The Hawks shine in 'prime time' and 4 other things to watch for in Monday's Seahawks game

Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks is tackled by Perry Riley #56 of the Washington team in the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at FedExField on January 6, 2013 in Landover, Maryland.



SEATTLE -- It seems like forever since the Seahawks overtime win against the Broncos. What was that, two weeks ago? Now, we have to wait an EXTRA DAY until the Seahawks take center stage on Monday night.

Thanks a lot, NFL Gods.

But seriously, the Hawks may, or may not, have their work cut out for them against an up and down Washington team. Washington, led by backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, went blow-for-blow with a tough Philadelphia team two weeks ago. But then they come back and laid an egg against the Giants in a short week Thursday night game.

Can the Hawks travel across the country to face a team desperate to win this week? Is a win necessary for the Hawks to keep pace with a red-hot Cardinals team, or is talk of a division title coming too soon?

We'll see this weekend. In the meantime, check out our 5 things to watch for in Sunday's Seahawks vs. Washington game.

Oh, and on a fun note, a machine -- we're suspecting a statistics computer -- predicted a close 28-26 Seahawks win.

Come on, machine. Where's the credit? We're hoping for a blow out.

5 things to watch for in Monday's Seattle vs. Washington game

5. Monday Night lights -- Remember when this year's schedule came out and there was a noticeable absence of Seahawks prime-time games, with a league source saying the Seahawks didn't get much prime-time action because they were likely to dominate the opponent? We sure do.

As Q13 FOX News reporter John Hopperstad says, "The stars shine on Monday night." The Hawks have won their last eight Monday night appearances. Pro Football Talk says the only close, interesting game the Hawks have played under the bright lights of a national stage in the past three years was the Green Bay "Fail Mary" game in Sept. 2012. Watch to see if the Seahawks dominance on the National stage continues, perhaps leading to a schedule that would be totally devoid of Monday night games next year.

4. Will the Seahawks go for it on fourth down? -- This isn't normally a question we'd ponder, until Field Gulls brought it to our attention this week. According to Field Gulls, the Seahawks have only punted in opportunities when they realistically could have gone for it on fourth down.

Fourth down attempts that are two yards or less and past midfield have a statistical advantage of working out. In fact, many argue you should NEVER punt when past midfield. It's strange the Seahawks haven't gone for it on fourth down yet, especially since coach Pete Carroll used to be known for his risky play calling. Expect to see Marshawn with the ball on a fourth-and-1 soon.

3. The Seahawks passing game -- The Seahawks have passed pretty nicely this season, right? Well, wrong. Or no... right? The Seahawks rank 25th in overall passing yards per game, according to team rankings. But when they do pass, it's effective, ranking sixth in net yards. Will the Seahawks have to air it out with run blocker Zach Miller out? Or will they stick to their tried and true run game? This will likely be decided in the early quarters Monday night.

2. Washington Quarterback Kirk Cousins -- We wanted to make a Kirk joke, but the collective knowledge of Star Trek in the newsroom is minimal. Instead, we'll give you the facts. Against Philadelphia, Cousins went 30-of-48 with 427 yards passing and three touchdowns. A week later, Cousins went 19 for 33 with four -- count that, four -- interceptions.

What Kirk will we see against Seattle? Many predict the later, since he's going up against a tough -- if bruised -- secondary. Not to mention, the more Cousins is pressed, the more he makes mistakes, John Keim of ESPN says. If he feels like he has to make a play, he'll likely make a mistake. And the Seahawks love mistakes.

1. Zach Miller's absence -- The bye week was rough on the Seahawks. Normally time for some rest and relaxation, last week brought news Seahawks starting Tight End  Zach Miller underwent surgery and would miss an undetermined number of games.

The Hawks still have No. 2 tight end Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet and also have used tackle Alvin Bailey as a third tight end in short-yardage situations. But the absence of one of the best run and pass blocking tight ends in the league could be huge. If the Seahawks run blocking falters, look to the Hawks to launch an air raid or an offense even more focused on Percy Harvin, both as a decoy and a playmaker, to take pressure off a two tight end set.