The Seattle Seahawks scored in what seemed to be a blink of an eye on Monday, taking just over two minutes to reach the end zone on a 15-yard TD pass from QB Russell Wilson to WR Jermaine Kearse.
The Washington Redskins' offense continued to struggle mightily early on in this Monday Night Football clash, giving the Seattle Seahawks plenty of opportunities to cash in despite a major penalty problem that reared its ugly head early and often.
Seattle would still extend their lead to 17-0 with under 5 minutes left in the second quarter, but DeSean Jackson would put his imprint on the half before things were done with a long TD reception that sliced the Seahawks' advantage to 17-7 at the break.
Biggest Play: After a bushel of Seattle mistakes limited them to a field goal on their second scoring drive (making it 10-0), Washington had a huge chance to steal momentum away by sustaining a drive for any length of time.
Kirk Cousins would scramble for four on 1st down, followed by a three-yard burst by RB Alfred Morris off right tackle. Despite having a manageable 3rd-and-3 to play with, Cousins would fail to connect with WR Andre Roberts. That marked Washington's third straight three-and-out and fourth straight punt.
It also gave Seattle a chance to respond, and respond they did as Russell Wilson would weave his way into the end zone for a nine-yard TD on the Seahawks' next possession to make it 17-0 at the time.
Biggest Surprise: Seattle's 2013 penalty bug revisited them in the first half. Aided by an early bye week, the Seahawks came into the game with the 2nd-least amount of penalties in the NFL (19). The most-flagged team in 2013 (152 penalties, 29 more than the #2 Rams), however, came back for a visit on this night in D.C.
The Seahawks had two touchdowns called back on the same drive, forcing them to settle for a 10-0 advantage instead of 14-0. All in all, Seattle committed eight penalties for 50 yards in the first half - well ahead of their Pete Carroll-infuriating pace from last season.
Seahawks Key Player: QB Russell Wilson (11-of-15, 131 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 6 carries, 89 rushing yards)
Russell Wilson dominated the open of the game with what seemed to be afterburners in his shoes. The Redskins struggled at times to contain Wilson's speed and scrambling intelligence, thus his 89 yards rushing on the half. Washington's defense keyed in at times, but Wilson broke through with scores
Team 2 Key Player: WR DeSean Jackson (1 catch, 60 yards, 1 TD)
When things look to be at their worst for the Redskins, DeSean Jackson happened. Jackson picked up his NFL-best 19th TD of 50 yards or more since 2008, getting free on a Kirk Cousins scramble for a 60-yard catch-and-run into the end zone. That would cut Seattle's lead to 17-7 and had the faithful in Washington some hope.
Who Has The Edge? As long as the Super Bowl champions can avoid the yellow laundry on the field, Seattle has a marked edge against a Washington Redskins team begging for some consistency. However, if Seattle continues to shoot themselves in the foot, Washington has the weapons to pull off the upset.
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