Sunday afternoon’s NFL NFC Wild Card football game on Fox features the second consecutive season in which rookie quarterbacks will square off against each other. The home 10-6 Washington Redskins will count on Robert Griffin III to lead them to the next round, while the visiting 11-6 Seattle Seahawks hope Russell Wilson can continue his exceptional play and secure another road win.
The Redskins come into today’s wild card game riding a seven game winning streak that included a playoff-clinching victory over the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. Griffin III played his first complete game after sustaining a knee injury last week and showed some side effects, most notably less explosiveness in the running game. An extra week of rest and prep should hopefully see RG3 back to his lightning quick ways.
Washington will also look toward another rookie of the year candidate, running back Alfred Morris, to help push them to a victory. Morris was second in the NFL with 1,613 yards on the ground and had a spectacular game against the Cowboys last week with three touchdowns and over 200 yards.
Similarities between the Redskins and Seahawks are most apparent at the quarterback and running back positions. Russell Wilson would have set a rookie record with a 100.0 passer rating had RG3 not put up a 102.4 mark. Likewise, Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch tallied 1,590 yards on the ground to finish third in the league and right behind Morris.
The difference in today’s game could end up being on the defensive side of the ball. The Redskins defense has been uneven all season with their secondary especially susceptible to giving up big plays and scores in bunches. At 321.6 yards per game allowed, the Seahawks defense ranks fourth in the entire league. The Redskins are polar opposite at the fourth worst with 390.8 yards per game allowed.
History favors the Redskins whom have won six straight regular season games against the Seahawks over the past several seasons and have the home-field advantage. These Seahawks are a lot different than teams of the past, especially with their improved defense and Wilson running the offense. The Redskins also understand that the Seahawks have bumped them from the postseason twice in the last decade.
Today’s final NFL playoffs wild card game between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins kicks off at 4:30pm EST / 1:30pm PST in high definition on Fox via cable/satellite or free over the air. Though not at all free, you can watch the official online live streaming version via NFL Sunday Ticket here. My prediction is the Seahawks play slightly better on defense and offense to leave the Nation’s Capitol with a slim 20-17 NFC wild card victory.
