In the second part of a Saturday playoff doubleheader, the Detroit Lions travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in the Wild Card round. It will be a rematch of the notorious 2015 “illegal bat” matchup, where the Seahawks got away with illegally batting the ball into the end zone in a win over the Lions.
Lions vs. Seahawks 2017 live stream: How to watch NFL playoffs online
The Lions will be huge underdogs in this game, but the matchup appears as though it will be competitive.
The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC and can be streamed online at NBC Sports Live.
The Seahawks are looking to build on recent playoff success and the Lions are looking to win their first playoff game in over two decades. The Lions have lost eight consecutive playoff games since 1991. A ninth consecutive playoff loss would break a tie with the Bengals and make the Lions’ current playoff losing streak the longest in NFL history.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, are three seasons removed from a Super Bowl victory and two seasons removed from their most recent Super Bowl appearance. Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks are 5-0 in home playoff games.
Detroit (9-7) has struggled on the road this year, winning only three away games. The Lions are also riding a three-game losing streak, surrendering 30 points per game to opponents over that stretch. Seattle (10-5-1), meanwhile, went 7-1 at CenturyLink Field this year.
This game appears to be set up for a Seahawks victory, but a few factors could potentially work in the Lions’ favor here. Detroit has put together eight fourth-quarter comebacks this season. Despite Matthew Stafford’s finger injury and a slew of injuries to players up and down the roster, the Seahawks aren’t in perfect shape either — All-Pro Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was placed on injured reserve earlier in the season.
The Seahawks’ playmakers need no introduction. Seattle’s defense has been a perennial superpower, with Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Bobby Wagner, Cliff Avril, and K.J. Wright performing at an incredibly high level. On offense, just having quarterback Russell Wilson in the playoffs has been a formula for the Seahawks’ success. That, plus the emergences of Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham makes the Seahawks’ offense a scary unit, even without the retired Marshawn Lynch.
While they don’t have the Seahawks’ star power, the Lions have receivers Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and Anquan Boldin, all of whom have the talent level and playmaking ability to change a game. Tight end Eric Ebron and the offensive line have also taken major steps forward this year, and second-year running back Zach Zenner has come into his own as of late, totaling 110 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in last week’s contest against the Packers.
On defense, Darius Slay and Glover Quin are the big names in the secondary. Linebacker Tahir Whitehead ranks third in the NFL with 99 solo tackles, despite missing a game due to injury. Defensive linemen Ziggy Ansah, Haloti Ngata, Kerry Hyder, Devin Taylor and A’Shawn Robinson can all make plays.
The Seahawks will probably be heavy favorites in this game, and rightfully so. They’re a great team, coached by one of the NFL’s best coaches, and are playing in a stadium that provides one of the best home-field advantages in all of football.
But in the playoffs, every team has something to prove — the Lions, especially. Should the Seahawks win, they’ll travel to Atlanta and face the Falcons. If the Lions win, they’ll head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys.
How to watch
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Place: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
Online: NBC Sports Live
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