NFC East

The final game of the Wild Card round of the 2013 NFL playoffs, is arguably the most intriguing matchup. The Seattle Seahawks will battle the Washington Redskins in a contest between two teams who are mirror images.

Both are entering the game with major momentum. The Redskins won seven straight to claim their first NFC East title since 1999 and a return to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

The Seahawks meanwhile, have won five consecutive games and scored 193 points in the process. However, that is just the start of the similarities between these two.

Dual-threat rookie quarterbacks

Both teams have been inspired by the play of rookie, dual-threat quarterbacks. Robert Griffin III has rewarded the gamble the Redskins took when they gave away three prime draft picks to select him.

He has sparked a remarkable revival of the Redskins offense. Griffin has been the catalyst for the NFL's best running game. He set a rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback and ran for seven scores.

The Washington Redskins don't possess the defensive playmakers the Seattle Seahawks boast. However, they have an opportunistic unit, that makes its share of big plays.

The Redskins defensive priority has to be slowing down Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and bruising running back Marshawn Lynch. Here are the key matchups between Washington's ball hawking defense and the Seahawks' physical offense.

Breno Giacomini vs. Ryan Kerrigan

Ryan Kerrigan is the Redskins' best pass-rusher and he could dominate Seattle right tackle Breno Giacomini. Kerrigan is quick and powerful off the edge and could dip underneath the 6'7" Giacomini.

Kerrigan logged 8.5 sacks during the regular season and has a knack for forcing turnovers. He will need to consistently threaten the edges, in order to keep Wilson in the pocket.

Max Unger vs. Barry Cofield

Stopping the run has to be the Redskins primary objective. That means clogging up the inside rushing lanes. Nose tackle Barry Cofield can play a key role for a defense that has allowed a measly 95.8 yards per game on the ground.

This Sunday's NFC Wild Card clash between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins, pits the NFL's stingiest scoring defense against the league's best rushing attack.

The Redskins will rely on their prolific ground game to dominate a Seahawks defensive front that has only allowed 15.3 points per game. Here are the key matchups between Washington's run-first offense and the Seahawks' powerful defense.

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Red Bryant vs. Tyler Polumbus and Chris Chester

The Seahawks best hope of slowing down Washington's zone-based running game, is a dominant performance from Red Bryant. At 6'4" and 323 pounds, Bryant routinely occupies double teams.

The hulking defensive tackle actually lines up as a 2-gap defensive end in Seattle's hybrid fronts. That means the pressure will be on the right side of the Redskins offensive line.

Right tackle Tyler Polumbus and guard Chris Chester are both mobile, athletic blockers. However, they are undersized and could struggle to cope with Bryant's brute force and power.

The big showdown of the day resides in the NFC East.  Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys take on Robert Griffin III for the division crown, and all eyes will be watching.  Let's take a closer look at the betting angles.

Markets

Last week, Vegas didn't have a look-ahead line for this game thanks to the unknown status of Robert Griffin III.  In fact, we didn't see a point spread for this game until late this week either.  Not many quarterbacks have meant as much to their team as RG3, so his health is going to single-handedly swing a lot of money by kickoff.  The interesting aspect of the opening line is that the sportsbook made it clear which team they thought had the edge when they made the Redskisn -3.5 point favorites. Since then money has come in on the Cowboys and right now the number sits between -3.5 and -3 (odds from SBRforum).  You can grab the favorable number for each side by paying a little extra juice.

The NFC East division will be decided in the very last game of the final week of the regular season. Sunday night in Washington America will see two fairly desperate quarterbacks give it all they have to advance to the postseason.

For the Cowboys it’s a matter of proving themselves and making it back to the postseason. Tony Romo can shed so much of the weight on his shoulders by beating the Redskins, and even more if he were to win a playoff game. The team has developed a reputation over the last few years of completely giving it away every December, but they haven’t really done that so far this season.