For the second time in three years, the Redskins are headed to Seattle for an NFC playoff game.
With Washington's victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the 9-7 Redskins earned a Wild Card berth and the NFC's sixth seed.
They take on the 11-5 Seahawks at Qwest Field next Saturday, Jan. 5 in Seattle. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.
Seattle finished the 2007 season with a 10-6 record and the NFC West crown. They enter the playoffs having lost two of their last three games, although both losses came on the road. The Seahawks were 7-1 at Qwest Field this season.
Overall, the Redskins hold a 9-4 lead in the series with the Seahawks. In Seattle, the Redskins hold a 4-3 lead.
The last time the Redskins and Seahawks squared off was in the 2005 NFC Divisional Playoffs. The Seahawks prevailed 20-10 at Qwest Field, moving on to the NFC Championship game and ultimately Super Bowl XL.
In the Redskins-Seahawks playoff game, LaVar Arrington and Cornelius Griffin leveled running back Shaun Alexander in the first quarter, knocking him out of the game.
Washington scored first on a 26-yard field goal by John Hall. Then, in a play that is still regarded by Redskins fans as a turning point, Carlos Rogers dropped an interception. If he had held on to the ball, he would have had a clear path to the end zone for a touchdown.
The Seahawks took the lead late in the second quarter when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darrell Jackson. Then, early in the third quarter, Hasselbeck scored on a 6-yard touchdown run.
After Seattle added to its lead with a field goal, the Redskins' offense got back on track when Mark Brunell connected with Chris Cooley on a 52-yard pass to the Seahawks 24-yard line.
Two plays later, Brunell threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss to make the score 17-10 early in the fourth quarter.
The Redskins recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return, but they could not convert the turnover into a score, as Hall's 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
The Seahawks drove down the field and added to their lead with another field goal late in the fourth quarter. That's how the game--and the Redskins' 2005 season--ended.
Brunell finished with 22-of-37 completions for 242 yards and one touchdown. Moss was his top target, hauling in seven passes for 103 yards. Clinton Portis rushed for 41 yards on 17 carries.
The late Sean Taylor led the defense with six tackles. The Redskins could not generate enough pressure on Hasselbeck, logging no sacks in the game.
In the rematch this weekend, many of the faces on both clubs remain the same.
Mike Holmgren remains the head coach of Seattle. Hasselbeck is still the starting quarterback and Alexander and Maurice Morris are the top two running backs. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupa is the leader in tackles and Marcus Trufant has seven interceptions.
The Seahawks' top two sack leaders were not on their 2005 team, though: defensive end Patrick Kerney, formerly with Atlanta, logged 14 sacks this season and linebacker Julian Peterson, formerly with San Francisco, had 10.
Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs, defensive end Phillip Daniels, left guard Pete Kendall and linebacker Randall Godfrey are former Seahawks.
Springs was the Seahawks' first-round draft choice in 1997 and he played seven seasons in Seattle before signing with the Redskins in 2004. He earned his only Pro Bowl berth as a member of the Seahawks in 1998.
Daniels was a fourth-round draft choice of the Seahawks in 1996. He played four seasons in Seattle, developing into a front-line starter. He had one of his best seasons in 1999, recording a career-high nine sacks.
Kendall was the Seahawks' first-round draft choice in 1996. He spent his first five seasons with the Seahawks, establishing himself as a starting NFL offensive lineman.
Godfrey played just one season in Seattle, in 2003. He started 14 games for the Seahawks that year.
