The NFL Playoff preview

The Green Bay Packers (12-4) will take on the defending champion Seattle Seahawks (12-4) on Sunday afternoon to see which NFC team will advance to the Super Bowl.

It’s a home game for Seattle who will rely on the crowd and try to keep its home winning streak alive. The Seahawks are 7-1 at home this year and riding an eight-game winning streak currently. The Packers and the Seahawks played in week one of the season and Seattle won big 36-16.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense are on a roll right now, they have won 12 of the last 14 games. Seattle has relied on its No. 1 ranked rush defense and No. 3 ranked pass defense all season. Marshawn Lynch and the running attack average 173 yards per game, good enough for first in the league.

The Packers are averaging more than 30 points per game and 386 yards of offense. That offense will face a stingy Seattle defense, giving up just 267 yards per game and allowing just over 15 points.

It will be a strength-versus-strength matchup to see who will be moving on to the biggest game of the year.

In the AFC Championship game the Indianapolis Colts (11-5) play against the New England Patriots (12-4) in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Tom Brady and Andrew Luck will face off for the second time this season.

The first meeting came in Indianapolis on November 16, and the Patriots stole the show for a 42-20 win. Luck has thrown for over 4,700 yards and 40 touchdowns on the year. The Colts have the number one pass offense in the NFL. Brady has more than 4,000 pass yards and 33 touchdowns.

Statistically both of the teams match up equally. The Colts average 28 points per game and the Patriots 29. Defensively Indianapolis gives up 343 yards a game and New England allows 344.

The game is likely to be a high-scoring matchup between two pass-happy offenses. However, in the last three meetings between the two the Patriots have dominated with run-heavy attacks. The Patriots have won the last three by a combined total of 68 points.

— kalen.s.taylor@aggiemail.usu.edu

Twitter: @kalen_taylor