When: Today, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Qwest Field
TV: NBC (Ch. 5)
Radio: ESPN 710 AM and 97.3 FM KIRO
KEY MATCHUP
Saints QB Drew Brees vs.
the Seahawks secondary
The fact that New Orleans is banged up at running back and
therefore might have to throw more isn’t necessarily good news for the Seahawks. In the November meeting between these teams, Brees threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns as his receivers continuously ran free in the secondary.
While it is true that a team’s pass rush is a big part of its pass defense, the Seahawks can’t count on that considering the Saints have given up the fifth fewest sacks in the league this season and did not allow one when they faced Seattle earlier this year.
In particular a lot will be asked of free safety Earl Thomas, who not only will have to contend with one of the league’s smartest and most accurate passers and a stable of quality receivers, but also dynamic running back Reggie Bush, who missed the last game against Seattle with a leg injury.
The good news for Seattle is that its secondary and defense as a whole looked considerably better last week against St. Louis. The bad news? The Rams aren’t close to the Saints when it comes to offensive weaponry.
Also if you’re trying to figure out who might come up with a big play for the Seahawks, you could do worse than guess safety Jordan Babineaux. In the Seahawks last home playoff game, he returned an interception for a touchdown, and a year earlier at Qwest Field, he made the game-saving tackle of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on a botched field goal attempt to preserve a one-point win.
“Wild Card weekend,” Babineaux said with a grin. “You know what happens in the Wild Card weekend? Something crazy is going to happen this weekend.”
INJURY REPORT
Seahawks: The Seahawks had no players on the injury report this week, though TE Chris Baker (hip) and G Chester Pitts (concussion) were placed on injured reserve. The status of RT Sean Locklear is somewhat in doubt after he missed the week of practice because of a family issue, but he was back with the team for Friday’s walkthrough.
Saints: Unlike the Seahawks, the Saints are anything but healthy. Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas, the team’s top two rushers, were placed on injured reserve this week. In addition, four players, including starting safety Malcolm Jenkins, have been ruled out. The others are TE Jimmy Graham, DL Anthony Hargrove and DE Danny Clark. Starting receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey are listed as probable along with DE Alex Brown, LB Anthony Waters and TE David Thomas.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first postseason meeting between New Orleans and Seattle, and the Saints lead the regular season series 6-5, including a 15-point win earlier this season in New Orleans. Seattle is 3-3 against the Saints in Seattle.
KEY NUMBER
4: The number of consecutive playoff games won by the Seahawks at Qwest Field. The Seahawks’ last playoff loss at Qwest Field was their first one there, a loss to the Rams to end the 2004 season.
Keys to the game
Seahawks will win if they … Convert in the red zone. The last time these teams met, both offenses produced five scores, but while the Saints had five touchdowns, the Seahawks settled for four field goals. … Run like last week, or at least like they did in the second half. The Seahawks had 119 yards after halftime against St. Louis to help put the game on ice, and another solid rushing attack will help keep Drew Brees and his offense off the field. … Make a big play early. Whether it’s a big play on offense, a turnover forced by the defense or a long return by Leon Washington, the Seahawks would be well served to build momentum early and fire up the crowd. … Force turnovers. As good as the Saints have been on offense this year, one of their biggest weaknesses has been turnovers. New Orleans has a minus-six turnover ratio and Brees has thrown a career-high 22 interceptions this season.
Saints will win if they … Jump ahead early. The Seahawks have demonstrated time and time again that they don’t play well from behind. If the Saints take an early lead, they can not only take the crowd out of the game, but also drastically increase the odds of Matt Hasselbeck making mistakes. … Play smart. If the Saints can avoid major breakdowns — turnovers, giving up big plays, costly penalties — they have the talent to win this game handily. … Play better pass defense. New Orleans ranks fourth in the NFL in pass defense, but against the Seahawks they allowed Hasselbeck to throw for 366 yards. … Relax. Whether they like it or not, everyone expects the Saints to win this game easily, so the pressure is on. If they fall behind early and tense up, that’s when mistakes could happen.
PICK
Saints 30, Seahawks 23
Seattle showed last week that it can still put together a good effort, and the Seahawks won’t let the Saints run away with this one. Ultimately, however, the defending champs prove to be too much for the Seahawks to handle.
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