NFL Nation: 2013 Seahawks-Redskins Quick Take
Five things to know about next Sunday's Seattle Seahawks-Washington Redskins wild-card playoff game at FedEx Field:
1. Rookie QB battle. Seattle's Russell Wilson and Washington's Robert Griffin III are leading candidates for offensive rookie of the year. Wilson is healthier than Griffin. He has been hotter late in the season. Both start fresh in the playoffs. Both benefit from running backs with more than 1,500 yards for the regular season. The big question is to what degree Griffin can challenge the Seahawks' defense after suffering a knee injury late in the season and taking hits from Dallas in Week 17.
2. On the road again. Seattle finished its regular season with an 8-0 record at home. The team was 3-5 on the road. Three of those defeats came against NFC West opponents in the first seven weeks of the season. The Seahawks have won their last two road games largely because zone-read plays have pushed their offense into another gear. Wilson leads the NFL in Total QBR on the road since Week 8. His 107.2 NFL passer rating on the road over that span ranks third behind Matt Ryan (113.9) and Aaron Rodgers (112.5).
3. Restored secondary. Seattle welcomes back starting cornerback Brandon Browner from a four-game suspension this week. No one knows how well Browner will acclimate. He's eligible to rejoin the team Monday. Browner had three interceptions and three forced fumbles before serving his suspension. He was a Pro Bowl choice last season. At the very least, Browner restores welcome depth to the secondary. He and cornerback Richard Sherman (eight picks) form a formidable tandem at their best.
4. What a rush. The Seahawks and Redskins both ranked among the NFL's top five in rushing yards this season. Redskins rookie Alfred Morris broke Clinton Portis' franchise single-season rushing record with 1,613 yards. He overtook Seattle's Marshawn Lynch (1,590) for second in rushing yards this season behind Adrian Peterson.
5. Big-play threats. Golden Tate and Sidney Rice have not been prolific wide receivers, but they have been big-play threats in critical situations. Rice caught the 46-yard game-winner against New England. Tate's disputed game-winner against Green Bay covered 24 yards. Tate set up the winning touchdown Sunday with a 44-yard reception in the final four minutes. The Seahawks finished the regular season with 11 receptions of at least 40 yards, tied for fifth-most in the NFL. That includes seven since Week 11, tied with Indianapolis for most in the NFL. The Redskins are close behind with five over that span.
1. Rookie QB battle. Seattle's Russell Wilson and Washington's Robert Griffin III are leading candidates for offensive rookie of the year. Wilson is healthier than Griffin. He has been hotter late in the season. Both start fresh in the playoffs. Both benefit from running backs with more than 1,500 yards for the regular season. The big question is to what degree Griffin can challenge the Seahawks' defense after suffering a knee injury late in the season and taking hits from Dallas in Week 17.
2. On the road again. Seattle finished its regular season with an 8-0 record at home. The team was 3-5 on the road. Three of those defeats came against NFC West opponents in the first seven weeks of the season. The Seahawks have won their last two road games largely because zone-read plays have pushed their offense into another gear. Wilson leads the NFL in Total QBR on the road since Week 8. His 107.2 NFL passer rating on the road over that span ranks third behind Matt Ryan (113.9) and Aaron Rodgers (112.5).
3. Restored secondary. Seattle welcomes back starting cornerback Brandon Browner from a four-game suspension this week. No one knows how well Browner will acclimate. He's eligible to rejoin the team Monday. Browner had three interceptions and three forced fumbles before serving his suspension. He was a Pro Bowl choice last season. At the very least, Browner restores welcome depth to the secondary. He and cornerback Richard Sherman (eight picks) form a formidable tandem at their best.
4. What a rush. The Seahawks and Redskins both ranked among the NFL's top five in rushing yards this season. Redskins rookie Alfred Morris broke Clinton Portis' franchise single-season rushing record with 1,613 yards. He overtook Seattle's Marshawn Lynch (1,590) for second in rushing yards this season behind Adrian Peterson.
5. Big-play threats. Golden Tate and Sidney Rice have not been prolific wide receivers, but they have been big-play threats in critical situations. Rice caught the 46-yard game-winner against New England. Tate's disputed game-winner against Green Bay covered 24 yards. Tate set up the winning touchdown Sunday with a 44-yard reception in the final four minutes. The Seahawks finished the regular season with 11 receptions of at least 40 yards, tied for fifth-most in the NFL. That includes seven since Week 11, tied with Indianapolis for most in the NFL. The Redskins are close behind with five over that span.
Five things to know about next Sunday’s Seattle Seahawks-Washington Redskins playoff game at FedEx Field:
1. Tough to contain. This playoff game features two of the NFL's three sensational rookie quarterbacks in Washington's Robert Griffin III and Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Redskins fans who haven't seen Wilson should know that he is just getting started when he is flushed out of the pocket. Wilson was 8-for-9 for 173 yards on throws outside the pocket in Sunday’s victory over the St. Louis Rams, according to ESPN Stats & information. For the season, Wilson led the NFL with 57 completions when throwing from outside the pocket, and his five touchdown passes from outside the pocket ranked second in the league.
2. Good memory. The Redskins did not play the Seahawks this season, but they beat them 23-17 in Seattle in Week 12 of 2011. That was a somewhat shocking game in which the Redskins trailed 17-7 with 10 minutes to go but managed to score 16 unanswered points with Rex Grossman at quarterback and Roy Helu rushing for 108 yards on 23 carries in the game against what was then one of the toughest run defenses in the league. Different personnel, to be sure, in key spots, but the Redskins who played in that game might be able to draw some confidence from the memory of beating the Seahawks in Seattle not that long ago.
3. Stingy Seahawks. Seattle allowed just 245 points this season, an average of 15.3 points per game and the lowest total in the NFL. They have not allowed more than 17 points in a game since Week 12, and they only allowed more than 20 once in the second half of the regular season.
4. Home cooking. One of the perks of being a division champion is getting a first-round home game, and that’s especially helpful when the opponent is the Seahawks. Seattle is 8-0 at home this year and wins by an average score of 30-12 in home games. The Seahawks are just 3-5 on the road. They did win their last two road games -- 23-17 in overtime at Chicago in Week 13 and 50-17 at Buffalo in Week 15. But road losses in places like Arizona, Miami, St. Louis and Detroit bolster the case that it’s much better to get the Seahawks in your own place than it is to try and beat them in their rowdy, raucous home stadium.
5. Win downfield. One area in which the Seahawks are not strong is at wide receiver, where they don’t have the kinds of playmakers who dominate matchups even against suspect secondaries such as Washington’s. If the Redskins were able to handle Dez Bryant on Sunday night, they should be okay against Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. Seattle’s best big-play threat is running back Marshawn Lynch, but the Redskins have looked good in recent weeks against power run games.
1. Tough to contain. This playoff game features two of the NFL's three sensational rookie quarterbacks in Washington's Robert Griffin III and Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Redskins fans who haven't seen Wilson should know that he is just getting started when he is flushed out of the pocket. Wilson was 8-for-9 for 173 yards on throws outside the pocket in Sunday’s victory over the St. Louis Rams, according to ESPN Stats & information. For the season, Wilson led the NFL with 57 completions when throwing from outside the pocket, and his five touchdown passes from outside the pocket ranked second in the league.
2. Good memory. The Redskins did not play the Seahawks this season, but they beat them 23-17 in Seattle in Week 12 of 2011. That was a somewhat shocking game in which the Redskins trailed 17-7 with 10 minutes to go but managed to score 16 unanswered points with Rex Grossman at quarterback and Roy Helu rushing for 108 yards on 23 carries in the game against what was then one of the toughest run defenses in the league. Different personnel, to be sure, in key spots, but the Redskins who played in that game might be able to draw some confidence from the memory of beating the Seahawks in Seattle not that long ago.
3. Stingy Seahawks. Seattle allowed just 245 points this season, an average of 15.3 points per game and the lowest total in the NFL. They have not allowed more than 17 points in a game since Week 12, and they only allowed more than 20 once in the second half of the regular season.
4. Home cooking. One of the perks of being a division champion is getting a first-round home game, and that’s especially helpful when the opponent is the Seahawks. Seattle is 8-0 at home this year and wins by an average score of 30-12 in home games. The Seahawks are just 3-5 on the road. They did win their last two road games -- 23-17 in overtime at Chicago in Week 13 and 50-17 at Buffalo in Week 15. But road losses in places like Arizona, Miami, St. Louis and Detroit bolster the case that it’s much better to get the Seahawks in your own place than it is to try and beat them in their rowdy, raucous home stadium.
5. Win downfield. One area in which the Seahawks are not strong is at wide receiver, where they don’t have the kinds of playmakers who dominate matchups even against suspect secondaries such as Washington’s. If the Redskins were able to handle Dez Bryant on Sunday night, they should be okay against Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. Seattle’s best big-play threat is running back Marshawn Lynch, but the Redskins have looked good in recent weeks against power run games.
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