NFC Championship Game: Green Bay at Seattle

■ WHEN/WHERE: 12:05 p.m. today, CenturyLink Field, Seattle

■ TV: Fox (5)

■ LINE: Seahawks -7½; total 46

■ Keys to the game: It’s easy to dismiss the Packers’ 36-16 loss at Seattle to open the 2014 season as being more than four months ago, when both were far different teams than the versions that will meet today. But for Green Bay, the demons of that primetime drubbing could quickly resurface with a slow start. The Packers played scared offensively in Week 1, including not a single target against Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers enters the rematch coming off an impressive second-half performance against Dallas despite a strained left calf. How well he can move will be critical because the Cowboys proved Rodgers is an entirely different player when hemmed in the pocket. Seattle plays fast and aggressive at home, and any lack of mobility will be blood in the water. The counter is running back Eddie Lacy, who plowed his way to 101 yards on 19 carries against Dallas.

Seattle’s third-ranked run defense can be hit up the middle — Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart averaged 5.4 yards per carry last week — and chewing off positive yardage on first and second down will set Rodgers up to attack the Seahawks in manageable passing situations.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s 109.6 passer rating in five playoff games is the highest in NFL history, and the bouts of inaccuracy he suffered through during midseason have largely disappeared during the team’s seven-game winning streak. He is running the zone read well with RB Marshawn Lynch, who ripped off 110 yards on 20 carries in Week 1. Green Bay struggled with RB DeMarco Murray last week (123 yards on 25 carries), and if Lynch gets untracked early, it plays directly into Wilson’s hands at home.

As pedestrian as the Seahawks’ offense often appears, Wilson does strike quickly against man coverage, particularly down the seam. The Packers racked up four sacks and eight QB hits last week, and stopping the run to take advantage of Seattle’s pass protection issues is imperative.

■ FRIDAY INJURY REPORT: Packers — Probable: DE Josh Boyd (ankle), RB Eddie Lacy (knee), QB Aaron Rodgers (calf), G Josh Sitton (toe). Seahawks — Questionable: T Justin Britt (knee), S Jeron Johnson (elbow); Probable: DE Michael Bennett (not injury related), RB Marshawn Lynch (not injury related), DT Tony McDaniel (shoulder), TE Tony Moeaki (calf), CB Tharold Simon (illness), C Max Unger (ankle).

■ Matchup to watch: Packers WR Randall Cobb vs. Seahawks CB Jeremy Lane: With Sherman and Byron Maxwell patrolling the outside, Cobb was targeted nine times with six catches in Week 1 when Lane was sidelined by a groin injury.

■ Player spotlight: Seahawks WR Jermaine Kearse. After a modest 38 receptions during the regular season, Kearse exploded for three catches for 129 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown, last week. He has a touchdown in three consecutive playoff games.

■ Fast facts: The Packers have won both previous playoff meetings (2003, 2007). ... The Seahawks have an eight-game postseason home winning streak. ... Green Bay’s .620 all-time playoff winning percentage (31-19) is the highest in NFL history.

■ WHO WILL WIN AND WHY: The Seahawks are 25-2 at home the past two seasons, including the Week 1 thumping of the Packers. Lacy can set the table for Rodgers, and Green Bay can move the ball against Seattle’s top-ranked defense. But Rodgers not firing on all cylinders robs Green Bay of the 100 percent horsepower it needs to upset the defending champs on the road.

■ Our pick: Seahawks 27-23

THE SPORTS XCHANGE