(AP photo)

Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card round of the playoffs was a tough pill to swallow for the Washington Redskins players.

But after the game, many of their thoughts immediately turned to the Redskins fans and their support throughout the magical 2012 season — one in which Washington, once at 3-6, won seven-straight games to claim its first NFC East championship since 1999.

Many players took to Twitter to reflect on the season, the fans and the future of the team, including:

Tight end Niles Paul:

I appreciate all the love & support we got from our fans this year. You guys stuck with us even when every one else counted us out #HTTR—
Niles Paul (@Niles_Paul84) January 08, 2013

Linebacker/athlete/special teams ace Lorenzo Alexander:

Redskin Nation thank you for all the support. I appreciate everything you have done for my family and myself. I'm a Skin for life!—
Lorenzo Alexander (@onemangang97) January 07, 2013

Quarterback Robert Griffin III:

When adversity strikes you respond in one of two ways….You step aside and give in..Or you step up and fight.—
Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 07, 2013

Safety DeJon Gomes:

I also what to give a shout out to the fans who stuck by us through it all #HTTR—
DeJon Gomes (@D_Gomes24) January 07, 2013

Linebacker Chris Wilson:

Thank u to the best fans in football for a wonderful season. Proud of our guys proud to be a #Redskin #RedskinsNation #HTTR—
Chris Wilson (@CWil51Flint) January 07, 2013

Cornerback Josh Wilson:

Thank you to all the faithful who didn't go up and down throughout this year and stuck with us no matter what…All Hail!!!!!—
Josh Wilson (@TheJoshWilson) January 07, 2013

Offensive lineman Josh LeRibeus:

It's been a great season, thanks to all of our fans for their support. We will come back even stronger next year! #HTTR—
Josh LeRibeus (@JLeRibeus) January 07, 2013

Wide receiver Pierre Garçon:

Thanks for the love and support all season. Looking forward to next year. The grind and hustle will not stop. One love. Thank you—
Pierre Garcon (@PierreGarcon) January 07, 2013

Defensive lineman Chigbo Anunoby:

Tough loss for the team but its always #HTTR all day everyday #Redskins—
Chigbo Anunoby (@datquelondon) January 07, 2013

Kicker Kai Forbath:

My ears are still ringing from how loud you redskins fans were tonight! Can't thank you enough for the support! The best out there!! #HTTR—
Kai Forbath (@KaiForbath) January 07, 2013

Safety Reed Doughty:

Thanks to all the fans for your support. It was a great run, disappointed it ended tonight. Proud of the guys I get to battle with.—
Reed Doughty (@doughty37) January 07, 2013

Offensive lineman Jordan Black:

I don't expect anyone to accept this loss. However, we should take great pride in what we've accomplished this season. #HTTR—
Jordan Black (@jordanblack78) January 07, 2013

Outside linebacker Rob Jackson:

Thanks for all the love and support!!! Family, friends and fan couldn't of done it without ya—
Rob Jackson (@RobJax50) January 07, 2013

Offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus:

Thanks for the support all season. It was a fun run. Hard to see it end.—
Tyler Polumbus (@Tyler_Polumbus) January 07, 2013

Offensive lineman Chris Chester:

Nobody is in this for moral victories, but I'm really proud of our group of guys and really appreciated the fan support #movingforward#HTTR—
Chris Chester (@chesterchris66) January 07, 2013

Defensive lineman Chris Baker:

Hate to loose but proud of the way we fought this yr we just got our feet wet next yr we jumping in the deep end we going all the way #HTTR—
Chris Baker (@cbaker92redskin) January 07, 2013

Safety Jordan Bernstine:

No matter the outcome. I'm still proud to be a part of the Redskins organization. #SKINS #HTTR—
jordan bernstine (@JBernstine) January 07, 2013

Defensive lineman Chris Neild:

Good season boys. Already not liking this bad taste of defeat. Gotta take it all next year #HTTR #Redskins—
Chris Neild (@TruckNeild) January 07, 2013

Defensive end Adam Carriker:

I'm proud of my #Skins! #HTTR #RedskinsTalk—
Adam Carriker (@AdamCarriker94) January 07, 2013

Offensive lineman Jammal Brown:

My season starts now, gotta get my hip right—
Jammal Brown (@JBrown5570) January 08, 2013

Fullback Eric Kettani:

It's a great day today! Commissioned to do 2 paintings and signed a 3 year deal with the @Redskins! Off to Florida tomorrow for some R&R!—
Eric Kettani (@EricKettani) January 07, 2013

(AP photo)

This magical Washington Redskins 2012 season has come to an end.

The Seattle Seahawks came back to defeat the Redskins, 24-14, today at FedExField in the NFC Wild Card round to advance to next weekend’s Divisional Round matchup against the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons.

With their quarterback noticably hobbled by a knee injury since midway through the first quarter, Washington was unable to hold off the furious Seattle comeback, which resulted in 24 unanswered points..

Seattle took the lead for the first time in the game on a 27-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch with 7:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. After the two-point converstion — a pass from Russell Wilson to tight end Zach Miller — they led 21-14, and they didn’t look back.

Things got even worse for the Redskins on the ensuing drive.

Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who suffered a sprained LCL in his right knee Week 14 vs. the Baltimore Ravens, was unable to field a low snap and his knee buckled as he went down. The fumbled snap, meanwhile, was recovered by the Seahawks at the Washington 5-yard line.

The Washington defense responded by holding Seattle to a field goal to extend their lead to 24-14, but the attention was still on Griffin III — the first Redskins rookie quarterback ever voted to the Pro Bowl.

Though he walked off the field on his own power after being attended to by the team’s medical staff, Griffin III wouldn’t return to the game. He was relieved by fellow rookie Kirk Cousins, who led the Redskins to an overtime victory against the Ravens and then against the Cleveland Browns the following week.

The Seahawks responded by pressuring Cousins on his first drive — and it worked. On 4th and 14, Cousins was unable to find an open receiver with just more than four minutes remaining in the game. Back in Washington territory at the 41-yard line, Seattle converted a six-yard pass on 4th and 1, and even though the defense held up on another fourth down with 1:08 left in the game, Cousins and company was unable to get the magic back.

There’s no doubt this one stings for the Redskins players, coaches and fans.

Sooner or later, however, thoughts of disappointment from tonight’s game will, by most, be converted to pride for how this team turned things around after their Bye Week.

Up against the wall after losing to the Carolina Panthers to fall to 3-6, the Redskins answered the call week after week.

Their seven-game winning streak to win their first NFC East title since 1999 will not soon be forgotten in these parts.

CHIME IN: What are YOUR thoughts from today’s game? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

The final game at FedExField in 2012 is down to its final 15 minutes.

After three quarters, the Washington Redskins lead the Seattle Seahawks, 14-13, in today’s NFC Wild Card round battle.

The winner advances to Atlanta, where they will play the top-seeded Falcons in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Seattle got things rolling on their first drive of the half. They got all the way to the Washington 35, where they converted a 3rd and 1 around the 13-minute mark with a three-yard run by fullback Michael Robinson.

On the next play, quarterback Russell Wilson delivered a quality throw to the left sideline to Golden Tate, who got both feet down for the 10-yard completion. That was followed up by a 15-yard run by Marshawn Lynch to the two-yard line.

But two plays later, nose tackle Barry Cofield forced a fumble on a Lynch carry, which was recovered by defensive end Jarvis Jenkins at the Washington 3-yard line. It was a great play by Cofield, who put his hat on the ball and forced the fumble.

The Redskins’ offense took the field with Robert Griffin III under center. Griffin III — who was limping in the first half — was undoubtedly given a good lookover during halftime to determine what he’s capable of.

And, after converting a couple first downs, Washington was unable to keep it going at its own 26 and was forced to punt.

The Seahawks, again, got on the Redskins’ side of the 50 on their ensuing drive. But they faced a 3rd and 9 from Washington 48-yard line when Wilson, lined up in the shotgun, took the snap and was sacked by cornerback Josh Wilson for a loss of nine yards, who made a big play against his former team.

Washington was pinned back to its own 6-yard line after the ensuing punt and a holding penalty on linebacker Bryan Kehl. The drive didn’t start off on a good note, as Griffin III was unable to find a receiver and was sacked for a loss of four yards to the Washington 2-yard line. An eight-yard completion to Garcon two plays later wasn’t enough to convert the first down, however. Punter Sav Rocca booted a 53-yard punt — in the air — to give the ball back to the Seahawks at their own 36-yard line.

It’s got to be frustrating for the Redskins defense to keep coming up with big plays and see the offense struggle like it is. This certainly isn’t the same Washington offense that ripped off two quick touchdowns to begin the game.

We’ll see what Kyle Shanahan, Griffin III and the Redskins offense have whipped up for the fourth quarter, however.

CHIME IN: What are your thoughts from the third quarter of action today? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

The Washington Redskins were rolling in the first quarter of today’s NFC Wild Card round matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

But the main concern heading into the second quarter was about quarterback Robert Griffin III and his knee, as the rookie Pro Bowler began limping towards the end of the first quarter and was examined by medical personnel on the sideline.

Griffin III was able to stay in the game, but it will take another half of action to determine exactly how effective he’ll be for the rest of this game.

The good news? At halftime, the Redskins lead the Seahawks, 14-13.

The Seahawks got cooking for the first time all game on their first drive of the second quarter.

On the first play of the quarter, quarterback Russell Wilson broke free for a 19-yard run. On the very next play, Wilson found running back Marshawn Lynch for a nine-yard pass-and-catch. Three plays later, wide receiver Sydney Rice made a great catch along the sideline, keeping both feet in for a 27-yard gain.

The Seahawks faced a 3rd and 7 from the Washington 9-yard line three plays later. With the FedExField crowd rockin’, Wilson was unable to get the snap off before the play clock reached zero. On 3rd and 12 from the Washington 14, Wilson, lined up in the shotgun, was forced to throw his pass out of the back of the end zone, forcing a 32-yard field goal from kicker Steven Hauschka to get the Seahawks onto the board, 14-3, with 12:05 remaining in the half.

The Redskins began the ensuing drive from their own 23-yard line with Griffin III leading the offense. On their first play, cornerback Brandon Browner was flagged for illegal contact on wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who was left wide open down the field. On the next play, running back Alfred Morris chugged his way down for a seven-yard run, as he left his first would-be tackler in the dust.

But two plays later, Washington faced a 3rd and 2 from their own 36 when Griffin III was unable to connect with tight end Logan Paulsen, setting up the team’s first punt of the game. Griffin III appeared to have an open running lane for the first down, but didn’t take it.

The Seahawks had a bit of luck on their next drive. Wilson kept the ball on a read-option play and fumbled — but the ball was recovered by Lynch, who ran 20 yards to the Washington 36-yard line. Safety Madieu Williams was right there when the ball was bouncing on the ground, but Lynch barely beat him to it.

They continued their drive into the red zone with a 16-yard pass to fullback Michael Robinson, and then Wilson got to the 5-yard line on a read-option play that resulted in 11 yards. They scored two plays later on a five-yard touchdown to a wide open Robinson, and, after the extra point, cut the Washington lead to 14-10 with 4:38 remaining in the half.

Seattle is showing that it can run the read-option just as well as Washington can. Although Wilson fumbled on one of the exchanges, he also gained 11 yards on a similar play in which he was able to draw outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan into the run-fake.

Washington began its next drive from its 26, as Griffin III pitched to Morris for a three-yard gain. But on the next play, Griffin III tried to pass deep into double coverage to Garcon, and was picked off by free safety Earl Thomas at the Seattle 26-yard line. Griffin III was looking Garcon’s way the entire play, which must’ve been an easy ready for Thomas.

Seattle faced a 3rd and 5 three plays into its ensuing drive when Wilson squeezed off a six-yard completion to Doug Baldwin. With the middle of the field wide open, Wilson, again, found Baldwin on the next play for a 33-yard completion to the Washington 30. The Seahawks got into the red zone on a five-yard run by Lynch, who is every bit the tough runner that Morris is. But just a couple plays later, the Seahawks faced another 3rd down, this time with seven yards to go. Wilson, in the shotgun, completed his pass to Golden Tate, but the five yards wasn’t enough for the first down.

On 4th and 2, Hauschka hit his second field goal of the quarter — this time from 29 yards — ending the first half.

CHIME IN: What are YOUR thoughts from the first half of action? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

The first playoff game at FedExField since 1999 is underway.

The Washington Redskins (10-6) are playing host to the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) in the NFC Wild Card round game here in Landover, Md., and it’s been all Redskins.

After the first quarter, Washington leads Seattle, 14-0.

The Redskins won the coin toss and elected to receive, which tight end Niles Paul took to the Washington 20-yard line.

The Redskins went to a familiar face on their first play of the game — a toss for nine yards to running back Alfred Morris, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his 200-yard, three-touchdown performance vs. the Dallas Cowboys. They had their first first down of the game a play later with a nine-yard screen pass to Pierre Garcon.

The crowd held its breath a couple plays later when quarterback Robert Griffin III took off on the read-option and was tackled after a three-yard gain and a first down. Griffin III — playing with a brace on his right knee — was OK and completed a 30-yard pass to Garcon, who ran a tremendous comeback route to get wide open. That play was followed up by an 18-yard run by Morris to the Seattle three-yard line. Three plays later, the Redskins faced a 3rd and Goal from the 4-yard line when Griffin III dropped back and threw a dart to running back Evan Royster in the end zone, who came down with his first touchdown reception of his career.

It capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:03 off the clock. Washington moved the ball with relative ease against Seattle, which ended the 2012 season as the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the NFL.

The Seahawks and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson began their first drive from their own 28-yard line. With the FedExField crowd at a deafening level, Russell attempted the home run straight off the bat. His bomb to wide receiver Doug Baldwin was way overthrown, however. Two plays later, Seattle faced a 3rd and 2 from their 36 when Wilson was flushed out of the pocket by defensive end Stephen Bowen and middle linebacker London Fletcher, who each earned a sack and a loss of 10.

What an opening statement for the Redskins, who drove down the field on the Seahawks’ tough defense and then contained the shifty rookie Wilson and forced him into a three-and-out.

The Redskins faced a 3rd and 3 from their own 47 on the ensuing drive when Griffin III delivered out of the pocket again, this time with a 10-yard completion to wide receiver Santana Moss, as they built another drive deep into Seahawks territory. Washington got into the red zone with a six-yard run by Morris to the 15-yard line and faced a 3rd and 1 from that point. They converted with an 11-yard completion to tight end Logan Paulsen, who barreled his way through linebacker Malcolm Smith for a few extra yards to the 4-yard line..

Three plays later, the Redskins faced a 3rd and Goal from the 4-yard line for the second straight drive. The result was the same, this time a four-yard touchdown completion to a wide-open Paulsen, the highlight of an 11-play, 54-yard drive that took 5:58 off the clock.

Washington kept the pressure on Wilson on their ensuing drive. On the second play, middle linebacker Perry Riley earned the sack for a loss of six. But the Seahawks responded with a nice 12-yard pass to tight end Zach Miller to convert their first first down of the game, ending the first quarter.

CHIME IN: What are your thoughts from the first quarter of action? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

The Redskins have been underdogs and had their backs against the wall for the entire 2012 regular season — so why not in the postseason, as well?

The trend continues today when the Redskins (10-6), NFC East champions and winners of seven straight, do battle against the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) in the NFC Wild Card round playoff game at FedExField.

More than 80 percent of the experts below are going with the road team in today’s game. This is despite the Seahawks’ struggles on the road (with a rookie quarterback) and a defense that hasn’t exactly been the league’s best against the run.

Here’s this week’s version of Experts Pick ‘Em:

The crew at CBS Sports — sans Pete Prisco and Ryan Wilson — are pro-Seahawks today:

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More than three out of four ESPN.com experts are going with the Seahawks today:

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(This spot is typically reserved for the picks from the FoxSports.com crew — but they didn’t have their picks up this time around.)

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Four of the five experts at NFL.com are going with the Seahawks. Thanks, Mark, for the support:

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ProFootballTalk/NBC’s Mike Florio and Michael David Smith see this game heading in the same direction, though one thinks it will be higher-scoring than the other:

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Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King paints the picture for today’s game, but feels quarterback Robert Griffin III’s knee will prevent him from leading his team to victory:

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Week 18 Pick ‘Em Totals: 25 for Seahawks; six for Redskins.

Experts Pick ‘Em Archive:
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5
- Week 6
- Week 7
- Week 8
- Week 9
- Week 11
- Week 12
- Week 13
- Week 14
- Week 15
- Week 16
- Week 17

(AP photos)

AccuScore is back for the playoffs this week with some wacky statistical projections and predictions for today’s NFC Wild Card round game between the Washington Redskins and the Seattle Seahawks.

Last Sunday, AccuScore had the Redskins winning in 51 percent of its 10,000 computer simulations against the Dallas Cowboys. This time around, with two of the hottest teams in the league matching up against each other in the playoffs at FedExField, Washington has even more of a battle on its hands.

This week’s AccuScore projections have much to do with the rushing attack of the two teams. If either team is able to take advantage of their elusive quarterbacks — the Redskins’ Robert Griffin III and the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson — and match it with some hard running from their running backs — Alfred Morris for Washington and Marshawn Lynch for Seattle — then their odds of winning dramatically increase.

Here’s the highlights of today’s AccuScore predictions for Redskins-Seahawks, according to ESPN:

- Wilson is projected for 46 rushing yards and Lynch projected for 90.
- If Wilson and Lynch can out-rush Washington, then Seattle is 84-percent favorites.
- If Washington out-rushes Seattle, then they are 67-percent favorites.
- Both quarterbacks are averaging 210 passing yards at a 63-percent completion rate and 0.7 interceptions per simulation.
- When the Redskins win in simulations, Griffin III and Wilson have the same number of touchdown passes. When the Seahawks win in simulations, Wilson is averaging 1.7 touchdown passes to 1.1 for Griffin III.
- AccuScore is going with the Seahawks at 53 percent (5,300) out of 10,000 simulations.

CHIME IN: What wacky statistical predictions are you making for today’s Redskins-Seahawks game? Feel free to comment below.