Redskins vs. Seahawks Week 9 Live Drive-by-Drive Analysis

The Redskins need to start out strong today against the Seattle Seahawks. Ride along with us as we give you analyses after each offensive and defensive drive!

It’s almost game time. Get excited! The Redskins, sitting at 3-4, take on the 5-2 Seattle Seahawks at 4:05 EST today. A win gets them back to .500, and back in the wild card race. A loss makes it that much harder, and it makes the hole they’re stuck in that much deeper. How likely is a win? Well, I wouldn’t bet on it if I were you. But, hey! It’s the NFL. And it’s Sunday. Anything can happen. Anything. Can. Happen.

All things considered, however, a win isn’t too likely for the Redskins. They’re playing at one of the toughest stadiums in the nation, and they’re playing against one of the toughest defenses in the nation. And when you look at their inactive players for the game, it’s hard to find much confidence. Three starters on the offensive line have been ruled out, as well as two tight ends, and the team’s best remaining defensive lineman. This also means that many injured players will have to play today, and that doesn’t bode well for the team’s depth.

But nevertheless, this is a team that’s fought hard up to this point. And you can bet they’re in high spirits ahead of this one. A win is very much in reach. And if they play their cards right, they just might surprise a few people.

Have the game on? That’s fine! But be sure to follow along here, and keep your refresh button handy, as we’ll provide you with a little something extra, some in-depth analysis following each offensive and defensive drive. What do the Redskins need to keep doing? What do they need to change? We’ll have all that covered here!

Also be sure to keep an eye out for our Halftime Takeaways and our immediate postgame reactions, as we’ll have all that up for you as well. Without further ado, let’s get right into it. Follow along for our Week 9 Drive-by-Drive Analysis!

4:02: Kickoff is nearing. Charles Davis and Kevin Burkhardt are your commentators!

4:06: The Seahawks won the toss and they’ll differ. The Redskins will start the game with the ball. It’s kind of like tennis, where you know the other guy doesn’t like to serve first, so you let them anyway.

4:10 – Redskins Drive No. 1: The Redskins tried to commit to the run early on, as always, but there seems to be a recurring theme. The team isn’t good at run blocking, and Robert Kelley can’t create for himself. The team got a quick first down with help from a Seahawks’ penalty and a short completion to Brian Quick, but they couldn’t keep a consistent attack going. The coverage was very good for the Seahawks, but the play calling for the Redskins still looks uninspired. They punted after one first down. And now Russell Wilson will have the ball early.

4:17 – Seahawks Drive No. 1: The Redskins pass rush looks about as good as you’d expect without its top two defensive linemen. Not very good. The team couldn’t get any pressure, and because of their inability to get to Russell Wilson, they almost let him get a first down on third down. It was called back because of a holding penalty, but the Redskins need to start being more assertive. They were lucky to force a three and out. Now, they just have to keep it up.

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4:23 – Redskins Drive No. 2: On drive two, the Redskins once again started out with two runs and a third down. Kirk Cousins got a nice completion on third down, but the play after, Samaje Perine fumbled the handoff.

4:26 – Seahawks Drive No. 2: The Redskins did a nice job getting to Wilson this time, and they also stopped Eddie Lacy twice. In the end, it was another three and out, and now their offense needs to capitalize on the stand.

4:29 – Redskins Drive No. 3: The burgundy and gold quickly got off the field this time… on a safety. Kirk Cousins was quickly sacked in the end zone, and the Seahawks got on the board first. Cousins has to be more aware and get the ball out faster. It doesn’t matter whether he trusts his receivers or not. The longer he waits, the more time he gives the defense.

Score Update: SEA 2, WAS 0

4:31 – Seahawks Drive No. 3: It’s hard to expect the Redskins’ defense to do much when they aren’t getting any time to rest from their offense. The team is starting to fall apart relatively quickly today. They let by a couple of big completions by the Seahawks, but toward the other end of the field, they were able to stop the Seahawks and force them to kick a field goal, which Blair Walsh would subsequently miss (shocker, right?). Anthony Lanier got some nice pressure, as did Kerrigan. But this formula is not a sustainable one. The offense has to get a drive.

4:37 – Redskins Drive No. 4: Kirk Cousins has to play with more creativity. He’s playing scared, like he did last week, and like he did against the Eagles in Week 1. Jay Gruden isn’t helping either. On third and long, the team essentially gave up and did a play action screen. This offense looks clueless. They need to start relying on the passing game. Forget the run. It won’t work against Seattle. This offense simply isn’t respectable. They went three and out again.

4:44 – Seahawks Drive No. 4: As mentioned above, the rest of the team seems to be giving up on its offense, which is understandable. That being said, the defense is putting in an amazing effort without any rest. Kendall Fuller picked off a pass from Wilson on third down and the Redskins offense will have the ball at their own 43. They have to capitalize.

4:46 – Redskins Drive No. 5:  The Redskins went three and out again. No analysis needed. They’re terrible.

4:58 – Seahawks Drive No. 5: This team is starting to lose morale. The ineptitude of the offense is chipping away at the other players. The Seahawks’ offense got a boost from a pass interference penalty, and they successfully committed to the run game (what the Redskins have failed to do every single game), and Thomas Rawls showed off flashes from his rookie campaign. This team is observably angry. They had a shot at a red zone pick, but they couldn’t get it. Luckily, Blair Walsh missed another field goal, and the score didn’t change.

5:14 – Redskins Drive No. 6: For those of you keeping track, the Redskins have zero points on five drives so far. That’s an average of… zero yards per drive. The unit seems to have no life, and although we’ve seen brief flashes, they can’t seem to get it done. With the injuries, it’s understandable. But they’ve been utterly inept. They finally got some life from Vernon Davis and Josh Doctson, and in the end, they were able to punch it with Fat Rob!

Score Update: SEA 2, WAS 7

5:29 – Seahawks Drive No. 6: The Redskins defense continues to impress. Junior Galette is getting a great rush on the edge, and the secondary is providing excellent coverage, forcing Wilson to throw on second and third and long. They managed to force a three and out, and the Seahawks punted. The Redskins have the ball again, with another chance to score before the half.

5:32 – Redskins Drive No. 7: The Redskins had a chance to get more points on the board, but it didn’t work out so well for them. T.J. Clemmings was beat by Dwight Freeney for a crucial sack on second down, and on third down, they weren’t able to get the first down. They punted, and now the Seahawks have plenty of time to score again.

5:41 – Seahawks Drive No. 7: The Seahawks had a little less than a minute to work with, and they almost made it count. Ryan Anderson got some nice pressure on a couple plays, but the Seahawks were able to drive. Blair Walsh had another chance to make a field goal, but it missed for a third time, and the Redskins kept a five point lead.

Halftime Score: SEA 2, WAS 7

Our Halftime Takeaways are up! Check them out here.

5:55 – Seahawks Drive No. 8: The Seahawks started out the second half with the ball, and they got off the field quickly with a three and out. The Redskins defended the run well, and DeAngelo Hall turned back the clock, making a nice deflection on third down. The Redskins will get the ball and a chance to go up by two possessions.

6:03 – Redskins Drive No. 8: Getting the ball after a three and out by the Seahawks, the Redskins tried to get Terrelle Pryor involved early, getting a quick first down on a catch and run. Kirk Cousins followed that up with another beautiful pass, and in the red zone, the Redskins stalled out. Cousins had Pryor in isolation on the right side, but he passed up the opportunity, and the Redskins were forced to kick a field goal. Nick Rose hit it right up the middle.

Score Update: SEA 2, WAS 10

6:13 – Seahawks Drive No. 9: On their ninth drive of the day, the Seahawks came in needing a touchdown to keep pace with the Redskins. Russell Wilson was back in his usual form on this drive, turning sacks into short-to-medium gains. Seattle marched down the field in a time-consuming drive, and after a plethora of plays, their progress was halted by a Will Compton interception! The Redskins have the ball yet again.

6:18 – Redskins Drive No. 9: The Redskins got the ball back with another chance to get some points, but they couldn’t capitalize, and after two short runs and an overthrown deep ball, they’ll punt. The score remains the same.

6:33 – Seahawks Drive No. 10, Redskins Drive No. 10: Penalties have helped the Redskins immensely, and it’s also safe to say that Russell Wilson hasn’t been on his game. He’s thrown a number of would-be interceptions today, with his latest coming on this drive, a tipped ball by Will Compton. They ended up punting, as did the Redskins on their next drive.

6:43 – Seahawks Drive No. 11: Washington’s defense was bound to let by a drive sooner or later. The Seahawks found a rhythm on the back of Russell Wilson early in the fourth quarter, and despite a valiant effort by the unit, they were unable to stop Seattle from reaching the end zone. Luke Wilson caught a touchdown pass, and the two-point conversion was stopped. The Redskins still have the lead.

Score Update: SEA 8, WAS 10

6:51 – Redskins Drive No. 11: Kirk Cousins continues to hold onto the ball too long. He’s been sacked in key situations several times tonight. On third and long, he was brought down for another loss, and the Redskins were forced to punt. The Seahawks will have yet another opportunity to score. And the defense is back on the field again.

6:54 – Seahawks Drive No. 12: The ‘Hawks tried to capitalize on their great field position with a drive, but the Redskins defense stopped them once again. Josh Norman had an incredible tackle on third and short, and it’s time for the offense to step up…. again.

7:08 – Redskins Drive No. 12: For the Redskins, the offense hasn’t done much today. They finally managed to move the ball a little bit on their twelfth drive. Brian Quick, Josh Doctson, and Ryan Grant all had crucial catches. The team managed to get past the fifty yard line, but penalties stalled out the drive late, as did sacks, and they were forced to punt.

7:17 – Seahawks Drive No. 13: Needing only a field goal to take the lead, the Seahawks moved the ball easily on this drive. Wilson got out of the pocket more often and threw the ball away when threatened with a loss of yards (take note, Kirk). The drive ended in a touchdown throw on a blown coverage. It’s on the Redskins’ offense now to take the lead back. Oh, boy.

Score Update: SEA 14, WAS 10

7:27 – Redskins Drive No. 13: Kirk Cousins finally decided to let it rip, and the Redskins marched down the field. Josh Doctson had an AMAZING catch, and Robert Kelley capped it off with a score. They gave Seattle a lot of time to answer, however. Can the defense make a stand?

Score Update: SEA 14, WAS 17

7:32 – Seahawks Drive No. 14: With just under a minute, the Seahawks had one last chance to take the lead back before the end of the game. They got down to about midfield, and with one play left, with four seconds to go, they couldn’t get it done.

The Redskins win the game in Seattle, 17 to 14! They move to 4-4 on the season, and their playoff hopes are still alive! Stay tuned to Riggo’s Rag! We’ll have the Recap up shortly!