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Matchups for the NFC championship game Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field:WHEN THE PACKERS (13-4) HAVE THE BALL:Pretty simple, really: balance. With a healthy QB Aaron Rodgers (12) and RB Eddie Lacy (27), that usually is not problem for the Packers. But Rodgers has been bothered by a calf injury and was particularly hobbled in the second half last week vs. Dallas. Still, he threw for two second-half touchdowns.Running against Seattle is about as easy as hearing each other at CenturyLink Field for a visiting team. Led by dynamic LB Bobby Wagner (54) and a stout defensive line featuring Michael Bennett (72), the Seahawks rarely allow an opponent to control the clock on the ground. Establishing any sort of rushing attack is a major challenge for Green Bays line, particularly rookie C Corey Linsley (63) and guards T.J. Lang (70) and Pro Bowler Josh Sitton (71).An inability to do so would force Rodgers to the air early. Sounds like a good idea when your quarterback is an All-Pro, but only if Rodgers has the mobility he needs to escape pressure from DE Cliff Avril (56) and LBs Wagner and Bruce Irvin (51), plus whichever Legion of Boom member blitzes from the secondary.Then theres the equally difficult chore of completing throws against All-Pros CB Richard Sherman (25) and S Earl Thomas (29), plus S Kam Chancellor (31), who comes off a dominant performance against Carolina. Rodgers should feel comforted that his two outstanding main targets, WRs Jordy Nelson (87) and Randall Cobb (18) are complemented by the emerging WR Davante Adams (17) and TE Andrew Quarless (81).Regardless, if the Packers cant establish a semblance of a running game, it figures to be a long Sunday.WHEN THE SEAHAWKS (13-4) HAVE THE BALL:Also relatively simple, and the same formula that worked on the way to last seasons championship: Seattle must feed the Beast, RB Marshawn Lynch (24), and give QB Russell Wilson (3) freedom to create.Lynch, like Lacy, has the power, speed and determination to ruin a defences day. The way DeMarco Murray marauded through Green Bays defence last week is worrisome. And Lynch gets better as the game progresses, with defenders tiring.The Packers will need outstanding showings by an underrated defensive line, including DLs Mike Daniels (76) and Letroy Guion (98), who come off a strong game against Dallas, and more from star LB Clay Matthews (52). If Lynch gets through the first wave, the Pack will be in trouble because the secondary lacks good tacklers.Matthews and LB-DE Julius Pepper (56) must be disruptive, and also need to keep Wilson from escaping outside, whether as a scrambler or on designed runs.With the unsung offensive line, led by LT Russell Okung (76) and C Max Unger (60), pretty much back intact, the Seahawks are capable of dominating the trenches. Green Bay must find ways to make Wilson uneasy.The matchup of Seattle receivers against the Packers secondary isnt nearly as high-profile as the other way around. But even after losing free agent Golden Tate and trading Percy Harvin, the Seahawks have gotten timely plays from Doug Baldwin (89), Jermaine Kearse (15) and TE Luke Willson (82). Packers CBs Tramon Williams (38) and Sam Shields (37) struggled last week against Dallas, which has more dangerous wideouts. Safeties Morgan Burnett (42) and rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) had problems covering Jason Witten, which bodes well for Willson. And Wilson.SPECIAL TEAMS:Green Bays Mason Crosby (2) and Seattles Steven Hauschka (4) are solid placekickers, reliable in the clutch. Hauschka has gotten better on kickoffs through his career, too. But both the kickoff coverages werent great in 2014 for either squad.Micah Hyde (33) ran back two punts for TDs, but Seattles Jon Ryan (9) is one of the leagues most dependable punters. Neither Ryan nor Green Bays Tim Masthay (8) have had big seasons, though.COACHING:Both Seattles Pete Carroll and Green Bays Mike McCarthy pulled off one of their best coaching jobs this season. Carroll saw his team suffering from a Super Bowl hangover early in the schedule and not only got the Seahawks to snap out of it, but reach peak form down the stretch. His energy is contagious; his top assistants, Dan Quinn on defence, Darrell Bevell on offence, are masterful game planners.McCarthy is more low-key than Carroll, and oversees the prolific offence while leaving the defence to co-ordinator Dom Capers. McCarthy has found ways to overcome injury issues better than most coaches, particularly on offence.INTANGIBLES:CenturyLink Field is as difficult a place for visitors as any stadium/arena on the planet. The best way to describe the noise level when the fans get pumped is beyond deafening. Indeed, local seismologists plan to measure the surge of sound on Sunday.Green Bay has been mediocre on the road (4-4), with only one truly well-rounded performance, at Chicago. But the Packers have some key veterans such as Rodgers, Nelson, Peppers, Matthews, Sitton and Crosby who have been through such tough challenges before.No team has been to successive Super Bowls since New England 10 years ago. 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Yoenis Cespedes proved he can play through a hurting right heel, giving Scott Kazmir and the As a spark with a pair of RBIs that helped spoil the Minnesota Twins home opener with an 8-3 victory on Monday.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The closest that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Chiefs counterpart Alex Smith got to the field Thursday night was the sideline, both teams electing to let their backups play things out in their final preseason game. Third-string quarterback Tyler Bray took advantage of the opportunity. The undrafted rookie from Tennessee threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns, leading Kansas City to a 30-8 victory over Green Bay as both teams rested their starters for the regular season. "Tyler did a nice job for a young guy stepping in," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "Most series he put us in some form of a scoring position, whether it was a field goal or a touchdown." Bray hit Junior Hemingway for his first touchdown pass late in the first half, and connected with Josh Bellamy and Frankie Hammond Jr. for TDs in the second half, outplaying Chiefs backup QB Chase Daniel and Packers backups Vince Young and B.J. Coleman. "Im so proud of him, man. He finally got a chance to play and show what hes got," Daniel said. "We all knew what he could do physically, but mentally he was on point. He played a heck of a game and Im so proud of him." Young continues to struggle in the Packers offence. He was just 14 of 30 for 144 yards while fumbling twice, losing one of them. Coleman was just 2 of 7 for 19 yards and an interception. "I could have made some better throws," Young said, "but overall I feel like with the reps and the game time, there are things I can go back and watch on film and its definitely going to help." Packers coach Mike McCarthy said his priority was to get tape of his backups before Saturdays deadline to trim the roster to 53 players, and in that respect he got what he wanted. "Its something well have to take a hard look at," McCarthy said, when asked to grade Youngs performance. "There was a lot of communication going on, which is normal when you get into this fourth game. Pass protection, run blocking, things werent very clean for us." That could be expected with most of the big names wearing baseball caps and floppy hats. In the race to be the No. 3 running back in Kansas City, second-year pro Cyrus Gray appeared to move ahead of veteran Shaun Draughn with a solid performmance.dddddddddddd Gray gouged the Packers several times in the first half and finished with 73 yards on 13 carries. Hemingway likely locked up his spot on the Chiefs roster after the former seventh-round pick out of Michigan caught his second touchdown pass of the preseason. And if it wasnt his work that solidified his job, it may have been an injury to fellow wide receiver Devon Wylie. The Chiefs fourth-round pick two years ago, Wylie left in the first half with a hamstring injury and never returned. Wylie missed most of last season with a similar injury. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who has missed time in practice with a left knee, hobbled off in the first half with another knee injury. The Chiefs were already thin at the position after Tony Moeaki fractured his shoulder in last weeks game against Pittsburgh. Reid said that Kelce will have an MRI exam Friday but "he should be OK." In a bit of positive injury news for Green Bay, cornerback Tramon Williams started the game after missing practice with a bruised knee. He picked off Daniel on the games first play as the Packers starters spent a series fine-tuning for their opener at San Francisco. Their No. 1 offence -- sans Rodgers, of course -- played one series but couldnt move the ball behind Young, eventually settling for Crosbys 48-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. Ryan Succops two field goals and another by Crosby left the score 6-6 when the Chiefs got the ball with less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Bray guided them 50 yards in seven plays, and his pass to Hemingway for a touchdown gave Kansas City a 13-6 lead at the break. The Chiefs put the game away on Bellamys touchdown grab in the third quarter. "We played great as a team so I think everyones confidence is up right now," Bray said. "It was good to get some reps because Im probably not going to get many down the road here." Notes: Packers LB Sam Barrington sacked Bray for a safety in the third quarter. ... Packers S Chris Banjo had to be helped off the field in the first half. He returned and had a sack in the fourth quarter. ... Crosby is 6 of 6 on field goals in the preseason after having to fight for his job. ... Draughn had four carries for 18 yards for Kansas City. Daniel was 4 of 8 for 27 yards. 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