Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have been hard to beat at CenturyLink Field in recent seasons. Credit: Stephen Brashear

Green Bay — The last time the Seattle Seahawks took the field for keeps, they devoured Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in the Super Bowl.

Players that accounted for 78% of the offensive snaps and 75.3% of the defensive snaps in that rout seven months ago are back on Seattle's 53-man roster.

The Seahawks are 17-1 at boisterous CenturyLink Field the past two years with a 15.9-point differential.

In the last 15 years, the defending NFL champion has gone 12-3 in its opener the next season. Two of the defeats were suffered by the New York Giants in 2012 and by Baltimore last season.

The Seahawks are favored by 6 points over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday for a reason.

"That (spread) is expected with what Seattle is coming back with, especially on defense," an AFC personnel man said Tuesday. "Early on, it's going to be all about Seattle. There will be a lot of hype up there."

Nevertheless, both the AFC scout and an NFC personnel director picked the Packers to post an upset. Their predicted scores were 24-17 and 28-21.

"Green Bay has got to come out and be physical against Seattle and weather the storm," the AFC scout said. "With Seattle, you have to be able to punch them in the mouth. They have the running back to do it; it's just a matter of if they have the offensive line.

"The Packers certainly have an elite quarterback. I think (Richard) Sherman will follow Jordy Nelson around, then I think (Randall) Cobb could be big-time matching up against their third corner. That's the mismatch they're looking for."

The NFC executive said having a balanced attack with Eddie Lacy and 4½ months to prepare will aid the Packers.

"If Green Bay can score 24 or more it will force Seattle to have to keep pace," the scout said. "That's when you will see the (Julius) Peppers-(Clay) Matthews influence. If Green Bay doesn't turn it over...it's my upset special."

The AFC scout said the Packers should pressure Russell Wilson as often as possible. He also said the racket shouldn't be a factor.

"People have figured it out," he said. "It's not like a few years ago when the noise was so bad and everybody was trying to call things and you couldn't get the plays out. Now with signals, everybody knows how to handle the X's and O's of it."

OFFENSE

SCHEME

Darrell Bevell, a Packers assistant from 2000-'05, is in his fourth season as the play-calling coordinator. With roots in Barry Alvarez's power-run game and Mike Sherman's West Coast passing game, Bevell ran 52.7% in 19 games last season. The ground game is outside zone, inside zone and trickery with Percy Harvin. With a mobile QB, he likes to move the pocket and throw off play-action.

RECEIVERS

Harvin (5 foot 11, 190 pounds), the former Viking, operates from all over the formation. He has speed in the low 4.4s, makes sharp cuts and runs with recklessness. He can be a terror on bubble screens, reverses and sweeps. Doug Baldwin (5-9½, 189) gets to top speed in an instant. He's a competitive overachiever with keen knowledge of coverage. Jermaine Kearse (6-0, 209) isn't a blazer but is tough, fluid and seems increasingly in sync with Russell Wilson. Also expected to play are free agent Ricardo Lockette (6-2, 211), a rugged run blocker, and rookie Paul Richardson (6-0, 183), a second-round pick with tremendous speed. Returning at tight end are Zach Miller (6-4½, 255) and Luke Willson (6-5½, 248). Miller probably can't break 4.9 these days but finds openings and is a top-flight blocker. Willson can really run (4.54) and jump (vertical of 38 inches), but struggles blocking.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Much depends on the ability of rookie RT Justin Britt (6-6, 325) to hold up. The 11th offensive lineman drafted, Britt has size and decent feet. A fine prep wrestler, he didn't run block much at Missouri. This summer, he has looked unsettled, somewhat stiff and unable to sustain against good opposition. Returning starters are LT Russell Okung (6-5, 310), LG James Carpenter (6-4½, 325), C Max Unger (6-4½, 305) and RG J.R. Sweezy (6-5, 295). Okung, the sixth pick in '10, played only two exhibitions after suffering another (foot) in a series of major injuries that have eroded his bountiful physical gifts. Playing a finesse game, he's more cut out blocking for pass than run. Carpenter, the 25th pick in '11, failed as a tackle and, after getting in better shape this year, is playing a little more effectively. He's a massive wide body with road-grading capability, but often makes too many mistakes. Unger, a six-year center, has good size, cleverness and leadership. He became a top-10 center by outworking others. Sweezy, a converted D-lineman starting for a second season, epitomizes the nasty lineman. He runs well but can get overpowered in-line by smaller, stronger foes.

QUARTERBACKS

Wilson (5-10½, 206), the former Badger, enters his third season in total control of his game and the offense. When the pocket collapses, he uses his 4.54 speed to skip away from most sacks. He's not a great pocket passer, and height has something to do with it. He's probably more dangerous throwing on the run. He has a knack for spinning away deep in the pocket, a la Fran Tarkenton. With his large (10¼-inch) hands, he's able to pump fake on the run, buying time to gain extra yards. He had a terrific summer. Strong-armed former Viking Tarvaris Jackson (6-2, 225) beat out ex-Raider Terrelle Pryor to retain the No. 2 job. He's 17-17 as a starter with a career passer rating of 78.5.

RUNNING BACKS

Marshawn Lynch (5-11, 229) is still going strong after 2,084 touches. Give "Beast Mode" the ball enough and he usually cracks defenses. His amazing core strength is evident with tacklers on his back. Seldom does one man bring him down, and he almost always falls forward. He will fumble, and as a receiver he tends to fight the ball. Hard-charging Robert Turbin (5-10, 218) and Christine Michael (5-10, 221) were expected to get carries but now Michael isn't expected to play (hamstring). Turbin, another big back with 4.48 speed, probably is better in the passing game than Lynch. FB Derrick Coleman (5-11, 230) supplanted departed Michael Robinson. Coleman, who is deaf, probably does better work as a receiver than a blocker.

DEFENSE

SCHEME

Dan Quinn, a longtime defensive line coach, is in his second year as coordinator, but coach Pete Carroll is intimately involved. Anything might happen in an opener, but last year this was an uncomplicated Cover-3 scheme with a blitz ranking of 28th at 22.9%, according to STATS. The corners press and Earl Thomas' range enables Kam Chancellor to play near the line in an eight-man box. Out of a base 4-3 the Seahawks employ multiple fronts.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Three members of last year's seven-man rotation (DL Red Bryant, DE Chris Clemons, DT Clinton McDonald) are gone. In base, it's DE Michael Bennett (6-3½, 274), former Lion DE Cliff Avril (6-3, 260), NT Brandon Mebane (6-1, 325) and DT Tony McDaniel (6-6, 305). Former Viking great Kevin Williams (6-5, 311) rotates with McDaniel and splits time inside on throwing downs with Bennett and DT Jordan Hill (6-1½, 303), a third-round pick in '13. Former Badger DE O'Brien Schofield (6-2, 260) and rookie Cassius Marsh (6-4, 254), a fourth-round pick, should get snaps outside in sub. Avril probably is a better speed rusher than Bennett. However, Bennett is the team's best interior rusher and might be underrated. Mebane, an eight-year starter, is respected because of the way he hunkers down each week at the point. McDaniel isn't country-strong like Bryant but plays with more consistent effort and generally holds his gap. Signed as an unrestricted free agent June 16, the 34-year-old Williams still has game. Schofield enjoyed a superb camp. Marsh is aggressive and active.

LINEBACKERS

The starting threesome of SLB K.J. Wright (6-3½, 248), MLB Bobby Wagner (6-0½, 241) and WLB Malcolm Smith (6-0, 235) are equally effective against the run or in underneath zone coverage. Wright, a four-year starter, has the speed to carry TEs down the seam, is seldom fooled and qualifies as an impact hitter. His enormous arms (347/8) help reduce throwing lanes. Wagner, a second-round pick in '12, stays on the field with Wright in nickel and Smith, the Super Bowl MVP, departs. Wagner uses his great speed (4.46) to chase all over the field and his 39½-inch vertical jump to disrupt plays. Smith, a seventh-round choice in '11, also has terrific speed (4.49) but had an injury-shortened camp. Bruce Irvin (6-3, 248), the 15th pick in '12, returned to practice Sunday after missing all summer following hip surgery. If he plays, it probably will be as an edge rusher on third down. He can get home with 4.45 speed.

SECONDARY

FS Earl Thomas (5-10½, 195) probably is the NFL's best at his position while CB Richard Sherman (6-2½, 195) and SS Kam Chancellor (6-3, 232) probably are among the five best at their positions. Thomas, the 14th pick in '10, is a remarkable little player against run and pass, and he possesses great football smarts. He reads the quarterback's eyes, deciphers route combinations and breaks decisively. Not only is Thomas a heavy hitter, he's also a knifing, sure tackler. Sherman will try something on every snap to impede a receiver's progress. In the break zone at 12 to 16 yards, he jumps routes based on extensive film study. Chancellor, a fifth-round pick in '10, runs just 4.65 but isn't often exposed because of his cunning and preparation. He hits like a linebacker. RC Byron Maxwell (6-0½, 200), a sixth-round pick in '11, took over for Brandon Browner late last season. Much better in press than off coverage, Maxwell had a so-so summer. The new nickel back, Jeremy Lane (5-11½, 185), is respectable but is questionable with a groin injury. S-CB DeShawn Shead (6-1, 220) and new CB Marcus Burley (5-10½, 185) are less than appealing options in the slot. Jeron Johnson (5-10½, 212), the No. 3 safety, would start for some teams.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Steven Hauschka, a four-year starter, is one of the game's best. P Jon Ryan, a Packer in 2006-'07, improves almost every year and now has mastered the Aussie-style pooch punt. Harvin (kickoffs) and Thomas (punts), equally fast and fearless, are scheduled to return. Coach Brian Schneider's units lost their best player, LB Heath Farwell, on Aug. 22 to a season-ending groin injury.

GAMEBREAKER

Percy Harvin's first season in Seattle was a washout because of a hip injury. After undergoing surgery in August, he played 19 snaps in Game 11 but then didn't play again until the Super Bowl (28 snaps). Now fully healthy, the 26-year-old is primed to show he was worth the first-, third- and seventh-round draft picks the Seahawks sent to Minnesota in the March 2013 trade. Harvin will play all over the formation, catching and running with the ball, and also will return kickoffs. In six games against the Packers, he has averaged 59 yards from scrimmage.

WEAKEST LINK

Much depends on the availability of nickel back Jeremy Lane, who should play with a groin injury but probably won't be 100%. Lane, a competent No. 4 cornerback last season, became No. 3 when Walter Thurmond signed with the Giants. The Seahawks were so concerned about depth, however, that they traded a seventh-round pick to the Colts on Saturday for CB Marcus Burley. A second-year slot, he banged around with four teams in 2013. S-CB DeShawn Shead is another possibility. Moving FS Earl Thomas to the slot would be the emergency plan.

McGINN'S VIEW

It could be argued that losing right tackle Breno Giacomini to the Jets on March 12 hurt the Seahawks more than anything else since the Super Bowl.

Giacomini never became a player in Green Bay during 2½ years, but he did in Seattle. When the champs decided they couldn't afford him, he signed a four-year, $18 million contract with New York.

The plan was to give burly Michael Bowie first crack at the job, but the Seahawks drafted Missouri's Justin Britt with the last pick in the second round just in case. Bowie wrecked his shoulder early in camp and was cut. Veteran Eric Winston, a starter the past seven seasons for three teams, was signed July 29.

Winston, however, was so mediocre that Seattle released him Saturday.

That left Britt, who gave up two or three hurries and a sack against Chicago DE Lamarr Houston on Aug. 22. Obviously, he has a long way to go before anyone would call him a solid starter.

"Is he scheduled to start?" an NFL personnel director asked Tuesday. "Really? They definitely went young, in that case. I don't know if he's ready for (Clay) Matthews to come ripping off the edge on him."