The 2014 NFL season opened with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the Green Bay Packers. For at least one of those teams, that's also how it will end.
The Packers lost the season-opening game in embarrassing fashion and stumbled to a 1-2 record. However, it didn't take them long to rebound. MVP front-runner Aaron Rodgers gave his now-famous "R-E-L-A-X" speech and sparked a 9-1 run that put Green Bay in the driver's seat for the NFC. The Packers dropped a late-season game to the Buffalo Bills, opening the door for the eventual No. 1 seed Seahawks to take control, but managed to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs by knocking off the Detroit Lions in their final game of the regular season.
For nearly the entire season, Rodgers has been close to unstoppable. He tossed 38 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions. No other quarterback has ever produced such a season. Rodgers also delivered 4,381 yards and a 65.6 completion percentage. His top targets were Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Nelson finished second in the NFC with 1,519 receiving yards and added a team-leading 13 touchdown catches. Cobb was almost as prolific, hauling in 91 passes for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.
As for the Seahawks, their season took a different shape. After their impressive win over Green Bay in Week 1, they dropped early games to the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys and fell to 3-3. The team appeared to dip even further when it lost a road matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11. However, the defense returned to championship form in the second half and helped turn around the team's fortunes. Seattle won its last six regular season games and blew out the Panthers in the Divisional Round, 31-17.
This was a rejuvenating year for Marshawn Lynch. He gave the Seahawks 4.7 yards per rush, nearly half a yard above his career average. Lynch also eclipsed the 1,300-yard mark for just the second time in his career and set a personal high in total touchdowns with 17. Though Lynch was the team's leading rusher, quarterback Russell Wilson was a close second. He finished the season with 849 yards on the ground, most among quarterbacks. He also added six rushing touchdowns. As a passer, Wilson completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,475 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
The Packers enter the game with a record of 13-4, counting their 26-21 Divisional round win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Seahawks also come in at 13-4 including the playoffs.
How to watch
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
When: 3:05 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews
Radio: Packers Radio Network, Seahawks Radio Network
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Seahawks are 7.5-point favorites according to OddsShark.
Further reading
For more on the Packers, check out Acme Packing Company. For additional coverage of the Seahawks, head on over to Field Gulls.