Opponent Profile: Eagles Look For Statement Win Vs. Defending Champion Seahawks
By Kevin McGuire
After a Thanksgiving feast of the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles return home for a key NFC showdown with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Having the champions in Lincoln Financial Field is a nice opportunity to put together a statement game as the team jockeys for NFC playoff positioning.
Season Record
The Seahawks are on a bit of a roll. The defending Super Bowl champions have won five of six to shake off a rough start to the season. At 8-4, the Seahawks are just one game behind the Arizona Cardinals for first place in the NFC West heading into the week. The Seahawks are coming off a Thanksgiving win, just like the Eagles, with a 19-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle defeated Arizona at home by the same score the previous week.
The Eagles are 7-6 in 13 all-time meeting with the Seahawks. Seattle has won three of the four most recent meetings with Philadelphia, dating back to 2005. The lone Eagles win came in a 26-7 road victory in 2008. The Seahawks won the most recent meeting, in 2011, by a score of 31-14. The last time the Eagles defeated the Seahawks in Philadelphia was 1989, a 31-7 decision that saw Randall Cunningham toss two touchdowns to Cris Carter and Mike Quick.
Seahawks on Offense
The Seahawks may have a Super Bowl winning quarterback in Russell Wilson, but the passing offense enters the week ranked 29th in the NFL with just 192.4 passing yards per game. The running game is a much different story. With Marshawn Lynch leading the charge and Wilson more than capable of taking off with the football and using his feet, the Seahawks bring the league’s top rushing attack to Philadelphia.
Seahawks on Defense
The Seahawks became known as a Super Bowl contender based on the strength of the defense, and it appears to have found its groove as they fly to Philadelphia this week. The Seahawks have held two straight opponents to three points in victories. Seattle has found ways to shut down the passing game and the running games of its opponents. Seattle ranks second in the NFL against the pass with just 199.4 yards per game allowed, and the Seattle defense is limiting opponents to just 86.3 rushing yards per game. Chip Kelly, Mark Sanchez and LeSean McCoy will have their work cut out for them in order to score a victory against this defense.
Seahawks Players to Watch
Russell Wilson, Quarterback: Wilson has been dangerous on offense this season. In addition to his 2,466 passing yards and 15 touchdowns to five interceptions, Wilson has also rushed for 679 yards and four touchdowns.
Richard Sherman, Cornerback: The self-proclaimed best corner in the game is coming off a two-interception game against San Francisco. Mark Sanchez will have to be extremely careful with his passing, because Sherman will capitalize on any mistakes thrown his way.
Overview
This weekend will mark the first time Chip Kelly has squared off against Russell Wilson and Pete Carrol since he was a head coach at Oregon. For what it is worth, Kelly is 2-0 all-time against the two. Kelly coached Oregon to a Rose Bowl victory against Wilson and Wisconsin at the end of the 2011 season. He also handed Carrol one of his worst losses as head coach at USC, leading the No. 10 Oregon Ducks to a 47-20 rout of No. 4 USC. It was pretty much the passing of the guard of Pac-12 powers at the time. If things go well this weekend, perhaps the guard will once again be passed from one Super Bowl winning coach to another looking for a ring.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.