Cobb: 'All we can do is control the controllable'

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s Brett Christopherson caught up with Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, who looked ahead to Sunday’s Week 14 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. This Q&A is presented by Tundraland:

Is there an extra buzz this week knowing Seattle, an NFC rival, is coming to town?

Cobb: No, not really. The big thing for us is our preparation, that we’re on top of it ... as far as film study and being able to diagnose what they’re going to do. We have a really good sense for their scheme and what they do defensively and playing against some of their players. I think we’ll be prepared. We need to go out and have a great week of practice this week, and it’ll come down to execution on Sunday and being able to make the plays.

Would it be too much to call it a statement victory if you’re able to beat a Seahawks team that’s currently the NFC’s No. 2 seed?

Cobb: I don’t know that. A lot of things can happen through the course of this last month. We’re trying to go 1-0 this week — that’s our focus. We can’t dictate anything that happens to others. That’s really all we can do is control the controllable and let everything else play out the way it will.

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Seahawks All-Pro safety Earl Thomas has been lost for the season with a broken leg. Does that alter your approach as you prepare to face one of the league’s better defenses? That’s obviously a huge blow for them.

Cobb: No, not really. They’re going to be the same team as far as their schemes. They’re not going to change their scheme up because he’s gone. ... It’ll be interesting to see their plan for us. But it’s a hard loss for them. He’s a great player. He’s a big hitter. He covers sideline to sideline. So it’ll be interesting to see — the more we watch film — being able to break down his backup.

You know those guys well. What are the keys in having success against that Seattle defense?

Cobb: I think the biggest key will be big plays. They do a great job of keeping everything in front of them. So it’s going to be very important for us to be able to make plays downfield and be able to break tackles and pick up big plays — have explosive gains.

Finally, running back Christine Michael opened the season with Seattle but was released last month and then signed by the Packers. Can he provide any information that will be useful in preparing for the Seahawks?

Cobb: I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t know what much he could give us because he plays offense. Maybe he can have a few things that he could give our defense. I don’t know. You deal with that all the time in this league, guys that have played on other teams before. You try to get an advantage any way you can, but I don’t know how much of an advantage that will be.

Brett Christopherson: 920-993-7117, or bchristopherson@gannett.com; on Twitter @PCBrettC