Redskins (11-6) vs. Seahawks (13-3) 

Redskins (11-6) vs. Seahawks (13-3)

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Qwest Field, Seattle

TV/Radio: Channel: 2 Channel: 40 / 1050 AM

Story line: The Seahawks haven't won a postseason game since the 1984 season, the longest streak without a playoff victory in the NFL, and Mike Holmgren hasn't won one since he left Green Bay after 1998. This is the first time in Seahawks history that the team earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Washington, which last week won with the fewest yards ever by a winning team in the playoffs (120), is attempting to become the first sixth-seeded team to reach a conference championship game since the playoffs were expanded to six teams in each conference in 1990.

Key matchups: Both teams depend heavily on their running games, Seattle with league rushing-leader and NFL TD record-setter Shaun Alexander and Washington with Clinton Portis, who ranked fourth in rushing. Because of their strong running games, both teams rank among the top three in the league in the red zone; the Seahawks led the NFL by scoring touchdowns on 71.7 percent of their drives inside the 20. Both teams, however, also have effective red-zone defenses. Washington has a good, but not great, pass defense against Seattle's good passing game, led by QB Matt Hasselbeck.

When Redskins have the ball: Portis was held to 53 yards by Tampa Bay last week, but he has rushed for 626 in the last six games, all of which Washington won. The key to the Seahawks' defense is their improvement at linebacker, which features rookie Lofa Tatupu in the middle. Washington QB Mark Brunell made a nice comeback this season and he has an excellent deep threat in Santana Moss (17.7 yards per catch), which the Redskins will use to try to make the Seahawks back off a little against the running game.

When Seahawks have the ball: With Hasselbeck (24 TDs, 9 INTs, 98.2 rating) the Seahawks have a better passing game than the Redskins because he has a stable of receivers including wideouts Darrell Jackson, Bobby Engram and Joe Jurevicius. Engram is the most reliable, but Jurevicius led the team with 10 touchdown catches. Make no mistake, though, Seattle wants to run the ball first with Alexander because that opens up everything, and the Redskins are susceptible although coordinator Gregg Williams does a nice job of mixing up his defenses.

Special teams: Two different Washington players returned kickoffs for touchdowns this season. Seattle's Josh Brown made five field goals of at least 50 yards.

Injuries: Redskins -- WR James Thrash (thumb) is questionable. Seahawks -- OLB D.D. Lewis (foot), OT Sean Locklear (hip) and CB Marcus Trufant (back) are questionable.