1. Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel will face his toughest NFL opponent yet in a feisty Seattle Seahawks defensive unit ranked second in the league. Manziel played well last week, completing 21-of-31 passes for 270 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Browns (3-10) earned a 24-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks (8-5) present quite a challenge with their talent and rabid fan base, which turns CenturyLink Field into a frenzy on a regular basis. The Seahawks, who have held a lead in 61 consecutive games, have sold out 112 games in a row, with a peak crowd of 69,055 on Nov. 29 in a 39-30 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is playing at a Pro Bowl level once again, tossing 16 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the past four games, all wins — 29-13 over the 49ers, 39-30 over the Steelers, 38-7 over the Minnesota Vikings and 35-6 over the Baltimore Ravens. Wilson has completed 264-of-384 passes for 3,289 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He has 98 career touchdown passes in his first 61 regular season games, and is 26-4 in the regular season at home. Wilson boasts an impressive 6-2 record in eight playoff games, with 12 touchdown passes in the postseason and a 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
3. Browns coach Mike Pettine has been talking about having a nothing-to-lose attitude heading into this matchup. A victory would give the Browns consecutive wins for the first time this season. The Seahawks lead the all-time series 11-6, but the Browns have won the past two games — 33-30 in overtime in 2007 and 6-3 in regulation in 2011. Both of those games were in Cleveland. The last time the two franchises tangled in Seattle was in 2003, when the Seahawks rolled 34-7. The Browns’ last win in Seattle came in 1989 at the Kingdome.
4. Browns left tackle Joe Thomas is battling a knee injury, but hopes to play Sunday. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection has started all 141 games in his career and has not missed an offensive snap since joining the Browns as the third overall selection of the 2007 NFL Draft. His streak of 8,763 consecutive snaps is the longest active streak in the league. Thomas and hall of fame running back Jim Brown are the only Browns players to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of their first eight seasons as a pro. Thomas is third all-time in franchise history in Pro Bowl selections, behind only Brown and hall of fame kicker Lou Groza, who were each selected nine times.
5. Notable Browns-Seahawks connections: Seahawks defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin was the Browns’ sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft. Rubin played in 100 games for the Browns between 2008-2014, and then joined the Seahawks as a free agent in 2015. Rubin is one of nine players to compete in 100 or more games with the Browns since the franchise’s rebirth in 1999. ... Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor spent training camp with the Seahawks in 2014. ... Seahawks offensive lineman Patrick Lewis spent time on the Browns practice squad in 2013-2014. ... Seahawks assistant coach Nick Sorensen played for the Browns from 2007-2010. ... Browns defensive linemen Danny Shelton (Auburn) and Xavier Cooper (Tacoma) are both from the state of Washington.