Everyone from both sides remember that classic playoff match-up from 2011 when the Seahawks made the playoffs with a losing record, 7-9 enough for first place in the NFC West and a home game in the Wild Card weekend for being a division leader. The Seahawks would go on to defeat the Saints, including one of the best runs in NFL History when Marshawn Lynch bulldozed his way thru the entire Saints defense for a TD and the entire stadium erupted, enough to cause local seismographs to register an earthquake, otherwise known as "BeastQuake"
This time around I think both teams have something to prove to themselves as well as the rest of the country, who will all have their eyes on this game. The Saints want to avenge that playoff defeat they suffered at the hands of the Seahawks and 12th man, while the Seahawks are looking to move past all of their suspensions and prove that they are a team that perseveres thru adversity.
The Seahawks will be without 2 key pieces of their defense with CB Walter Thurmond out because of a suspension for substance abuse and CB Brandon Browner out because of an injury/impending suspension which he is fully denying at the moment. Saints coach Sean Payton and QB Drew Brees will no doubtly be looking in that direction of the field when they are on offense tonight.
The Seahawks have not lost at home for as long as QB Russell Wilson has been the starting QB and are 10-1 on the season and staying home in the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for this team and a major problem for all the teams that would have to travel into this hostile environment.
Missing Browner and Thurmond is a major blow to this teams defense and their "Legion of Boom" secondary. The Seahawks lead the league in causing turnovers with 26 on the season but without two of your top CB's and against a veteran QB who has only thrown 8 INT's on the year, that job should be a little more difficult.
Getting the run game going early is always a key to a Seahawk win and that is especially true this evening because the more time your offense is running down plays on the field the less time you have to worry about Drew Brees shredding up a backup CB. Both teams give up on average over 110 yards rushing per game which I'm sure has Lynch foaming at the mouth waiting for his chance to run all over the same defense he became a legend against (again a "BeastQuake" reference).
Wilson has won both of his previous Monday Night Football appearances (heard of the Fail Mary?) while Brees has won 9 straight on Monday night. This game will be a great game with all of the drama you could ask for, and will probably go down to the very end.
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| Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images |
Prediction:
SEA over NO 30-27
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