The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins 24-14 on Sunday in the NFC Wild Card round, but both teams left FedEx Field a little weaker.
Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III injured his knee, while Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons suffered a torn ACL, leaving both Washington coach Mike Shanahan and Seattle coach Pete Carroll to wonder on Monday if the field conditions played any part.
The field was noticeably choppy during the game on Sunday and both coaches spoke to the media on Monday about the situation.
"It was horrible, it's a horrible field," Carroll told KIRO-AM in Seattle on Monday. "It was as bad as a field could get for being dry. And it's too bad. It's really too bad, and we deserve better. ... It was worn out. There was a lot of slipping and all that kind of stuff. And it was relative. It didn't change the game at all, in my opinion, because it was relative, both sides, but we should just expect to see a better field at that time of year."
The turf was discolored in many areas and it also contained bare spots and loose chinks of dirt. The knee injuries suffered by Clemons and Griffin may have been a direct result of the turf, with Clemons getting hit footing caught in the dirt when he was injured in the third quarter.
According to ESPN.com, Clemons had an MRI that showed a torn ACL and torn meniscus in his left knee. The surgery and rehabilitation can take up to nine months. The team also is dealing with an injury kicker Steven Hauschka, who suffered a calf strain in the game. The Seahawks will bring in Ryan Longwell and Neil Rackers for tryouts in case he is not available, according to sources who spoke to ESPN.com.
The injury to Clemons will be a significant one for Seattle. Clemons was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 and has been a consistent pass rushed for Seattle. He has made 22 sacks ruing his first two seasons and led the team in sacks with 11.5 during the 2012 regular season. Before leaving the game on Sunday he recorded two tackles.
"It's a big loss for us in a lot of ways," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Chris has been a great football player and just a symbol of consistency in the years that we've had him, but he's been a great leader for us too and a tough dude and a guy we've become very comfortable playing with and we'll miss the heck out of him."
Rookie Bruce Irvin will likely start for Clemons against the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round. He has recoded eight sacks this season, which is a rookie team record.
"This is Bruce's opportunity. This is what we drafted him to play and we'll see how he does," Carroll said. "We expect him to do really well as he steps up."
HERE is a photo that shows a good comparison of the FedEx Field turf to the field at the Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium from NFL.com's Jeff Darlington, The difference is significant.
The NFL responded to the issues about the playing conditions. According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, league spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday that neither team filed an official complaint over the playing conditions.
"It is the responsibility of the home team to maintain the field," Aiello said. "It's a grass field. It's winter. There were no complaints about it by either team. ... Injuries occur, unfortunately, on every field."
The Seahawks have not filed a complaint with the league, but it is possible they may decide otherwise. Carroll also spoke about the conditions in Washington compared to playing in Soldier Field in Chicago two years ago in the divisional-round of the playoffs.
"This one was real sheer and there was dirt on top of the grass and all," he said. "There just wasn't good footing and you've seen some problems there. It just was worn out. There was a lot of slipping and all that kind of stuff," Carroll said, adding that it didn't put one team at a disadvantage because both were affected by it. "... But we should expect to see a better field at that time of year."
Griffin was first hurt on a pass attempt in the first quarter and then left the game in the fourth quarter after bending and slipping awkwardly on the turf while trying to recover a bad shotgun snap.
According to ESPN.com, sources say that Griffin suffered a partially torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He had an MRI on Monday, but the results were inconclusive due to a past injury Griffin suffered in 2009.
Redskins' coach Mike Shanahan said in a news conference Monday that Griffin will be going to see team physician Dr. James Andrews in Florida to fully determine the extent of the injury.
"There is a concern," Shanahan said. "That's why he's going to see him."
Both coaches showed concern for the field conditions and it was notably worse in FedEx Field than it was in Baltimore's stadium. The NFL has preached player safety during recent years and this could be a good excuse for the league to discuss the issues about field conditions and possibly address them in the offseason.
The league and competition committee have done a good job adopting rule changes in the offseason that have benefited the game, including with kickoffs and defensive penalties. The league could possibly create standards for field conditions or take the approval or final say of the field and give it to league officials.
The Seahawks will travel to face the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday.
