Two rookie quarterbacks who've shined in the regular season will go head-to-head Sunday in Washington D.C., as Russell Wilson and the Seahawks go up against Robert Griffin III and the Redskins in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
Find out why KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel thinks the Seahawks will prevail.
Art says both Wilson and Griffin (known as RG3 to fans) are talented leaders who've earned the trust of their teams.
"Those two together really make this match-up electric because I can see these guys being the top two quarterbacks in the NFL for years to come. And the fact that one of them is in Seattle is kind of amazing, given the history of Seattle's mediocre success in big-time sports."
Quick thinkers, good runners
Wilson and Griffin are both doing something unique and doing it well: the read option. They're able to make split-second decisions on whether to pass the ball or run with it, depending on what the defense is doing after the ball is snapped.
The big risk is, they can get hurt doing it. Griffin missed two games this season with a knee injury. Art says he runs more than Wilson, and gets hit a lot.
Wilson is more careful - always trying to slide to avoid big hits. Art thinks this will be a factor in the game.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Redskins 24
"I think the Seahawks defense is the difference because the offenses are mirror images and very good. I think Griffin's knee is going to bother him; I think the Seahawks are capable of exploiting that."
A few other interesting facts from Art about the Seahawks-Redskins match-up:
- It's only the second time in NFL history that two rookie quarterbacks have started in a playoff game.
- The Seahawks haven't won a playoff game on the road since 1983.
- It's the first playoff game Washington, D.C. has hosted since 1999.
- FedEx Field has 15,000 more seats than CenturyLink Field in Seattle. It will be packed with fans who've waited a long time for a match-up like this.
You can read more on what Art thinks about the match-up at Sportspress Northwest.
