Seattle Seahawks Advance In The Playoffs

The Seattle Seahawks weren't about to play along with the sentimental favorite of this year's playoffs.

The first of four Wild Card games this weekend between the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks was extremely exciting in the second half. Washington overcame a 13-0 deficit thanks to interceptions by Matt Hasselbeck and a screwed up kick return by the Seahawks , but the Redskins now trail Seattle in the fourth quarter, 28-14 due to dropped passes, a failed running game, and a questionable pass by Todd Collins. This play was horrible. He was hit as he lobbed the ball in the air...but even worse, Santana Moss just gave up on receiving the ball and looked like he was lost as the ball entered the hands of a Seahawks defensive man.

Washington came in on a wave of emotion. Seattle was unmoved, even after the visitors rallied for two scores and a fourth-quarter lead. The Seahawks roared back and won the NFC wild-card game, 35-14.

The Redskins rode the passion and momentum of the last month one more time, overcoming a 13-point, second-half deficit. Then the Seahawks came back with three touchdowns of their own for a 35-14 NFC wild-card victory Saturday.

Matt Hasselbeck hit D.J. Hackett with a 20-yard scoring pass, and Marcus Trufant and Jordan Babineaux picked off Todd Collins' first interceptions in a decade, returning them for touchdowns.

Seattle, 8-1 at home, beat a team that finished with a winning record for the first time since Week 1 and will travel to Green Bay next Saturday.

"I think two teams that cared a lot slugged it out," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. "And we won it."

The Redskins go home with their four-game winning streak over, their mission to play and win for slain teammate Sean Taylor coming to an emotional end.

"I can't believe it's over with for us," Washington linebacker London Fletcher said. "It just seemed our story was going to be written all the way to the Super Bowl for us."

Next up for Seahawks? Packers in Green Bay

Battle of Backup Quarterbacks In The Bears-Redskins Game

This game was pretty boring, but the amount of injuries that added up were remarkable. Men were falling like soldiers on the battlefield. The starting QB from both teams were injured and never returned.

Only days removed from burying a teammate, and without the benefit of a full practice, the Washington Redskins managed to win thanks to a backup quarterback who last completed a pass in 2004.

Todd Collins came on for the injured Jason Campbell and threw for two touchdowns Thursday night, leading Washington to a 24-16 victory over the fading Chicago Bears that ended the Redskins' four-game losing streak.

In a rough-and-tumble game befitting two teams that entered on the very fringe of the playoff chase in the so-so NFC, both lost their starting quarterbacks in the first half. Campbell left for good with a dislocated left kneecap a few plays after hurting his throwing elbow, while Rex Grossman never returned from a left knee injury on Chicago's second possession.

Collins wound up 15-for-20 for 224 yards and his first two scores since 2002, when he played for Kansas City.

Griese was 21-for-45 for 295 yards and one TD, but he also raised his season interception total to 12 in seven appearances for the reigning NFC champion Bears (5-8).

The list of injuries doesn't just end with the two starting QBs. This list also includes running back Clinton Portis (stomach illness), right guard Randy Thomas (elbow) and cornerback Fred Smoot (cramps) of Washington, and defensive tackle Antonio Garay (ankle) of Chicago.

Also, Redskins tight end Chris Cooley left two plays before Campbell did, and limped off to the locker room at the same time his QB was driven there on a cart. Cooley, though, was able to return at the start of the second half, and Portis made it back on the field, too.