Where: FedExField in Landover, Md.

When: Sunday, Jan. 6 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox5 WTTG

Listen:  WTEM SportsTalk 980

Spread: Seahawks -3

Rookie quarterbacks ROBERT GRIFFIN III of Washington and RUSSELL WILSON of Seattle lead their teams into the playoffs. Griffin (102.4) and Wilson (100.0) are the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to post a 100.0+ passer rating.

Both rookie QBs have been complemented by strong running games. For the Redskins, rookie running back ALFRED MORRIS finished second in the NFL with a team-record 1,613 rushing yards. Seahawks running back MARSHAWN LYNCH ranked third in the league with 1,590 yards and was selected to his second Pro Bowl (first with Seattle).

Seattle and Washington enter the postseason as two of the hottest teams in the league. The Seahawks have won five in a row and seven of their past eight while the Redskins are riding a seven-game winning streak and are the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs after a 3-6 start.

“This is a big deal to finish like this and win all these games in a row,” says Seattle head coach PETE CARROLL. “We finished the regular season and now we’ll start it up again with a new season. We’re really excited about that.”

DISCUSS THIS IN OUR REDSKINS FAN FORUM!

NOTES

TEAMS MEET for 3rd time in postseason (2005 Div: Sea. 20-10; 2007 WC: Sea. 35-14). Sea. has won both playoff meetings & Was. leads all-time series, including playoffs, 11-6.

SEAHAWKS: Have won past 3 WC games. Have won 1st playoff game in each of past 4 postseason appearances. Seahawks are 2-0 in postseason vs. Was. Finished regular season winning 5 in row & 7 of past 8. During 5-game winning streak to close out season, outscored opp. 193-60. Seahawks had 5 players selected to Pro Bowl: RB MARSHAWN LYNCH (2nd), T RUSSELL OKUNG (1st), S EARL THOMAS (2nd), C MAX UNGER (1st) & KR LEON WASHINGTON (2nd)…Rookie QB RUSSELL WILSON threw 26 TD passes, tied for most by rookie in NFL history (PEYTON MANNING, 1998). Also rushed for 4 TDs. Completed 252 of 393 passes (64.1 pct.) for 3,118 yards with 26 TDs vs. 10 INTs for 100.0 passer rating. Wilson & Was. QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III are only rookie QBs in NFL history with 100+ rating in season. Wilson had 115.2 rating in Dec., best mark in NFL. In final 3 games of reg. season, had 6 pass TDs, 1 INT, 126.8 rating & 4 rush TDs…RB Lynch was selected to 2nd career Pro Bowl & 1st as Seahawk. Ranked 3rd in NFL with career-high 1,590 rush yards. Has 100+ rush yards in 8 of past 10. In past 10 games, has 1,041 rush yards (104.1 per game) & 10 TDs (9 rush, 1 rec.). In last year’s WC game (1/8/11 vs. NO), rushed for 131 yards & 67-yard TD. Since Nov. 2011, leads NFL with 2,531 rush yards (incl. playoffs). Rushed for 111 yards & had 20-yard rec. TD in only career game vs. Was. (11/27/11)…WR SIDNEY RICE led team with 50 catches & 748 yards. Tied for club lead with 7 rec. TDs. Has 4 rec. TDs in past 2 postseason games & aims for 3rd playoff game in row with TD. Tied NFL postseason record with 3 rec. TDs in 1/17/10 Div. (with Min.). WR GOLDEN TATE had TD in only meeting (11/27/11). Tied for team lead with career-high 7 rec. TDs. Has 5 total TDs (4 rec., 1 pass) in past 8 games…Seahawks led NFL in fewest points allowed (245), points per game allowed (15.3) & TDs allowed (25). Defense ranked in top 5 in NFC in all 3 categories: 2nd overall (306.2), 3rd passing (203.1) & 5th rushing (103.1). Team’s red zone defense was 2nd in NFC with 44.7% TD pct. allowed (17 TDs, 38 poss.)…DE CHRIS CLEMONS led team with 11.5 sacks, his 3rd consecutive season with 11+ sacks. CB RICHARD SHERMAN led team with 24 PD & 8 INTs, tied for 2nd most in NFL. Scored 2 TDs (blocked FG return & INT-TD). Rookie LB BOBBY WAGNER led team with 139 tackles. DE BRUCE IRVIN led NFL rookies with 8 sacks.

REDSKINS: Have won 7 in row, longest current winning streak in NFC. Are 5th team in NFL history to make playoffs after 3-6 start. Won NFC East for 1st time since 1999. In postseason, team is 23-17 (.575), 3rd best mark among NFC clubs (min. 15 games). Redskins had 3 players selected to Pro Bowl, all for 1st time: ST LORENZO ALEXANDER, rookie QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III and T TRENT WILLIAMS…QB Griffin set NFL rookie record with 102.4 passer rating, completing 258 of 393 (65.6 pct.) for 3,200 yards with 20 TDs vs. 5 INTs. Had 100+ rating in 8 games, incl. tying single-game NFL record 158.3 – highest attainable mark – in Week 11 vs. Phi. Only rookie to accomplish feat. Rushed for 815 yards, most by rookie QB in NFL history. Is only QB in NFL history with 4+ TD passes of 60+ yards & rush TD of 60+ yards in season…Redskins led NFL in rush offense (169.3 yards per game). RB ALFRED MORRIS rushed for team-record 1,613 yards, 3rd most by rookie in NFL history. Rushed for 75+ yards in 14 of 16 games, incl. 7 100-yard games. In past 6 games, has rushed for 744 yards (124 per game) & 8 TDs. Has 7 rush TDs in past 4 & aims for 5th in row with TD. In Week 17, rushed for 200 yards & 3 TDs as Was. won NFC East with win over Dal. Morris led NFC with 13 rush TDs & ranked 2nd overall in NFL. In past 3 at home, has rushed for 453 yards (151 per game) & 4 TDs…WR SANTANA MOSS led team with 8 rec. TDs, his most in season since 2005 (9). In 2 career playoff games vs. Sea., Moss has 13 catches for 171 yards (85.5 per game) & 2 TDs. Has scored 5 career postseason TDs (4 rec., 1 PR). WR PIERRE GARCON aims for 4th playoff game in row with TD catch. In past 3 postseason games, has 21 catches for 329 yards (109.7 per game) & 3 TDs. Had 4 TDs in 2012 & avg. 41.5 yards per TD. WR JOSH MORGAN led team with 48 catches. Had 510 yards, his 3rd 500+ yard season in past 4 years…Redskins ranked 3rd in NFC in rush defense (95.8 yards per game). Team was 2nd in NFC & 3rd in NFL with +17 turnover differential. LB LONDON FLETCHER led team with 139 tackles & career-high 5 INTs. Has 4 INTs in past 6. Had 2 sacks in Week 17. CB DE ANGELO HALL has 2 INTs in career vs. Sea., incl. INT-TD. Hall & LB ROB JACKSON tied for 2nd on club with 4 INTs. Jackson has INT in 2 of past 3. LB RYAN KERRIGAN led club with 8.5 sacks. Since entering NFL in 2011, is only player in NFL with 10+ sacks (16) & 2+ INT-TDs (2).

For more on the Wild Card matchup- CONTINUE READING

You can add three more names to April's NFL draft.

Xavier Rhodes CB Florida State- Teams will be lining up to take a long look at the Seminoles corner. At 6'2" 220, Rhodes has been compared to Arizona Cardinals star Patrick Peterson. Now, who wouldn't love to see Rhodes in Burgundy and Gold next season? But don't hold your breath as the Skins would have to trade back into the first round to have a shot at the sought after DB. Rhodes is one of the top junior's to declare and is almost a first round certainty.

DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson- Sophomore sensation Sammy Watkins never really got untracked this season and Hopkins capitalized on the opportunity in a big way. Hopkins opened the season with a huge night against Auburn and closed out his Clemson career in similar fashion in the upset Chick-Fil-A win over LSU. A big physical receiver like Hopkins would fit perfectly in the Washington offense, but needs at offensive tackle and the defensive backfield need attention first.

Alec Ogletree LB Georgia- Like Rhodes and Hopkins, Ogletree waited until after his team's bowl game to declare his intentions. At 6'3" and 235 pounds, Ogletree has the skills to contribute inside or outside at linebacker at the next level. Scouts love Ogletree's ability to play in space and many believe he could be an elite talent as a rush linebacker. While Alec would be a great add, the 'Skins have too many other needs and not enough high picks.

DISCUSS THE REDSKINS IN OUR FAN FORUM

Head Coach Mike Shanahan says QB Robert Griffin III's knee is 100% healthy, but the bulky knee brace is hindering his movement. However, it seems like the knee brace will still be on RG3's knee on Sunday afternoon.

TB Alfred Morris has come a long way in a short time from that small Florida college that lost 11 of 12 games last year. I'll say he has: He just won NFC Offensive Player of the Week and NFC Rookie of the Month for December. 

RG3 finished the season with a passer rating of 102.4. That's the highest in NFL history for a rookie quarterback. [Second highest in NFL history now belongs to Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.] He finished third in passer rating overall, behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. Griffin tossed only 5 interceptions all season, giving him a ratio of 1.3 percent of passes intercepted. That's also an NFL record fora rookie, shattering the previous rookie mark of 1.98 for Charlie Batch. 

DB Cedric Griffin is back on the practice field after serving his four-game suspension for banned PED usage. ILB London Fletcher and LG Kory Lichtensteiger [both have ankle injuries] are watching the practice. 

The Seattle Seahawsk come to town on Sunday as one of the hottest teams in the NFL to play one of the hottest teams in the NFL. On paper, the Seahawks certainly look like the better team, but they have not won a road playoff game in 29 years. That's eight straight losses. 

Meanwhile, the Redskins have lost only one home playoff game since 1970. That loss came against the Bears after the 1984 season and it ended Washington's two-year reign as champs of the NFC. 

By the way, the Redskins-Seahawks playoff game at FedEx Field is sold out. The Redskins are 3-point dogs at home. 

Redskins CB Josh Wilson was a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks the last time these two teams faced each other in the playoffs. That game was close until it blew up in the second half when Redskins QB Todd Collins threw two pick-sixes and the Seahawks advanced to the next round. Wilson reminisces about that game.

Rich Tandler has a rundown of the Redskins-Seahawks history.http://www.csnwashington.com/football-washington-redskins/talk/best-and-worst-redskins-seahawks-series.

Tandler also looks at the big issues this week for the Skins -- the health of Kory Lichtensteiger, RG3's knee, whether or not Cedric Griffin will be activated for the game and if the Skins come out angry because they're under-dogs at home.

John Keim considers what the Redskins face this week as they prepare for the Seahawks. Big issue again: Will RG3 finally be right? And can the Skins score on that great Seahawks defense and slow down that red-hot Seahawks offense?

The Redskins are considering extending Mike Shanahan's contract. I don't really understand that. Shanny's got two more years remaining on his contract. Generally, if you want to retain a coach you extend the contract when he has one year left. If Shanny is to be extended, it should be done after the 2013 season. In other words, a year from now. 

Meanwhile, Shanny's defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett, could draw some head coaching interest. I doubt he goes anywhere, though.

OLB Rob Jackson intercepted a Tony Romo pass late in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's Redskins home win over the Cowboys, a great play that sealed the win for Washington. It's not the first big play he's made this year, as teammate Josh Wilson has noticed. 

Here is the NFL Draft order for 2013, picks 1-20. You will notice the Redskins are nowhere on that list. That's good news because it means the Redskins did well enough to qualify for the playoffs and, therefore, their draft pick for 2013 is not yet determined. It's bad news for the St. Louis Rams, who will receive that first round pick, as part of the deal for Robert Griffin III. I think it is safe to say that pick is not going to be as high as the Rams and their fans hoped it would be. 

It seems people are impressed when a running back runs for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in the biggest game of the season for his team. Redskins tailback Alfred Morris, who ran over the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday night en route to a 28-18 victory and the championship of the NFC East, has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Morris also won NFC Rookie of the Month honors for the month of December.

Morris and teammate Robert Griffin III are the first rookie QB/RB tandem to win Offensive Player of the Week honors in the same season. 

Morris ran for 1613 yards this season, a record for a Redskins rookie, but also the all-time franchise record for rushing yards in a single season. Morris also scored 13 touchdowns, another record for a Redskins rookie. 

After falling in the season opener to then #1 Kentucky 72-69, Maryland basketball has won a dozen straight.

The Terps closed out non-conference play with a 81-63 win over IUPUI at the Comast Center this afternoon. Freshman guard Seth Allen led a balanced Maryland attack with 13 points.

Associated Press voters have shown little respect for the Terps, Maryland getting only five votes, good for 35th in the country in the latest AP Poll. Maryland has had an easy schedule since the opener against the defending national champs, with their only significant win coming against Northwestern in the Big 10/ACC challenge.

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon has turned the program around in a big way and very quickly. The Terps returned only four scholarship players this season, but have a solid ten man rotation featuring two transfers and four highly regarded freshman that were brought on board in the offseason.

ACC play begins on Saturday when Virginia Tech (9-4) visits the Comcast Center for a Noon tipoff.

Four more college football stars have decided to give up their final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Matt Elam Florida Safety- Although not yet official, Elam's high school coach Jack Daniels tells the Palm Beach Post that Elam has already made the decision to enter the draft. Elam was named first team All-American and should be high on the Redskins wish list. Projections call for Elam to go late in first round or early in the second, so the 'Skins will need a bit of luck to get a shot at Elam. Elam had four interceptions this season with 65 tackles, including 10 for loss.

Corey Lemonier Auburn DL/LB- Despite a disappointing junior season, Lemonier has decided to enter the draft. Lemonier has the versatility of playing a 4-3 end or a 3-4 outside linebacker. With Adam Carriker and Brian Orakpo returning from injury in 2013 and Jarvis Jenkins and Rob Jackson emerging in their absence, Lemonier is not a need for Washington. Lemonier is the sixth defensive lineman to leave early, the most of any position.

Stefphon Jefferson Nevada RB- Jefferson was second in the nation in rushing this season with 1,883 yards on the ground to go along with 24 touchdowns. Obviously, Mike Shanahan doesn't spend early picks at the position, nor do the 'Skins have a glaring need at the position. South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore, Arkansas' Knile Davis and Giovani Bernand from North Carolina are other backs already declaring for the draft.

Robert Woods USC WR- Injuries plagued the USC wide receiver early on, but he still "managed" 76 receptions. As a sophomore, Woods hauled in a Pac-12 record 111 catches, earning pre-season All-America honors. Woods projects a late selection on day one and barring a trade, isn't on the Redskins radar. Woods' high school teammate, Marquise Lee was the Biletnikoff Award winner this season, but is only a sophomore.

Happy New Year from DC Pro Sports to you and your family from DC Pro Sports Report.

It look to be a good year shaping up already for DC sports fans.  Our Washington Redskins are in the NFL playoffs and NFC East division champions.  It's not just that.  Look beyond the playoffs for 2013.  This team has plenty of reasons to give us excite for 2013.  The youth movement that Mike Shanahan embarked on late in 2011 has this team set for a promising future.  Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris give Redskins fans plenty of reason to smile and be excited.  The fact this team ran off seven straight wins, after starting 3-6, is another powerful reason to be excited.  It goes tot he very character of the team as a whole.  This is not the same old Redskins.  It's a new Redskins. 

The Washington Nationals are set to compete for years to come and we can boast the best starting pitching staff in all of baseball.  Adding Dan Heren just makes it even more powerful.  The likes of Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Jordan Zimmermann thrill Nats fans everywhere.  The fact we won't have to deal with a Strasburg shutdown issues is thrilling in itself.  It is very difficult, if not impossible, to not like the makeup and character of this club.  It is going to be a pleasure to cover this team in 2013. 

As for the Washington Capitals, things are looking a bit optimistic that hockey may very well return within the next ten days.  Caps fans will be excited to get their team back. 

As for the Washington Wizards, well, we have no answers there. We see very little hope otherwise.  It's sad to see.  All DC sports is looking up, except for the basketball team. 

We will continue to bring you the original mock draft database, the NFL Mock Database, the NBA Mock Database, the NHL Mock Database and the MLB Mock Database.  Sure there are imitations out there, but we were the first and original databases.   Few ways to keep you updated on when Database updates are done.  First, bookmark the Databases your are interested in and frequently check them.  We are updating the NFL database a few times per week and the other three databases at least once per week.  You can follow Mock Databases on Twitter and can follow them on Facebook. 

Beyond just our website, you can also Like and Share the DC Pro Sports Report Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter too. 

Finally, we will continue in 2013 to build our new DC pro sports Fan Forums.  We encourage you to join our community.  It's a great time to talk and share opinions about DC pro sports teams.  Help us build our forums and become a participating member.  We pride ourselves on intelligent discussion and maintaining a friendly community and do not permit antics and bullying in our forums.  That's a promise.  Join us in 2013.  We look forward to forging new friendships. 

We look forward to bring you continuing coverage of all four teams, opening up new avenues of coverage, bringing you original, opinion filled content, and continuing to provide a voice on DC sports through our frequent appearances on News Channel 8 as a DC sports news source. 

So bring it on 2013!  DC pro sports are ready to roll!

Although the Redskins host a playoff game in mere days, I thought it would be okay to look ahead to next season -- just because it's officially 2013 now. [Happy New Year, by the way.] We have no dates, but we do know who the Redskins will play and where they will play them in 2013. Have a look.

HOME: Bears, Lions, 49ers, Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles

AWAY: Raiders, Broncos, Falcons, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles

The first thing that jumps out is that the Redskins are playing the NFC North and the AFC West next year. The Redskins get the two weaker NFC North teams -- Chicago and Detroit -- at home next year, but have to go into the Metrodome and Lambeau Field to play the North's two playoff teams. 

The second thing I noticed is that Washington's home schedule looks easier than its road schedule. Only one 2013 home opponent -- the 49ers -- is a 2012 playoff team. Four of Washington's eight road games are against playoff teams -- the Broncos, Falcons, Packers and Vikings. That includes a road game against both team's with the best record in their conference, the Broncos and Falcons. The Skins do get something of a break by playing the 2012's worst team -- the Chiefs -- and the Raiders, one of the worst teams in the league this year. 

A tougher schedule is the price most teams play for improving so this is a good sign for the fortunes of the Redskins.

This is the 2013 NFL Draft order from picks one through twenty. The remaining selections will be determined by the result of the Super Bowl tournament. 

Earlier today I was a guest on NewsTalk with Bruce Depuyt on News Channel 8 to discuss the year in sports in Washington, D.C. We covered the Redskins and Nationals most of all, but also touched on the Wizards, the Capitals and more, as well as the issue of realignment among local colleges. It's a fun show so have a look.