Seahawks vs. Redskins: Behind Enemy Lines with ‘Riggo’s Rag’

The Seattle Seahawks are fresh and rested for Week 5 following a bye week, and their first test back from the break will be in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football.

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Their opponent?

The Washington Redskins, owners of a 1-3 record, though their team is much more talented than their record indicates.

To learn more about the team from the NFC East, I spoke with Mr. Maurice Barksdale, the editor of RiggosRag.com, our FanSided brother that covers all things Redskins.

Maurice brought up some great points and had an interesting prediction regarding the outcome of Monday night’s game.

Here is our conversation:

1. Kirk Cousins has shown he can play exceptionally, but in Week 4 he also showed a pretty downward side of his passing game. Which Cousins do you think will show up against the Seahawks? 

I think we’ll see the good and the bad Kirk Cousins. The Seattle defense is too good not to get at least one turnover from Cousins, be it an interception or a fumble. However, I do think Cousins will play much better than he did in Week 4 against the Giants.

And regardless of record, Cousins has some very good offensive talent at his disposal so at times I think he will have some success against the Seahawks defense. But how much success? We’ll just have to see. Kirk Cousins still has a lot to prove as a quarterback.

2. DeSean Jackson is one of the Redskins newest offensive additions, but he has been hit and miss statistically. When on his game, he can be  one of the most explosive players in the NFL. Why doesn’t he get the ball more in Washington’s offense and do you think he will be impactful against Seattle?

The Redskins have a lot of talent on offense at the wide receiver position. Not only do they have DeSean Jackson but Pierre Garcon has emerged as a top receiver and Andre Roberts is a threat as well. They have good tight ends and Alfred Morris at running back so there’s only one football to go around.

Also, it’s still early in the season and Jackson is already working with his second quarterback in Cousins as Robert Griffin III is out with an injury. So chemistry is still being developed. And head coach Jay Gruden is probably still trying to figure out how best to get Jackson involved in the offense.

And yes I think Jackson will have an impact against the Seahawks. His speed and quickness is a very nice counter to their physicality.

3. Who is a relatively unknown player on the Redskins (on offense, defense, or special teams) that the Seahawks should really keep their eye on?

I think the Seahawks defense will see more of running back Roy Helu not only running the ball but also out of the backfield as a receiver. Alfred Morris is having a good year as usual, but Helu is quietly putting up very good numbers as well.

On defense, nose tackle Chris Baker is starting to emerge as a big time player for the Redskins. He began the season starting at defensive end but moved over to the nose when Barry Cofield was injured. Baker is not only good against the run but he’s also a good pass rusher for a nose tackle.

4. Seattle knocked Washington out of the postseason two years ago, the last time the teams met. Do you think that will inspire Washington at all or are they over that loss already?

The Seahawks are a great team and worthy champions but honestly I think most Redskins fans believe that with a healthy RGIII, the Redskins would have won that game. So it wasn’t so much being beaten by the Seahawks that day as being victims of fate.

I think the team feels the same way, so I don’t think the Redskins will be out for revenge against the Seahawks. There’s been so much that’s happened since then and most of it negative. They need to focus on the task at hand in the present and I think they’ll leave the past where it is.

5. What is your prediction for Monday Night’s game, including the final score?

Some are predicting a blowout in this game but I think it will be much closer. The Redskins will have to play a near flawless game in order to beat the Seahawks so I don’t think you’ll see the myriad of turnovers and mistakes that you saw against the Giants.

However, even though the Redskins will play much better the Seahawks are still a much better team and they will get the win on the road.

28-23 Seahawks win.

Special thanks, again, to Mr. Maurice Barksdale from RiggosRag.com for taking the time to share his thoughts on the Redskins-Seahawks Week 5 matchup.