Monday Night Football Week 5: Seahawks at Redskins prediction
The Washington Redskins will be hard-pressed to continue its dominance against the Seattle Seahawks when the clubs square off in the nation’s capital on Monday night. Washington is 11-4 in the all-time regular-season series and has won each of the last six matchups, including a 23-17 triumph at Seattle on Nov. 27, 2011, in which Roy Helu Jr. accumulated 162 total yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks haven’t defeated the Redskins since posting a 24-14 home victory on Sept. 20, 1998, when they still were members of the AFC West.
Washington’s season has gotten off to a disappointing start, with Robert Griffin III going down with an ankle injury in the club’s lone win in Week 2 and backup Kirk Cousins guiding the team to two straight defeats - extending his personal losing streak to five starts in the process. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks are coming off their bye week after registering a thrilling 26-20 overtime triumph over Denver in Week 3. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is off to a strong start, completing 60-of-87 passes for 651 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception over his first three games.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Seahawks -7.5. O/U: 45.
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (2-1): Seattle will be without tight end Zach Miller, who is expected to miss several games after undergoing ankle surgery last week. Percy Harvin is proving to be a triple threat as he leads the team in both receptions (16) and receiving yards (106), has gained another 86 yards on six rushes and is averaging 20.1 yards on seven kickoff returns. Punter Jon Ryan was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September after averaging 48.3 yards on 12 punts.
ABOUT THE REDSKINS (1-3): Washington figures to put pressure on Wilson as it leads the NFL with 11 sacks, including five by league co-leader Ryan Kerrigan. The linebacker is one-half sack away from becoming the eighth player in team history to record 30. Alfred Morris needs 156 rushing yards to pass Mike Thomas (3,359) for eighth place on the franchise list and two touchdowns on the ground to leap past Cliff Battles (23) and tie Earnest Byner (25) for seventh.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Seattle has won each of its last eight appearances on Monday Night Football.
2. The Redskins signed CB Richard Crawford and S Jamarca Sanford on Monday after losing DBs DeAngelo Hall (Achilles) and Duke Ihenacho (heel) for the season in recent weeks.
3. Including the postseason, Washington has sold out a league-best 387 consecutive home games.
PREDICTION: Seahawks 34, Redskins 20
