[H4172teh5k1n5]

There is 1 stat that almost never lies when it comes to playoff football in the NFL. That stat is turnovers. The team that turns the ball over more loses, almost every time. The reason for that is that in playoff games, both teams are good, the competition is usually tight, and turnovers are the difference in the game.

Remember early in the season, when more panicy extremers were complaining about Williams' defense not creating turnovers? Remember when the Skins were somehthing like -10 in the turnover ratio, and somehow actually had a decent record?

Well take a look at how the Skins have done with turnovers during "the streak". This is pretty impressive. Since the Dallas game, the Skins are +10 in the turnover ratio, with 3 give aways and 13 take aways. Since the Stl game the Skins have 6 give aways to 19 take aways, and are +13 in turnover ratio for 6 games. That means they are averaging over +3 in turnover ratio per game. An amazing stat.

What even more impressive is that the turnovers Williams' defense creates seem to always be exactly when we need them. They create turnovers early in games to take quick leads (it seems like the LBs have an early pic in every game), and they create turnovers late to end games.

Things start to really add up when you think about earlier in the season, when Williams would say over and over how important it was to create turnovers. Then you think about Gibbs sitting Ramsey, the 2003 poster boy for turnovers, in favor of "Mr. I''ve got no arm but I don't turn it over" Brunell.

Gibbs and Willians decided early on, We're going to play defense, run the ball, and take the ball away, and we're going to win a lot of games, and it has worked.

I really don't think this game is going to be any different. As Kleese mentioned in his thread, the Seahawks are under big pressure here to get a win. In seven seasons Holmgen has yet to win a playoff game, and the Seahawks haven't won a playoff game since all the way back in 1984 when we were wearing vans sneakers and going to Van Halen concerts. Now that's pressure. On top of that, the Seahawks starters have barely played football for 3 weeks b/c of their bye and playing the back ups in their last game. So now you've got high pressure mixed with a little rust.

Just like in their last 6 games, the Redskins defense will take the ball away early and give the Skins the lead. Gibbs will pound Portis, and the Skins will slow down Alexander enough for Holmgren to abandon the run. Seattle will put up some yards on the Skins throwing the ball, but late in the game Phillip Daniels will get his big mit on a Hasselbeck pass, and it will be another pic for a TD to close out the Hawks.

Skins win!

20 - 13