Eagles Opponent Profile: After Beating Falcons, Eagles Fly West To Take On Seahawks
By Kevin McGuire
The Eagles fly west to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and it may be coming at an unfortunate time for Philadelphia. Seattle is coming off of a big win against the Patriots and may have rediscovered their identity midway through the season. The Seahawks also have a defense that could make for a long day for the Eagles' rookie quarterback and struggling wide receivers.
Seahawks Season Record: 6-2-1
The Seahawks picked up a big victory Sunday night on the road against the New England Patriots when they came up with a goal-line stand in the final minute of the game. The 31-24 victory over the Patriots helped to pad Seattle's lead in the NFC West with a two-game lead in the loss column ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks now look to extend their winning streak to three.
The Eagles and Seahawks have split the all-time series with seven wins each in 14 all-time meetings. Seattle has held the upper hand lately with four wins in the last five meetings. The Eagles are 5-3 in games played in Seattle.
Seahawks on Offense
One of the most notable differences between the Seahawks this year and in recent seasons is the lack of a threatening running game. The Seahawks rank 30th in the NFL in rushing offense with just 77.7 yards per game. The passing game does its best to make up for that through the air with Russell Wilson leading the NFL's 11th-best passing offense. The Seahawks average 264.2 passing yards per game. On Sunday night, Seattle may have turned in one of their best offensive games of the season against the Patriots with 420 yards of total offense while converting 50-percent of their third down attempts.
Seahawks on Defense
The Seahawks continue to be stingy on defense, which means scoring points will prove to be difficult this week. Seattle has held five opponents to 20 or fewer points in a game this season, although they have allowed at least 24 points in each of the last three games. The Seahawks have allowed the second-lowest scoring average at just 17.6 points per game.
Seahawks Players to Watch
RB C.J. Prosise: With Christine Michael a little banged up, the Seahawks have been finding a way to get rookie running back C.J. Prosise involved. Against the Patriots on Sunday night, the rookie out of Notre Dame rushed for 66 yards and was responsible for 87 receiving yards, proving how effective he can be in a multi-dimensional offensive role.
CB Richard Sherman: You know the Seahawks cornerback will be looking to get under the skin of the Eagles receivers and maybe even rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. Few play that game as well as Sherman, who has the uncanny ability to talk the talk and walk the walk every week. Sherman has three interceptions this year and he'll be ready to scoop up any fumbles that he may be near.
Outlook
This looks to be yet another difficult road test for the Eagles, and getting out of Seattle with a win would be a tremendous step forward for Philadelphia if they can pull it off. But, with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Russell Wilson and a very strong defense, the Eagles offense could be mismatched across the field. The Eagles defense should play well, but this will not be a friendly environment for a young offense that struggles to make big plays at times.
