Eagles-Seahawks Week 12 Predictions: Can Carson Wentz And Birds Get Back On Track Against Seattle?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A great start by the Eagles turned into a brutal loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. The Birds need to rally through the final stretch of the season in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, starting this week against the Seattle Seahawks.
CBS3's football experts have your Week 12 breakdown and predictions.
Well, that was brutal. The play calling was questionable throughout in the Eagles' 17-10 loss to the defending Super Bowl champs. What happened and why did Doug Pederson decide to go away from Miles Sanders?
Sports director Don Bell: In the later stages of the game, it felt like Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz began to press. Running takes patience and that's hard to maintain when you're worried the G.O.A.T will make you pay. The Eagles went ground-and-pound against the Bills -- 218 rushing yards -- and Bears -- 146 rushing yards -- so we know they're capable of controlling a game via the run. Leading rusher Jordan Howard missed the game with a shoulder injury but I'm chalking this one up to nerves.
Sports reporter Lesley Van Arsdall: It's easy to question the play calling. And yes, it's obvious that the Eagles could have stuck with the run game a bit more. But Carson Wentz is THE franchise player and he simply didn't play like that on Sunday. If he had made the throws that he should be able to make, the Eagles win. Don't fault the play calling, fault the player.
Reporter Pat Gallen: On its face, it's unacceptable that Miles Sanders only got 13 touches against the Patriots. But there are a few reasons why:
A. Bill Belichick is not dumb. He is the greatest coach in football history.
B. Being so smart, Belichick schemed his defense to key on Sanders because he was BY FAR the Eagles' most potent offensive weapon on the day.
C. Lane Johnson went down early in the second quarter with the Birds up 10-0. After losing Lane, the Eagles managed just 165 yards the remainder of the game.
There just wasn't a lot of offense to be had, and with Belichick looking to take him out of the equation, plus Doug not trying hard enough to keep him involved, it meant a sub-par performance.
Reporter: Dan Koob: A. The Pats have a good defense
B. The exclusion of Sanders was mystifying. The offensive line prior to Lane Johnson's injury was dominating the Patriots. As soon as he went out, Big V struggled and I guess Doug Pederson figured his only change was to sling it.
Sports producer Andy Wheeler: Your guess is as good as mine. I simply do not and cannot understand why, with that much time to prepare a game plan, THAT is what we got. I'm very disappointed in the offensive coaching staff and Pederson in particular. Something has to be done this offseason.
We all know the issues the Eagles have had with receivers and playmakers this season, but more fingers are beginning to be pointed at Carson Wentz. Is there a reason to be concerned about Wentz's play?
Bell: Carson has very little to work with. Nelson Agholor is an enigma. Jordan Matthews was a starter six days after watching games from his couch. Alshon Jeffery was out with an injury. Second-round pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has been a complete non-factor. Wentz has a built-in excuse for being average. However, he hasn't played up to his potential. In the fourth quarter, he missed the few wide-open targets there were.
Carson has to play better. Period.
Van Arsdall: Absolutely yes (see my previous answer). Wentz did not have a good game against the Patriots. He was average at best. A lack of playmakers does not excuse poorly thrown balls and bad decision-making. Wentz has to be better.
Gallen: To a degree, yes. This isn't a black-and-white answer. It feels like more fingers are pointing at him because the expectations are high and there's no one left offensively to point at. Is Carson an issue? Not so much. I'm confident that if he had the proper weapons around him, he'd have better numbers. We've seen him play at an MVP level before with all things clicking.
But does Carson have issues? Yes, he does. I'd love to see him elevate everyone else, rather than rely on a cadre of weapons to do it for him. The best will put the team on their shoulders and make something out of nothing. I think we're just waiting for that game where he does it. However, I think we're all smart enough to understand the limitations of the Eagles' offense, especially at less than full strength.
Koob: Discussed this in Kooberservations but there's definitely a conversation to be had about pressing vs regressing. I think Carson is pressing -- and you would too.
Wheeler: You can point fingers at Wentz all you want, but honestly, it's sort of like blaming the engine on your car for four flat tires. He has no help in terms of offensive weapons, inconsistent play from the line and questionable play-calling. I'm not sure how anyone expects him to thrive and succeed under those conditions.
If there was one bright spot with the Eagles on Sunday, the defense stepped up. They held the Patriots to only 17 points and Brady to 216 yards passing. Will they be able to have similar success against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks?
Bell: No, the Birds' defense flourishes against wounded ducks. The Patriots entered the game with a weak offensive line and one reliable outside target. The Seahawks are a different beast. Russell Wilson scrambles and makes cornerbacks cover for five to six seconds. This is precisely where suspect coverage guys get exposed -- be afraid.
Van Arsdall: Back-to-back excellent performances against two of the NFL's elite quarterbacks? Well, it's possible but it won't be easy. Wilson is playing MVP-caliber football this season. He can run, he can pass, he rarely makes mistakes and he doesn't get rattled. It's a huge test once again for the Eagles' defense, but as we learned last week, the Eagles' D isn't afraid of a challenge.
Gallen: Most likely, no. Forty-two-year-old Tom Brady is much different than an in-his-prime Russell Wilson. The Patriots don't have the same explosive offense of the past. Brady isn't mobile and when you knock him from his spot, he tends to make bad throws.
The same CANNOT be said for Wilson. You knock him from his spot and he makes better, more insane throws. You chase him down and he makes you pay with his legs. This is the ultimate test for the Eagles' defense. So much depends on the secondary being able to hold coverage for far longer than they normally do. Wilson's ability to extend the play and make the right read is extraordinary. The Eagles' D will have to match that, and that might be asking too much despite their turnaround.
Koob: No. Much different quarterback and if Tyler Lockett plays, much different offense. Wilson can play from every platform. Brady plays from one.
Wheeler: I owe the defense an apology. I said they were going to give up 40 points last week and I was dead wrong. They were great. This week won't be easy. I think they will struggle with Wilson in particular because he's so comfortable on the move. He's not a quarterback that sits in the pocket. This will make things very difficult for the Eagles.
We're going to see two could've-been-Eagles in wide receivers Josh Gordon and DK Metcalf. How bad will it look for the Eagles' front office if these two have big games?
Bell: Bad. But wait, there's more. They could have also traded for Jadeveon Clowney and chose to rely on Josh Sweat, Derrick Barnett, etc. General manager Howie Roseman may want to close his eyes during this game.
Van Arsdall: Every parent knows the phrase, "You get what you get and you don't get upset." Let's rise above and not start the who we could've picked or why didn't we sign this free agent - every franchise in the NFL can play that game and it's a game you can't win.
Gallen: These two don't need to have big games to know the Eagles already made mistakes by passing on them. It'll be tough to watch, but that's in the past now. The Eagles need to hope that Arcega-Whiteside can give them something at some point. But if Gordon and Metcalf do go off, expect social media to be ruthless.
Koob: I wouldn't touch Josh Gordon and thought Metcalf was a combine specialist. Having said that, the draft track record of wide receivers under Howie has been abysmal and Sunday won't change that.
Wheeler: I think that Metcalf's performance could be more damning than Gordon. While technically Gordon could have been an Eagle, he comes with issues and headaches the team may not have wanted to deal with. Metcalf represents a poor choice for the Eagles' front office considering how Arcega-Whiteside has failed to contribute and produce. I think this point may be a bit unfair to consider because every team is full of guys every other team could have had under different circumstances. To answer the question though, the Eagles' front office already looks pretty bad, I don't think this makes them look any worse.
Predictions?
Bell: The NFL has changed considerably. Championship football used to be running the ball and stopping the run. Now, it's about the pass rush and protecting the passer. Not only are the Seahawks better at both, but they also have a future Hall of Fame coach.
Seahawks win 27-17.
Van Arsdall: This game scares me and I hope I'm wrong. But the Seahawks are hot and coming off a bye-week.
Eagles lose 28-17.
Gallen: I would really like to know the availability of Jordan Howard, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Lane Johnson before I make this pick. A few weeks ago I thought they would split the NE/SEA games in some fashion. But without four starters on offense, I just don't see how they can do it.
THAT SAID -- WHY IS THE LINE EAGLES -1.5??? What is Vegas trying to tell us!?
Seattle 26-20.
Koob: Yikes. Is anyone keeping track of these? I hope not.
Eagles 24, Seattle 23
Wheeler: Eagles lose 27-21.