Washington Redskins vs. Seattle Seahawks
When you think of the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks meeting on the gridiron, one game comes to mind: the 2012 Wild Card game where Robert Griffin III injured his knee and effectively ended the productive portion of his career. It also started a downward trajectory for the franchise as the Redskins would win a combined seven games in 2013 and 2014.
Overall, the Redskins lead this series, 11-8, however, the Seahawks are 3-0 in playoff games against Washington. Seattle has eliminated the Redskins from the playoffs in 2005, 2007 and 2012. In a stat that may surprise you, though, Washington has won its last three trips to Seattle in the regular season.
Russell Wilson is coming off his best game in a long time, outdueling rookie Deshaun Watson in one of the more exciting games in recent NFL history last week. Seattle struggles to run the ball and often relies on Wilson’s legs to make things happen in both the running game and the passing game.
The story for the Washington Redskins is much different. On Wednesday, the Redskins listed 21 players on the injury report, including all five starting offensive linemen. That is a disaster with the mighty Seattle defense looming. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams will likely miss another game, but Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff may attempt to give it a go on Sunday afternoon. More bad news for the Redskins is the availability of tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver Jamison Crowder. Both injured hamstrings in the loss to Dallas in Week 8.
Thursday practice: Long, Louvao, Reed, Williams, Nsekhe and Crowder are not in individual drills. Scherff is in uniform but only watching.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) November 2, 2017
Seattle’s biggest injury concern is free safety Earl Thomas. The All-Pro safety is recovering from a pulled hamstring and could miss Sunday’s game. This could provide a huge opportunity for Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. Bradley McDougald would get the start if Thomas can’t play on Sunday.
Following his MRI, #Seahawks S Earl Thomas is considered a long-shot to play Sunday vs. #Redskins, I’m told. Possible, but not likely.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2017
Washington’s Keys to Victory
For Washington to win this game on Sunday, it will need to do the simple things. First off, take care of the football and sustain long drives. The Redskins are good at sustaining long drives, unfortunately, it doesn’t always end up in six points. Washington settles for field goals far too often.
The Seahawks, despite a tremendous overall defense, have proven to be somewhat vulnerable against the run. With a hobbled offensive line, the Redskins may not be able to make them pay, but that shouldn’t stop them from trying to establish a running game.
Defensively, the Redskins must get a ton of pressure on Wilson.
Seattle’s Keys to Victory
For the Seahawks, they just need to withstand Washington’s initial surge. The Redskins start quick and Seattle cannot allow them to get into the end zone. If that scenario plays out, the Seahawks are in good shape.
Defensively, Seattle doesn’t need to do anything different. Force Kirk Cousins to check down and keep everything in front. With Thomas potentially out, the Seahawks must be careful not to let Terrelle Pryor or Josh Doctson beat them over the top.
Odds
Point Spread: Seattle -7
Moneyline: Washington +285, Seattle -330
Over/Under: 45
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Prediction
If the Redskins entered this game healthy, they’d be a popular choice to pick. This isn’t the same Seattle team from two years ago. However, the Seahawks are still really good and Washington is really injured, meaning the Redskins have very little chance of pulling the upset and moving to 4-4 on the season.
Wilson is solid and the Seattle’s defense is stout, propelling them to an important NFC win to move to 6-2 on the season.
Final Score : Washington Redskins: 13, Seattle Seahawks: 24