Seahawks Vikings
The Seahawks defeated the Vikings by 31 points earlier this season. Getty

The Seattle Seahawks are the biggest favorites on Wild Card Weekend, but they are looking to win without one of their best players. Seattle visits the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon in the first round of the 2016 NFL playoffs.

It appeared as if Marshawn Lynch would return for the postseason, but the star running back has been ruled out of Sunday’s contest. Lynch has been dealing with an abdominal injury for the last two months, and he’ll miss at least one more game. Lynch rushed for just 417 yards in the regular season, and he hasn’t played since Nov. 15. Christine Michael will start in his place.

Without Lynch, Seattle has played their best football this season. The team has won six of their last seven games, including a victory against the Vikings. The Seahawks won in Minnesota on Dec. 6, 38-7.

Russell Wilson has made up for the loss of Lynch, ending the season with the NFL’s best passer rating. The quarterback has thrown 24 touchdown passes and one interception in the last seven games.

Minnesota is on a three-game winning streak heading into the postseason. They ended the regular season with a win over the Green Bay Packers that gave them the NFC North title.

In a year that saw more passing touchdowns than ever, the Vikings are winning with the league’s best running back and a top defense, Adrian Peterson led the NFL in the regular season with 1,485 yards on the ground, and the Seahawks are the only NFC team that allowed fewer points than Minnesota.

Start Time: 1:05 p.m. ET

TV Channel: NBC

Online Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

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