Game Preview, Week 15: Seahawks at Washington
December 17, 2020
by Steve Thomas
Make no mistake: this is a very tough matchup for our boys in Burgundy and Gold (as opposed to white, which is not a team color; please, no more white on white, Jason). Frankly, Washington caught both the Steelers and the 49ers when they were not really at their best, which certainly aided in those victories. That might not be the case with the Seattle Seahawks, who, while they have a very long injury report, are also coming off of a 40 – 3 drubbing of the sad-sack New York Jets and are locked in a battle with the Rams for control of the NFC West. Russell Wilson started off the season on an insane tear, posting record-level numbers, although he’s tailed off a bit in recent weeks. Regardless, though, the Seahawks are definitely not going to just lay down and die because they have to travel to face the Redskins Washington. Ron Rivera and company are up against the biggest test remaining in the season. A victory in this game will go a long way towards the NFC East title. Our preview starts below.
Game time & location: Sunday, December 20, 2020, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fed Ex Field, Waldorf, MD; no fans
Television: FOX
Television announcers: Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Seahawks radio network: click here
Satellite radio: XM: 231 (Wash. broad.) Sirius: 146 (Wash. broad); internet: 831 (Washington 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 – 5 (last 5: 3 – 2; streak: 1 – 0)
Last meeting: W, November 5, 2017, 17 – 14
Early odds: Seahawks, -5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Control D.K. Metcalf
If you aren’t familiar with Metcalf, he’s a genuine nightmare as a receiver. He’s 6’4”, 235 pounds and was timed at 4.33 seconds in the 40 yard dash during the 2019 NFL Combine. Metcalf is an athletic freak of nature along the lines of hall of fame receiver Terrell Owens. The word on Metcalf during the draft was that he was strictly a vertical receiver and couldn’t run many routes. This is incorrect – he’s actually exceeded expectations and is a good route runner after all. Metcalf is a real problem for Washington’s defensive backs. He’s averaged 17.1 yards per reception this year and has 10 touchdowns. At a minimum, Washington needs to limit his big play ability in order to have a chance in this game.
Limit Russell Wilson’s effectiveness
Russell Wilson is an experienced, Super Bowl champion, league MVP-caliber quarterback. Moreover, he has a very mobile play style and doesn’t hesitate to roll out of the pocket and extend plays to escape pressure. Wilson was playing at an MVP level in the first half of the season but has come back down to earth off recently, but he’s still the type of quarterback who can tear apart a defense that either makes mistakes, overpursues him, or blows coverages. Washington needs to be particularly diligent in their pass rush this week.
Get the passing attack going
Seattle’s defense isn’t what it used to be a few years ago and is somewhat vulnerable to the pass. Washington’s passing game is been limited all year and may be even moreso with third stringer Dwayne Haskins at the helm, if that’s how it turns out given Alex Smith’s health status. Washington’s rushing attack is also probably going to be limited considering that Seattle has only given up 3.9 yards per carry this year and Washington’s running back group is might be without Antonio Gibson. Therefore, the only chance Washington has to do well with the passing game in order to have a shot at a win. Washington needs to be able to move the ball, get first downs, and score touchdowns primarily through the air this week.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
DK Metcalf vs. Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby
I’ve included Metcalf again here because he is very, very important to Seattle’s offense, and he’s a bad one on one matchup for pretty much everyone. Fuller and Darby are going to have to figure out how to limit his effectiveness one way or the other. This isn’t the week to use much man coverage, because Metcalf’s size and athletic profile give him an advantage over almost everyone. Washington needs to shade a safety over to Metcalf at all times. If Fuller and Darby plus a safety can’t keep Metcalf in check, it’s probably going to be a long day for Washington.
Getting to Russell Wilson is critical this week, which makes Young’s battle with right tackle Brandon Shell a key matchup to watch. Young has tremendous burst off of the line of scrimmage, but he’s also overpursued at times this year. Young needs to take advantage of Shell, set the edge to keep Wilson in the pocket, and get home. Keep an eye on how much of an impact Young is having on this game.
Shaquill Griffin and D.J. Reed vs. Terry McLaurin
Simply put, McLaurin needs to rebound from his limited showings of the last two games, particularly since Washington’s best chance at scoring points is probably through the air. Griffin is a quality corner, but McLaurin needs to do his thing and come up with a big game this week. Watch out for whether Seattle lets Griffin cover McLaurin alone or whether they bracket him with a safety.
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 |
| LB T. Davis Sr., NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP | DE C. Dunlap, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP |
| RB A. Gibson, toe; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP | RB T. Homer, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP |
| LB K. Pierre-Louis, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP | G/T.J. Jones, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP |
| QB A. Smith, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP | S D. Randall, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP |
| DT J. Allen, groin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP | T B. Shell, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP |
| RB P. Barber, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP | T D. Brown, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP |
| RB C. Carson, foot; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP | |
| G P. Haynes, groin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP | |
| RB C. Hyde, toe; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP | |
| G M. Iupai, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP | |
| S R. Neal, hip; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP | |
| S J. Adams, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP | |
| TE W. Dissly, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP | |
| C/G K. Fuller, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: NL | |
| WR DK Metcalf, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: NL | |
| T C. Ogbuehi, calf; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP | |
| TE C. Parkinson, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: NL | |
| CB D.J. Reed, foot/ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP | |
| DT J. Reed, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: NL | |
| WR F. Swain, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense had a very bad game last week against the 49ers. As a result, they are now ranked 30th in total yards, 30th in yards per game, 30th in yards per play, 26th in passing yards, 24th in rushing yards, and 27th in rushing yards per attempt. The fact that Washington is ranked 24th in points and not a spot or two lower is mostly due to the two defensive touchdowns against the Steelers. Washington has been terrible on third downs all year, converting just 36.52% of attempts, which is 30th in the NFL. Quarterback Alex Smith’s rating is now down to just 79.0, mostly courtesy of his interceptions, low passing yardage, and touchdowns. There’s no reason to suspect that things will get better this week.
Defensively, Washington keeps rising to the top of the heap. They are ranked 6th in total points, 4th in total yards, 3rd in passing yards, 9th in rushing yards, and 10th in rushing yards per attempt. They’ve been outstanding in the red zone, giving up touchdowns only 50% of the time, which is 3rd in the league.
Record: 6 – 7 (1st) (Home: 3 – 3; NFC: 4 – 5)
All-time franchise record: 609 – 610 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 24 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 30 (yards per play) / 26 (passing yards) / 26 (passing yards per att.) / 24 (rushing yards) / 27 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 287 |
| Yards per game | 314.5 |
| Passing
|
467 att (16th); 303 comp; 64.9% comp per. (19th); 6.5 Y/A; 2773 net yds; 12 TD; 10 Int |
| Passing leader | Smith (220 att (33rd), 1420 yds (32nd), 66.4% comp perc (15th), 4 TDs / 6 Int, 79.0 QB rating (30th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (1001 yds (10th), 114 tgts (10th), 73 rec (17th), 3 TDs, 13.7 YPC) |
| Rushing | 3334 att (20th); 1316 yds; 3.9 Y/A; 101.2 Y/G (24th); 17 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (141 att (19th), 659 yds (21st), 11 TDs (4th), 4.7 Y/A (18th), long 40) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 40 / 28 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 30:05 / 18 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 36.52% / 30 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 56.10% / 24 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 6 (points) / 4 (total yards) / 4 (yards per game surrendered) / 4 (yards per play) / 3 (passing yards) / 4 (passing yards per att.) / 9 (rushing yards) / 10 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 275 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 315.5 |
| Opponent’s passing | 441 att (9th); 280 comp; 63.5% comp perc. (10th); 6.7 Y/A; 2682 net yds; 19 TDs; QB Rating 85.9 (7th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 338 att (13th); 1393 yds; 4.1 Y/A; 10 TDs; 107.2 Y/G (9th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 40 / 5 / Sweat (7.0) |
| Tackles leader | Bostic (96) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 12 / 11 / Fuller (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 37.14% / 6 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 50.0% / 3 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 20.7 Y/R (21st), 27 returns, long 46 yards (18th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 6.0 Y/R (26th), 26 returns, long 22 yards (18th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 28.3 Y/R (30th), 7 returns (2nd), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 5.9 Y/R (8th), 29 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 48.5 Y/P (5th); 2907 total punting yards (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 19 / 17 / -2 / 22
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 71 / 10
Seahawks:
Seattle’s offense has been prolific at times this season. They have scored 393 points, which is ranked 3rd, and are 6th in total yards, 7th in passing yards, and 11th in rushing yards. For his part, Russell Wilson has already passed for 3,685 yards, which is 3rd among NFL quarterbacks this year. He has also thrown 36 touchdowns, which is tied with Aaron Rodgers for 2nd in the league. They are also ranked 2nd in the red zone, which puts them in a strength on strength situation with Washington’s red zone defense.
Seattle’s defense is not nearly as intimidating as their offense. They have surrendered 324 points, which is ranked 18th, and are ranked 27th in total yards, yards per play, and third down conversions. They are the worst team in the league as measured by passing yards surrendered. From a statistical perspective, this is a mediocre to below average defense. Opposing quarterbacks have a combined quarterback rating of 93.7, which isn’t good but also isn’t terrible. The reason for the passing yardage is that they’ve had 539 passing attempts against them, which is the most in the NFL.
Record: 9 – 4 (1st); Away: 3 – 3; NFC: 6 – 3)
All-time franchise record: 364 – 340 – 1
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
3 (points) / 6 (total yards) / 6 (yards per game) / 6 (yards per play) / 7 (passing yards) / 6 (passing yards per att.) / 11 (rushing yards) / 8 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 393 |
| Yards per game | 387.5 |
| Passing | 468 att (15th); 330 comp; 70.5% comp per. (2nd); 7.9 Y/A; 3464 net yds; 36 TDs; 12 Int |
| Passing leader | Wilson (463 att (8th), 3685 yds (4th), 70.4% comp per. (3rd), 36 TDs (2nd) / 12 Int, 109.0 QB rating (5th)) |
| Reception leader | Lockett (886 yds, 106 targets (18th), 81 rec (9th), 8 TDs, 10.9 Y/C); Metcalf (1180 yds (2nd), 106 targets (18th), 69 rec, 10 TDs, 17.1 Y/C (3rd)) |
| Rushing | 334 att (19th); 1574 yds; 4.7 Y/A; 121.1 Y/G (11th); 12 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Carson (99 att (39th), 505 yds (32nd), 5 TDs, 5.1 Y/A (8th)), long 29 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 41 / 31 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 30:14 / 17 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 39.86% / 23 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 74.47% / 2 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 18 (points) / 27 (total yards) / 27 (yards per game surrendered) / 23 (yards per play) / 32 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 4 (rushing yards) / 8 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 324 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 390.3 |
| Opponent’s passing | 539 att (32nd); 363 comp; 70.0% comp per. (24th); 7.4 Y/A; 3833 net yds; 21 TDs; QB Rating 93.7 (17th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 319 att (7th); 1241 yds; 3.9 Y/A; 16 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 36 / 9 / Adams (8.5) |
| Tackles leader | Wagner (113) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 11 / 14 / Diggs (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 46.51% / 27 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 64.58% / 22 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 22.7 Y/R (13th), 25 returns, long 49 yards (16th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 9.0 Y/R (17th), 16 returns, long 20 yards (24th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.0 Y/R (15th), 31 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 8.1 Y/R (16th), 19 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 49.3 Y/P (3rd) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 17 / 18 / +1 / 16
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 71 / 10
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com