Game Preview, Week 12: Seattle at Washington
November 27, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Washington is coming off of its first two game winning streak of the season and is in the unusual position of facing a third opponent in a row that it has a good chance of beating. The Redskins Washington could possibly be embarking on a – dare we say it – trifecta of victories. Granted, the team has a severely negative and well-known history on Monday Night Football to overcome, but still: they should have a good shot in this game. The wild card is Seattle’s seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Russell Wilson, who recently returned from a hand injury, as he can never be counted out. Can Washington win this game? We’ll see. Our game preview starts below.
Game time & location: Monday, November 29, 2021, 8:15 p.m. ET, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Raljon, MD; Gates open 5:15 p.m. ET; Red Zone parking lots open 3:15 p.m.; all other parking lots 4:15 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Television announcers: Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick
TV broadcast map: National
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Seahawks radio network: click here
Satellite radio: Sirius XM: 225 (Wash. broad.), 88 (Nat’l broad.); internet: 831 (Wash. broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Seahawks roster: click here
Seahawks depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Seahawks: 12 – 6 (last 10: 5 – 5; streak: 0 – 1)
Last meeting: L, December 20, 2020, 15 – 20
Early odds: Washington, -1
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep rolling on offense
A big reason why Washington has won two game is a row is that their offense – at least their passing game – has started to click, with Taylor Heinicke looking more and more like he actually belongs under center. The Seahawks’ defense isn’t very good, having surrendered more than 530 yards to the Tennessee Titans and more than 400 yards on 4 other occasions. The Seahawks haven’t held any opponent to less than 300 yards all year. Washington’s ability to continue to look like a real, honest to goodness NFL offense is probably the most important key to this game.
Improve third down defense
Seattle’s offense has been atrocious on third downs all year; in fact, they are ranked 30th by that particular metric. They are also the worst team in the NFL in time of possession by a wide margin. On the other hand, Washington’s defense remains the worst in the NFL on third downs, so this is a case of weakness versus weakness. Pathetic versus pathetic. Something has to give here – probably – so ideally, what will give is Seattle’s ability to extend drives. Washington needs to change its ways and keep Seattle’s drives short and minimal. This is another critical component of a Redskins Washington win.
Don’t let Russell Wilson have a breakout game
Washington long and awful history on Monday Night Football, and prime time games in general, is no secret. Russell Wilson has had a tough year, whether running for his life behind a bad offensive line, to spending, by his own claim, 145,798 hours a day rehabbing a hand injury, to having no success upon his return. Washington needs to be sure to slam the door in his face early. They can’t let Wilson build momentum through first quarter success. They must hit him early and often, and keep him from hitting his highly capable pair of receivers, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
William Jackson III vs D.K. Metcalf
Metcalf is very dangerous, as he has a unique, almost unmatched physical profile. The best guess is that the job of coverage will mostly fall on Jackson, who has a solid game last week against the Panthers. Jackson, who is a press-man specialist, will most likely need safety help for this battle since Metcalf is such a tough and physical opponent. This will be probably be the game’s highest-profile matchup, so keep an eye out on how well Jackson is doing on Metcalf.
Jonathan Allen vs. Gabe Jackson
Allen has been Washington’s everything along the defensive front this season, with 6 sacks, 34 tackles, and 21 quarterback hits. Gabe Jackson is no Russ Grimm, so Washington needs Allen to take advantage of a weak interior matchup and hit Russell Wilson early and often. Allen may have the most important role on defense this week – his team needs him to win this matchup and get significant pressure on the quarterback. Watch out for how often Allen’s name is called during this game.
Taylor Heinicke vs Bobby Wagner
At first glance, this may seem like an odd matchup, but Heinicke versus Wagner is offensive quarterback versus old-school, probably future hall of fame defensive quarterback. Seattle’s defense is severely lacking in star power, with Wagner being the lone holdover from the Legion of Boom era. If Seattle is going to have a chance at holding Washington’s offense down, it’s most likely going to come thanks to Wagner’s play in the middle of the defense. Heinicke needs to make quality pre-snap reads and minimize Wagner’s impact on the short passing game.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (active roster only) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Seahawks |
| T S. Cosmi, hip; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O | T D. Brown, NIR (rest); Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Fri: NL; Sat: NL |
| C T. Larsen, knee; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O | CB T. Brown, knee; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O |
| TE R. Seals-Jones, hip; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: D | LB C. Dunlap II, NIR (rest); Thurs: DNP; Fri: NL ; Sat: NL |
| RB A. Gibson, shin; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: LP | G G. Jackson, NIR (rest); Thurs: DNP; Fri: NL; Sat: NL |
| LB C. Holcomb, shoulder; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: FP | T J. Jones, back; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O |
| WR A, Humphries, hip; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: LP; game: Q | G D. Lewis, elbow; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O |
| RB J.D. McKissic, ankle; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: FP | LB B. Mayowa, knee; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP; Sat: NL |
| WR C. Samuel, groin; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: LP; game: Q | WR D.K. Metcalf, foot; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP; Sat: LP |
| G B. Scherff, knee; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: LP | RB R. Penny, hamstring; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O |
| DE S. Toney, concussion; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP | S J. Adams, groin; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: NL |
| TE J. Bates, rib; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP | LB J. Brooks, hip; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: FP |
| RB A. Collins, abdomen; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: LP | |
| RB T. Homer, calf; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; game: O | |
| CB D.J. Reed, knee; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: FP | |
| T B. Shell, shoulder; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; Sat: LP | |
| LB C. Barton, quad; Thurs: FP; Fri: NL; Sat: NL | |
| CB S. Jones IV, shoulder; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: NL | |
| QB G. Smith, back; Thurs: N; Fri: DNP; Sat: FP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense continues to slowly move up the stats charts. They are now 22nd in total points, 20th in total yards, 24th in passing yards, 13th in rushing yards, and 13th in rushing yards per attempt. For his part, Taylor Heinicke has completed 66.2% of his passes, which is ranked 17th, and has a quarterback rating of 91.4, which is ranked 21st.
Washington defense has surrendered 267 points, which is ranked 27th. They are ranked 20th in total yards surrendered, 25th in passing yards, 5th in rushing yards, an 11th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington remains the worst defense in the NFL on third downs.
Record: 4 – 6 (3rd) (Home: 2 – 3; NFC: 3 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 614 – 618 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 22 (points) / 20 (total yards) / 19 (yards per game) / 19 (yards per play) / 24 (passing yards) / 19 (passing yards per att.) / 13 (rushing yards) / 13 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 212 |
| Yards per game | 347.8 |
| Passing
|
334 att (24th); 220 comp; 65.9% comp per. (15th); 7.2 Y/A; 2249 net yds; 15 TD; 9 Int |
| Passing leader | Heinicke (328 att (18th), 2390 yds (16th), 66.2% comp perc (17th), 15 TDs / 9 Int, 91.4 QB rating (21st) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (735 yds (14th), 91 tgts (10th), 54 rec (21st), 5 TDs, 13.6 YPC (38th)) |
| Rushing | 281 att (14th); 1229 yds; 4.4 Y/A; 122.9 Y/G (10th); 7 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (154 att (6th), 601 yds (11th), 5 TDs (18th), 3.9 Y/A (34th), long 27) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 23 / 19 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 30:49 / 12 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 39.23% / 17 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 46.88% / 31 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 27 (points) / 20 (total yards) / 24 (yards per game surrendered) / 28 (yards per play) / 25 (passing yards) / 27 (passing yards per att.) / 5 (rushing yards) / 11 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 267 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 368.5 |
| Opponent’s passing | 364 att (18th); 248 comp; 68.1% comp perc. (26th); 7.7 Y/A; 2700 net yds; 24 TDs; QB Rating 106.0 (30th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 239 att (5th); 985 yds; 4.1 Y/A; 8 TDs; 98.5 Y/G (6th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 20 / 25 / Allen (6.0) |
| Tackles leader | Holcomb (88) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 6 / 23 / Jackson, McCain (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 52.99% / 32 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 60.0% / 17 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 25.5 Y/R (3rd), 25 returns, long 101 yards (2nd), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 10.0 Y/R (9th), 6 returns, long 14 yards (32nd), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.8 Y/R (22nd), 12 returns (6th), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 9.8 Y/R (25th), 17 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 49.5 Y/P (3rd) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 15 / 11 / -4 / 26
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 82 / 16: 58 / 9
Seahawks:
Seattle is ranked 25th in points scored, with 194, 30th in total yards gained, 29th in passing yards, 23rd in rushing yards, and 15th in rushing yards per attempt. Russell Wilson has a good quarterback rating at 101.2, which is ranked 9th in the NFL, although he’s only thrown 191 passes due to his injury. Seattle has been terrible on third downs, with a conversion rate of just 32.41%, which is ranked 30th. They have also given up 33 sacks, which is ranked 30th.
The Seahawks have surrendered 209 points, which is ranked 5th in the NFL, 30th in total yards, 29th in passing yards, 18th in rushing yards, and 5th in rushing yards per attempt.
Record: 3 –7 (4th); Away: 2 – 3; NFC: 1 – 5)
All-time franchise record: 370 – 347 – 1
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
25 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 20 (yards per play) / 29 (passing yards) / 7 (passing yards per att.) / 23 (rushing yards) / 15 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 194 |
| Yards per game | 298.6 |
| Passing | 286 att (31st); 189 comp; 66.1% comp per. (12th); 7.9 Y/A; 2002 net yds; 15 TDs; 4 Int |
| Passing leader | Wilson (191 att (31st), 1564 yds (27th), 64.9% comp per. (22nd), 10 TDs / 3 Int, 101.2 QB rating (9th)) |
| Reception leader | Lockett (717 yds (16th), 71 targets, 47 rec (32nd), 3 TDs, 15.3 Y/C (16th); Metcalf (637 yds, 72 targets (33rd), 46 rec, 8 TDs (8th), 13.8 Y/C |
| Rushing | 231 att (27th); 984 yds; 4.3 Y/A; 98.4 Y/G (23rd); 8 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Collins (94 att (30th), 381 yds (34th), 2 TDs (67th), 4.1 Y/A (31st), long 25 yds (66th)) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 33 / 30 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 24:44 / 32 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 32.41% / 30 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 66.67% / 6 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 5 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 31 (yards per game surrendered) /18 (yards per play) / 29 (passing yards) / 17 (passing yards per att.) / 18 (rushing yards) / 5 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 209 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 401.8 |
| Opponent’s passing | 404 att (30th); 268 comp; 66.3% comp per. (21st); 7.2 Y/A; 2796 net yds; 14 TDs; QB rating 94.9 (19th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 307 att (29th); 1222 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 9 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 17 / 30 / Taylor (4.0) |
| Tackles leader | Wagner (115) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 4 / 31 / Diggs (3) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 41.03% / 16 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 37.1% / 9 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 23.0 Y/R (14th), 21 returns, long 44 yards (13th), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 8.2 Y/R (16th), 13 returns, long 20 yards (19th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 19.0 Y/R (5th), 30 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 7.4 Y/R (12th), 24 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 47.3 Y/P (9th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 6 / 9 / +3 / 12
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 53 / 6
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com