The Redskin Report

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Shocking fact: The Seattle offense is good. They are built up the middle in terms of strength. The offensive line, quarterback and running backs are the top players on the unit. The receivers are a good crew, but nothing to get excited about. This is your key to the game: If Seattle scores above 24 points the Redskins will be in trouble (yes I know that is obvious, but we have Seattle fans reading here this week, so I have to dumb it down a bit for them). The task of holding them down falls to a defense that is playing its best football of the season. This will be a battle.

Expected Starters
Seattle Offense
QB: Matt Hasselbeck
RB: Shaun Alexander
FB: Mack Strong
WR: Darrell Jackson
WR: Bobby Engram
TE: Jerramy Stevens
OL: Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, Chris Gray, Sean Locklear

Washington Defense
DE: Demetric Evans
DT: Cornelius Griffin
DT: Joe Salave’a
DE: Phillip Daniels
SLB: Marcus Washington
MLB: Lemar Marshall
WLB: LaVar Arrington
LCB: Shawn Springs
RCB: Carlos Rogers
SS: Ryan Clark
FS: Sean Taylor

Passing Game:
Seattle:
Matt Hasselbeck 294-449, 65.5%, 3459 yards, 24 TD, 9 INT, 98.2 QB Rating
Bobby Engram 67-778, 11.6ypc, 3 TD
Joe Jurevicius 55-694, 12.6ypc, 10 TD

Hasselbeck is a very accurate passer. He’s matured over the years, and is now one of the better quarterbacks in the league. The 2005 season has been a breakout year for Hasselback, as his QB rating has reached the 90s for the 1st time. When you go through the Seattle schedule, you notice the lack of good teams. But more specifically they haven’t played a top ten pass defense since the 1st Washington game.

The receiving corps doesn’t feature any superstars, but has great depth. The Seahawks lack a true number 1 receiver but they have 3 reliable wideouts. Darrell Jackson, who missed a lot of the season with injury, is the nominal number one guy. He started out this season on fire, with two 100 yard games in the 1st three contests. Since returning from the injury, he’s only played in two games and has been ok. Bobby Engram, has long been one of the best 3rd receivers in the league. This year he was promoted to the starting line-up and has produced. Engram is a possession receiver and not a big threat in the red zone. Joe Jurevicius, came up big through all the injuries. Though his numbers have dropped since Jackson returned, he is still a big threat to score.

Jerramay Stevens is a big (6’7) tight end, who also has had a career year in 2005. He’s a decent threat, and is looked for quite a bit on 3rd downs. DJ Hackett is the big play threat, but will be used sparingly with all the receivers being healthy. They rarely throw to the running backs.

The offensive line does a good job pass blocking, and the Seahawks ranked amongst the league leaders in least sacks allowed. The entire line is good at pass blocking and besides Osi Umenyiora’s domination of Walter Jones in the Giants game, the line has played well.

Seahawks Passing Game by the Numbers:
Overall Ranking: 13th
Schedule Adjustment Ranking: n/a

Washington:
Phillip Daniels 8 sacks
Marcus Washington 7.5 sacks, 1 interception
Lemar Marshall 2 sacks, 4 interceptions
Ryan Clark 0.5 sacks, 3 interceptions

If the Redskins are to get pressure on Hasselbeck it may have to come from up the middle. Blitzing and getting to the QB can be tough in a west coast offense. Phillip Daniels has a tough match-up, going up against all-world tackle Walter Jones. I’d expect a similar approach as the Tampa Bay game, with the line trying to bat balls down. Demetric Evans is a better pass rusher than Renaldo Wynn so the Redskins may gain a bit in terms of pass rush from that exchange. The secondary is healthy and expected to be at full strength for the 1st time since Carlos Rogers’ injury. The Skins will have to avoid giving up the big plays and try to force a turnover or two.

Redskins Pass Defense by the Numbers:
Overall Ranking: 10th
Schedule Adjustment Ranking: 7th
Vs. #1 Receivers: Ranked 6th
Vs. #2 Receivers: Ranked 16th
Vs. Other Receivers: Ranked 13th
Vs. Tight Ends: Ranked 7th
Vs. Running Backs: Ranked 5th

Run Game
Seattle:
Shaun Alexander 370-1880, 5.1ypc, 27 TD
Maurice Morris 71-288, 4.1ypc, 1 TD
Matt Hasselbeck 36-124, 3.4ypc, 1 TD

What more can be said about Shaun Alexander, your 2005 NFL MVP. He’s had a career year, leading the league in rushing and setting a record for touchdowns. He can break a long run, or power his way through a crowd. The Redskins will need to continue their strong tackling and avoid the big play. As Jon Jansen said on the official website, whichever team rushes for more yards will probably win this contest. Oddly enough, despite all the accolades that Jones and Hutchinson get, the Seahawks are better at running to the right side. Maurice Morris is a capable back up and Mack Strong is a quality fullback.

Seattle Run Game by the Numbers:
Overall Ranking: 3rd
Schedule Adjustment Ranking: 4th
Runs around Left End: 4.21ypc (16th)
Runs behind Left Tackle: 3.76ypc (24th)
Runs up the Middle: 4.72ypc (2nd)
Runs behind Right Tackle: 5.22ypc (2nd)
Runs around Right End: 4.71ypc (7th)

Washington:
Lemar Marshall 98 tackles; 2 forced fumbles
Marcus Washington 93 tackles; 3 forced fumbles
Sean Taylor 70 tackles; 2 forced fumbles

The battle of the game will be up front on running plays. The Redskins have one of the best run stopping defensive lines, while the offensive line of the Seahawks is top notch. If you look at the numbers, in terms of the directions of runs, the strengths of both teams match up. The Skins are good at defending out runs to the right and up the middle and the Hawks are good at running in the same direction. It will be a battle.

Redskins Run Defense by the Numbers:
Overall Ranking: 13th
Schedule Adjustment Ranking: 5th
Runs around Left End: 4.39ypc (21st)
Runs behind Left Tackle: 3.94ypc (12th)
Runs up the Middle: 3.72ypc (7th)
Runs behind Right Tackle: 4.19ypc (19th)
Runs around Right End: 3.12ypc (6th)

Summary

As mentioned yesterday, the key to the game will probably be keeping the Seattle offense off the field. Unfortunately it’s doubtful that the Redskins will control the ball for all 60 minutes, so the defense will have to make plays. This will be a war. The Seattle offense is 2nd in the league and the Redskins defense is playing great. When looking at the units on paper, it’s hard to say who has the edge. Luckily the games are decided on the field, and it should be a treat to watch on Saturday.

Tomorrow: Redskins Offense vs. Seattle Defense

In the Post:
Brunell’s struggles; Seahawk shake up; The Froster; Taylor trial delay; Springs return; Dilfer routing for Hawks