Packers-Seahawks rivalry opens new chapter as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson both return

It's an NFL matchup that would attract plenty of interest even during a normal season. 

And even though this year's edition is far from normal, and even though one of the teams involved doesn't even have a winning record, there is still plenty of intrigue surrounding the contest Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

It's a game featuring two top franchises — one trying to continue its football dominance and the other trying to regain it. It's also a game that features two marquee quarterbacks returning to action following absences for vastly different reasons, with plenty of uncertainty over how either will perform.

Finally, it's the latest in a series with plenty of oddball history despite these not being divisional foes. 

Let's dive in.

The history

The beginning of this unusual rivalry probably can be traced back to the 2003-04 playoffs, when the teams met in the postseason for the first time. The wild-card matchup was tied 27-27 at the end of regulation. After winning the coin toss for overtime, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was caught on mic saying: "We want the ball, and we're gonna score."

Alas, they didn't, and after the teams traded three-and-outs, Packers corner Al Harris picked off Hasselbeck and ran 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

The Packers beat the Seahawks in the playoffs again four years later, this time in a "Snow Bowl" contest in which two inches of snow fell during the game.

In 2012, there was the "Fail Mary" play, in which replacement refs awarded a game-winning touchdown on Russell Wilson's desperation heave to Seahawks receiver Golden Tate. The NFL later released a statement saying Tate should have been flagged for offensive pass interference on the play.

In the 2014 NFC Championship Game, Seattle again beat the Packers. But overall, Green Bay has won four of the past five matchups, including a 28-23 triumph in the 2019-20 playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers returns

We won't dive too deep into Rodgers' season, but needless to say, it's been … eventful.

The reigning NFL MVP missed Green Bay's game against Kansas City last week after contracting COVID-19. That gave the Packers a chance to try out Jordan Love as a starting QB for the first time. It didn't go well, as the Chiefs won 13-7.

Then, news emerged that Rodgers might have stretched the truth a bit when saying back in August that he was "immunized" against COVID-19. Further complicating matters was that the NFL didn't consider Rodgers to be vaccinated, and that meant he hadn't been following protocols for unvaccinated players.

The end result of all of this was that Rodgers and receiver Allen Lazard were each fined $14,650 for failing to follow protocols, and the Packers were docked $300,000 for the same reason.

There were no suspensions, and since Rodgers has now cleared protocols, he's expected to play on Sunday. How will he be received by teammates? How will he play amid all of this drama? That will be interesting to find out.

Russell Wilson returns

Wilson, the engine that makes the Seattle offense go, is back in action after missing six weeks due to a finger injury suffered against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 7.

At the time, FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst Dr. Matt Provencher wrote: "The ability to grip the ball will be the obvious key for his eventual return in the next several weeks, as the team determines how well he can open his hand, receive the ball from the center, execute handoffs and pass the ball accurately. If Wilson cannot straighten his middle finger, this could impact football transitions — snaps from center to QB, handoffs to the RB, etc. He'll need to be able to open his hand and keep the middle finger — the longest one — out of the way."

Wilson has been activated, so we'll assume he can grip the ball fine. And in this week's NFL injury report, Dr. Provencher wrote that he didn't expect much decline in Wilson's performance: "We don't anticipate any decline for Wilson on short passes within 15-20 yards. But he might have some issues with accuracy and ball speed on longer throws. Overall, we expect him to be down about 10-12% in passing yards in his first three games as he works on the mobility and trust of his finger."

There will certainly be pressure on Wilson to perform, probably more than on Rodgers. The Seahawks have lost three of their past four games (including the loss to the Rams) and are last in the NFC West at 3-5. There is no wiggle room if Seattle hopes to get back in the postseason hunt.

As Marcellus Wiley said on "Speak for Yourself": "What is Aaron Rodgers? MVP candidate on a great team. What is Russell Wilson? Not an MVP candidate on a bad team. So guess what? More pressure and more at stake for you, Russell Wilson."

What should viewers expect?

From a bettor's perspective, it's difficult to say, as there are just so many variables in play. As of Saturday evening, the Packers were a 3.5-point favorite according to FOX Bet.

In a story titled "NFL Odds: How to bet Seahawks vs. Packers, point spread, more," FOX Sports Betting Analyst Jason McIntyre wrote that there could be an opportunity to take Seattle +10 on a teaser leg at FOX Bet.

"The Packers are 3-0 ATS at home, but those wins came against Jared Goff, Ben Roethlisberger and Taylor Heinicke," he wrote. "This is Green Bay's third straight ‘big game’ (Cardinals, Chiefs), so their injured defense may struggle."