REDSKINS AT SEAHAWKS REVIEW

redskins at seahawks REVIEW
Score: seattle 20 - washington 10

Seattle, WA - (MySportsbook.com) - Matt Hasselbeck accounted for two touchdowns and Seattle was able to prevail in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs despite losing league MVP Shaun Alexander to a concussion, as the Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins, 20-10, at Qwest Field.

Hasselbeck completed 16-of-26 passes for 215 yards with a touchdown while also running for a score for the top-seeded Seahawks, who won a playoff game for the first time since December 22, 1984 when they defeated the Los Angeles Raiders in an AFC wild card game. Seattle had lost its last six playoff games.

"It was a one game deal here," said Hasselbeck. "We were talking about this game and this game only...I have learned this week that people dogged the Seahawks because they don't think there is history, but there is history here."

Alexander left late in the first quarter after taking an apparent knee to the head during a run up the middle. He stayed on the ground for several minutes before leaving the field with the help of team trainers and did not return to the game.

The Alabama product had only nine rushing yards on six carries and also fumbled inside the Washington 15- yard line on the first drive of the game.

"Shaun is going to be fine," said Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren. "He had a concussion in the game. There are grades of concussions, but he should be fine. They are going to run more tests and we have an extra day of rest. If I showed him a picture of a truck, he would say it is a truck."

Darrell Jackson caught nine passes for a Seahawk playoff record 143 yards with a touchdown for Seattle, which will play in the conference title contest for the second time in team history.

The Seahawks will host either Chicago or Carolina in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (et).

"They are both good teams, well coached and physical teams," said Holmgren. "Chicago has a great defense and they are playing in Chicago, but they are both great teams."

Mark Brunell ended 22-of-37 for 242 yards with a touchdown for the sixth- seeded Redskins, who had a six-game winning streak snapped dating back to the regular season. Santana Moss caught seven passes for 103 yards with a score and Chris Cooley added 85 receiving yards in the loss.

Washington, which was trying to become the first No. 6 seed ever to advance to the NFC Championship Game, has not reached the conference title round since the 1991 season.

Trailing 17-3, the Redskins proved to be a worthy challenger as they put together a 76-yard drive that was capped on Brunell's 20-yard TD pass to Moss with 11:59 to go in the game. On the touchdown, Brunell was running to his left so he could avoid a sack, and fired a ball in the end zone that deflected off two defenders before Moss snagged the ball out of mid-air. The score, which made it 17-10, was aided by Cooley's 52-yard catch.

Washington then got another major break when Josh Scobey fumbled the ensuing kickoff and it was recovered by Redskins kicker John Hall. Washington, however, failed to get in the end zone and could not even capitalize on the turnover as Hall eventually missed a 36-yard field goal try.

The missed field goal proved to be detrimental as Seattle drove 60 yards, keyed by 37 rushing yards from Mack Strong, and sealed the win when Josh Brown booted a 31-yard kick with 2:54 left.

The Seahawks then got the ball back on downs and ran out the remaining time.

"There is only team after this is all over that is not frustrated after the season," said Brunell. "We are frustrated right now. I am sick that we lost the game, particularly with the numbers that we have had these last two games. It has been difficult."

Seattle drove down the field on its opening drive, courtesy of a 37-yard pass to Jackson on 3rd-and-4, but the Seahawks failed to get any points on the series after Alexander fumbled moments later.

Neither team then generated any semblance of an offense over the next several minutes as there were nine straight three-and-outs, which was aided by Alexander's injury late in the first quarter, but Washington finally took advantage of a turnover early in the second quarter to gain some momentum.

After punting for the fifth straight possession, Seattle return man Jimmy Williams fumbled the ball deep in his own territory and the Redskins took over with a short field.

Washington got to the Seahawks seven-yard line, but failed to punch it in and had to settle for Hall's 26-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 8:59 left in the first half.

Seattle, though, finally got on the scoreboard as it answered with a 12-play, 74-yard drive, keyed by a trio of third-down conversions, to take a 7-3 lead late in the second stanza. Hasselbeck finished the series by hitting Jackson for a 29-yard touchdown pass over the middle of the field. Jackson caught three passes for 47 yards on the drive.

The Seahawks increased their margin to double-digits courtesy of a long scoring drive early in the third period. Seattle marched 81 yards in 10 plays and finished the series on Hasselbeck's six-yard TD scamper. Hasselbeck went 4-of-6 for 54 yards on the drive, as the gap grew to 14-3 with 9:35 remaining in the quarter.

The Redskins then mounted a long drive, but elected to go for it on 4th-and-13 from their opponent's 33-yard line, rather then try the long field goal, and the move backfired when Brunell was sacked.

On the ensuing series, the Seahawks countered with a six-play drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Brown eventually capped the drive with a 33-yard field goal to widen the lead to 17-3 with 14:16 left.

Game Notes

Maurice Morris had 49 yards to lead the Seahawks ground game...Washington's Clinton Portis ran for only 41 yards on 17 carries...Seattle lost to the LA Raiders, 30-14, in its only other conference championship game, which took place on January 8, 1984...Hasselbeck ran for his first career postseason touchdown. Including the playoffs, Hasselbeck is 21-4 in his last 25 home starts...Holmgren won his first playoff game with Seattle and also defeated the Redskins for the first time in his career (1-4)...Washington head coach Joe Gibbs fell to 5-1 against the Seahawks...The Redskins, who forced three turnovers, have at least one takeaway in 23 straight playoff games...Washington, which is now 4-2 all- time in the Emerald City, still leads the all-time series 9-5.

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