Seahawks 20, Washington 15: WFT Doesn't 'Measure Up' (Yet)

Ron Rivera, to his credit, has not in his first year in charge of the Washington Football Team, shied away from the truth. He entered Sunday's NFL Week 15 home game at FedExField surely believing in his guys ... while also acknowledging the seasoned superiority of the opponent.

''This,'' Rivera predicted, ''is an opportunity to see where we are and where we're headed as a football team.''

Seattle 20, Washington 15 did indeed offer that "measuring-stick'' opportunity. And while the result of the meeting is a loss that halts WFT's wins streak at four, the opportunity - and the result of the "measuring'' - isn't all bad.

This Seahawks victory puts Seattle in the playoffs for the eighth time in the the last nine years. In this NFL era of parity, that's almost dynastic.

Meanwhile, it's been a half-decade since WFT has achieved the postseason (and 15 years waiting for a second postseason win) - which still looms as a possibility in the NFC East despite Washington dropping to 6-8. ... which may still be a pathway to a division title and the playoffs.

Here, the kids who needed to lead them - second-year top pick QB Dwayne Haskins (subbing for the injured and inactive Alex Smith) on offense and first-year top pick defensive end Chase Young - were good, but not impactful enough.

Young and the defense held QB Russell Wilson to 121 passing yards. And really, allowing 20 points is a relative success against a team that averages over 30.

And Haskins and the offense? Subbing for the injured Alex Smith, Haskins' throwing resulted in 38 of 55 for 295 yards and one passing touchdown against two picks. That's asking him to do a lot. Maybe the comeback that fell short, gets some of the intense critics off his back.

He looked, at the very least, like a QB capable of growth - just like the rest of his squad,

Meanwhile, coach Pete Carroll has pushed Seattle to a 10-4 mark with a roster that has defensive holes - but makes up for them thanks to a usually-explosive passing offense triggered by Wilson.

Seattle did its damage on the ground instead, but no so much damage that WFT and Haskins couldn't issue a late threat.

So again, Rivera and his staff deserve credit for pushing toward what he's called "relevance.'' He got his players to believe it could win on the road, win against winners, win even against previously-unbeaten foes.

"This stretch (of games),'' Rivera said during the week, "was a stretch a lot of people didn't think we had much of a chance.''

The critics were right about the WFT's inferiority to Seattle. But they were wrong, overall, about "the stretch.'' And given the direction of this club now under Ron Rivera? The critics might just end up wrong about the next "stretch'' as well.

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