff spot, looking to hit their stride at the right time like they did a year ago.
That won't happen automatically, though, and can't be assumed just because it's happened before. Better health will help, and winning in a hostile environment against a hot team would have its benefits, too.
"We're not holding anything back," Love said. "We're keeping the same approach we've done all season, taking it one week at a time.
"Our goal is to win every game to finish this stretch … and obviously all of our focus is to go get a win at Seattle this week."
