Line: Seahawks –9
Over/Under: 41

A well-rested Seattle team, sporting the NFC’s most potent offense in YPG, host the Washington Redskins. Ironically, the Seahawks TOP was just under 30 minutes on the season, a testament to their big play ability both rushing and passing. For a second consecutive week Washington will play on Saturday. In addition, the Redskins will have to make a long flight to the West Coast, spanning three timezones. Seattle went 8-0 at home this year, and the Seahawks are now 24-10 at home since Qwest Field opened in 2002.

Looking a little more in-depth at the Turnover (TO) margin, we find some differences. While Seattle consistently stayed around even at home in the TO department, the ‘Skins had some huge fluctuations. For the first 3 months of the season, Washington was a pitiful -11, culminating with the one point loss @ Tampa before Thanksgiving. In December, the Redskins finished +2 @ St Louis, +1 @ Arizona, and +5 @ Philadelphia. They kept up their ball-hawking ways last week, going +2 at the Bucs expense. Of course there is no way of telling which team will win the TO battle, but the hot turnover team is definitely the visitor.

Washington’s rush defense, while averaging a respectable 110 ypg against, is skewed. They were shredded OTR at both Denver (#2 in the NFL) and NYG (#6), for 165 and 262 respectively. During December the ‘Skins feasted on the bottom-10 rushing attacks of the Rams, Cardinals and Eagles, to improve their stats. Against a rested #3 Seahawk rushing attack, I don’t like their chances.

While coaches historically keep injury reports sufficiently vague, the key things to check on are the health of the rested Seattle receiver corps, and the ‘Skins secondary with CB Shawn Springs still nursing a sore groin. While Mike Holmgren would love nothing more than to run Shaun Alexander all afternoon, Hasselbeck will have to air it out to keep Gregg Williams’ defense honest. And with the run setting up the pass for the Seahawks, it will be tough for Washington to win another playoff road game this year. Take aways could be the only thing that can keep this within two scores, but Seattle did have the second fewest give aways, 17, in the league.

Our prediction: Seahawks 24-14

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