SEATTLE — Cornerback DeAngelo Hall and his Washington Redskins teammates didn’t wait until the opening kickoff to mix things up with the Seattle Seahawks.
Hall and fellow captains London Fletcher and Santana Moss had to be separated from the Seahawks’ captains at midfield after Hall and Seattle fullback Michael Robinson exchanged heated words before the pregame coin toss.
The Seahawks took exception to the Redskins breaking down their pre-game huddle on the midfield logo, Hall and Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said afterward.
“We’re like, ’Dude, we do this everywhere we go. We break down at the middle of the field. Deal with it,’ ” Hall said.
Referees stepped in to break up the two sides, and Seattle coach Pete Carroll came all the way to the midfield logo to discuss the matter with officials. No punches were thrown.
Only Hall and Robinson were permitted to stay at midfield for the coin toss. Their feud carried over to the game.
On Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch’s 5-yard run near the end of the first half, Robinson blocked Hall onto his back on the left edge of the defense. TV replays showed that Robinson stepped hard on Hall when the fullback got up. Hall’s helmet came off and he had to be tended to by trainers. He didn’t miss a play, though, because of the two-minute warning.
Asked whether Robinson stomped on his neck, Hall said: “Yeah, he definitely got a good shot on me.”
Animosity between the teams was evident throughout. Players jawed back and forth between plays. Redskins tight end Fred Davis received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a first-quarter reception. And Seattle right tackle Breno Giacomini was flagged for a personal foul because he plowed into a Redskins defender near the pile when the play was almost dead.
Gano struggles
Graham Gano’s struggles continued a week after missing a potential game-winning field goal against Dallas.
Gano had a field goal and extra-point attempt blocked, then sent a late-game kickoff out of bounds in a mistake that kept alive the Seahawks’ comeback hopes.
“We won the game,” Gano said. “That’s all that matters.”
Seahawks defensive lineman Red Bryant blocked both kicks, including the fourth field goal Gano has had blocked this season. Bryant bowled over Redskins lineman Will Montgomery and swatted away the 23-yard field goal with his right arm in the second quarter.
Injuries to the offensive line, particularly Williams’ left knee, prompted personnel shuffling on the field-goal protection unit Sunday.
“I was the right tackle on that,” Montgomery said. “We had a couple different right guards. It was a combination of me getting a little bit of push and also the right guard stuck a better hand in there, also.”
Gano’s botched extra point after Anthony Armstrong’s 50-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter kept the Seahawks within a field goal at 20-17.
Extra points
• The Redskins scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time in 16 games dating to last November. They baffled the Seahawks’ defense with play-action and marched 80 yards on 14 plays. It culminated with Davis’ 2-yard catch in the end zone.
• Rookie left guard Maurice Hurt returned from an injured left knee and started the game in place of Tyler Polumbus.
• Sav Rocca’s punt with 39 seconds left in the first quarter resulted in his first touchback this season.
• Rookie running back Evan Royster gained 3 yards in the second quarter on his first career carry.
• Leon Washington’s 51-yard kickoff return to open the second half was the longest the Redskins have allowed this season.
• Rich Campbell can be reached at rcampbell@washingtontimes.com.
• Nathan Fenno can be reached at nfenno@washingtontimes.com.
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