NFC Wild-Card Playoff Capsules
6. Seahawks (10-6) at 3. Vikings (11-5)
TV: 1:05 p.m., NBC
Last playoff game: Seahawks lost Super Bowl 28-24 vs. New England Patriots, Feb. 1, 2015. Vikings lost wild-card game 24-10 at Green Bay Packers, Jan. 5, 2013.
2015 leaders: Seahawks: QB Russell Wilson 329-483 for 4,024 yards, 34 TD, 8 INT; RB Thomas Rawls 147-830, 4 TD; WR Doug Baldwin 78-1,069, 14 TD. Vikings: QB Teddy Bridgewater 292-447 for 3,231 yards, 19 TD, 9 INT; RB Adrian Peterson 327-1,485 11 TD; WR Stefon Diggs 52-720, 4 TD.
Notable: Zero will be a key number in this game. Not in points or turnovers, but temperature. That’s the predicted high for Sunday outside in Minnesota. Seattle has been hot, finishing 6-1 with victories over three playoff teams (Pittsburgh Steelers, Vikings, Arizona Cardinals). The offense has averaged 32 points over past seven games and the defense has 11 takeaways. Their biggest rout of the season was a 38-7 win at Minnesota a month ago when the Seahawks allowed a total of 125 yards. Seattle has won at least one playoff game in its past seven trips to the postseason. Minnesota went 2-4 against playoff teams this season. The Vikings rely on NFL rushing champ Adrian Peterson to set the offensive tempo since second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has only two games with more than 250 yards passing this season. The past 10 touchdowns against Minnesota’s defense have been on passes, and 15 of the past 17 over the past eight games have been through the air.
5. Packers (10-6) at 4. Washington (9-7)
TV: 4:40 p.m., Fox
Last playoff game: Packers lost NFC Championship Game 28-22 at Seattle Seahawks, Jan. 18, 2015. Washington lost wild-card game 24-14 vs. Seahawks, Jan. 6, 2013.
2015 leaders: Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers 347-572 for 3,821 yards, 31 TD, 8 INT; RB Eddie Lacy 187-758, 3 TD; WR James Jones 50-890, 8 TD. Washington: QB Kirk Cousins 379-543 for 4,166 yards, 29 TD, 11 INT; RB Alfred Morris 202-751, 1 TD; WR Jordan Reed 87-952, 11 TD.
Notable: The Packers were 3-4 against playoff teams, including 1-3 on the road. They went into the bye week 6-0 and then stumbled home 4-6, including three home losses to NFC North opponents. Aaron Rodgers passed for his fewest yards since taking the starting job in 2008, except for 2006 when he only played nine games. A patchwork, battered offensive line has made Rodgers an easy target for pass rushers. Washington has lost once since Thanksgiving against a closing schedule of nothing but sub-.500 teams, and forced 13 turnovers in that 5-1 stretch. It lost its only two games against playoff-bound opponents. Kirk Cousins set a franchise passing yardage record and has 29 TDs, including four in each of the final three games. He also led the team with five rushing touchdowns. Washington has one rushing touchdown by a running back since Oct. 18.
Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram
This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 5:37 PM with the headline "NFC Wild-Card Playoff Capsules."