Matt Hasselbeck gets the start for Seattle. Hasselbeck instills so much confidence that Seattle picked up 35-year old crazy man Jeff George who was selling insurance or something like that. Hasselbeck last started game one against Oakland and was ineffective in a 31-17 loss to a team that is now in the bottom third of the league in pass defense. To make matters worse, he will be without starting wide receiver Darrell Jackson who left last week’s game with a concussion.
The Redskins may be without running back Stephen Davis but even with rookie backup Kenny Watson (5.2 ypc last week), the Skins shouldn’t have any problem against the league’s worst rushing defense which is giving up 177+ yards per game.
The Redskins aren’t as bad as many people think. Turnovers have killed them in their four losses (3.75 per game in losses versus .67 in two wins). Also, consider these four losses have come against the league’s elite teams: Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans and Green Bay (all in Sagarin Power Ratings Top 8)! They have beaten and covered against the teams they were supposed to and now are handed three points against the worst team on their schedule to date.
The Redskins also qualify in a 43-19 situation featuring visiting dogs of 3+ points. They won’t even need the points.