Seahawks to face sixth-seeded Detroit Lions in opening round of NFL playoffs. Here"s why that"s a good thing

Here Are Your 2017 NFL Playoffs

Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have always been one of the nfls hottest teams heading into the playoffs. They surge into the postseason, and they feed off that momentum.

But this season has been completely different. The Seahawks have lost three of their final eight games for the first time since 2011. They havent played well in their last four games. Two weeks ago, cornerback Richard Sherman blew up on the sideline at coach Pete Carroll over play-calling. This week, defensive linemen Frank Clark and Jarran Reed had to be separated on the sideline.

With the Packers 31-24 win over the Lions on Sunday Night Football, it finalized that the Seahawks would host the Lions in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

The Lions are the better matchup. Matthew Stafford is a dangerous quarterback, but Detroit ranks 30th in the NFL in rushing yards per game. The Seahawks have been stingy against the run all year and make the Lions one-dimensional.

The Packers were not a good match for the Seahawks. They already beat the Seahawks by 28 at home earlier this season, and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers can really take advantage of Earl Thomas absence.

Also, the Lions arent one of the leagues better pass-rushing teams; they rank 29th with 25 sacks this season. Thats important for a Seattle team that has struggled to protect quarterback Russell Wilson all year.

Source: http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/the-lions-are-a-better-matchup-for-the-seahawks-in-the-nfl-playoffs-than-the-packers/