Seattle recalls loss to Redskins

Two Seahawks were knocked out of the overtime game in October.
SEATTLE (AP) -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's eyes widened. His eyebrows raised. His head shook slightly.
He seemed impressed.
Not because Seattle is two wins from the Super Bowl. Or because the Seahawks are hosting a divisional playoff game at Qwest Field for the first time Saturday.
It was the punishing Washington Redskins defense that had Hasselbeck's attention.
He should know
"They're a physical defense," Hasselbeck said. "They're going to hit you. They're going to make you pay."
Washington's defense knocked out both of Seattle's starting receivers in October. The Redskins were one of only five teams to hold league Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander under 100 yards rushing.
"That was a tough game," Hasselbeck said of an overtime loss at Washington on Oct. 2.
And Hasselbeck has had enough tough games over previous years to know one -- and to thoroughly enjoy this year's emergence as the often-unflappable leader of the NFC's top seed.
The cost of the October loss to Washington for Seattle was a pittance compared to what's at stake today. A defeat would devastate a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 1984 but enjoys its best postseason position ever.
Fans waiting
It would also devastate a region that has seemingly invested three decades of hope, waiting for the Seahawks to play in their first Super Bowl.
The Redskins want to smash those hopes -- and some ball carriers and receivers.
"Being physical, that's going to be the key for us," Washington safety Ryan Clark said. "They are going to take those 2-yard and 5-yard passes ... But when a guy catches a 2-yard pass and they hit them in the mouth, they don't like that.
"That will make a receiver go back to the quarterback and say, 'Hey, if you see 53 [linebacker Marcus Washington] or 21 [safety Sean Taylor] around me, you might not want to throw it right there."'
Hasselbeck said the Redskins don't just hit. They also trick. He said Washington is great at disguising "exotic looks" such as blitzes, fake blitzes and combination coverages.
Rewarded
Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the brains behind the operations, recently received a three-year contract extension reported to be worth almost $8 million.
But Alexander said the Seahawks should thank the Redskins for their bullying tricks. The loss to Washington helped change Seattle's offensive schemes, Alexander said. That, in turn, led Seattle to a team-record 11-game winning streak and the NFC's top playoff seed.
"That was an eye-opener game for us," said Alexander, who finished the season as the league rushing champion with 1,880 yards and an NFL-record 28 touchdowns.
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