Your In-Depth Eagles at Seahawks Week 11 Preview

Heading into arguably the most raucous environment in the NFL, can the Philadelphia Eagles pull off the shocker and taste the rainbow?

The Seattle Seahawks exacted some Super Bowl revenge last Sunday in what could possibly be a preview of The Big Game at season’s end, beating the New England Patriots 31-24.

Due to that win, many Eagles fans are hopeful that Seattle could fall into the trap this upcoming Sunday when the Eagles come to town.

We shall see.

 

EAGLES PASSING GAME VS. SEAHAWKS PASS DEFENSE

PHI- 87.3 Passer Rating (20/32), 225 YPG (26/32)
SEA- 82.5 Passer Rating allowed (7/32), 242 YPG allowed (10/32)

Carson Wentz was 25-of-36 for 231 yards last week against Atlanta. Wentz’s accuracy has wavered over recent weeks, but his throws were precise and he put on the proper shoulder for the most part. For whatever reason, Wentz seems to have the most trouble with the bubble screens. He throws it behind and on the back shoulder most of the time.

Matthews doing work so far and Wentz’s throw have been precise @AdrianFedkiw pic.twitter.com/jGXeZTAgNu

— Philly Influencer (@PHL_Influencer) November 13, 2016

Head coach Doug Pederson got his tight ends and running backs involved a lot more last week. They hauled in 17 of the 25 Wentz completions, with eight of them going to Darren Sproles, who totaled 57 yards receiving. The Eagles used him a lot on the option route on third down.

Eagles have been loving that option route to Sproles today @AdrianFedkiw pic.twitter.com/jI6uxlO433

— Philly Influencer (@PHL_Influencer) November 13, 2016

Jordan Matthews caught six balls for 73 yards and Nelson Agholor was the only other receiver that caught a pass Sunday. With people begging for Bryce Treggs and Paul Turner, maybe the Birds should continue to get their running backs and tight ends involved. I’d like to see those two and three tight end sets on the field more. It masks the deficiencies at wide receiver.

Ertz, who has tallied 153 yards on 14 receptions the last two weeks, has a hamstring and was limited in practice Wednesday, but is expected to go.

For the fourth time in as many seasons, Richard Sherman has a different cornerback starting opposite of him in the underrated Jeremy Lane. DeShawn Shead is underrated as well.

The lanky 6’3 195 pound Sherman rarely gets targeted and when the ball does come his way, Sherman uses his length and soft hands to make plays on the ball.Due to his height he can match up against taller and bigger receivers, but his technique is also so exceptional that he can shut down the smaller and more elusive wideouts. He’s aggressive, finds the ball and normally rides the hip of the receiver on deep shots down the field.

As you can imagine, it’s going to be a struggle for the wide receivers to get open and it’s going to be tough for the tight ends and running backs as well with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor lurking at safety and linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright being good in coverage.

 

EAGLES RUNNING GAME VS. SEAHAWKS RUN DEFENSE

PHI- 4.3 YPC (14/32), 118.9 YPG (9/32)
SEA- 3.5 YPC allowed (3/32), 96.8 YPG allowed (9/32)

For the first time all season, I finally saw the Eagles look like the Kansas City Chiefs of last year when they closed the regular season with 10 straight wins.

Pederson was the offensive coordinator at the time and called plays during the second half from the Pittsburgh Steelers game on, the start of that 10-game winning streak.

The Eagles dominated the time of possession 38:10-21:50 against Atlanta. They had a pair of drives that went six-plus minutes, one going 6:44 and another for 7:14. The Eagles ran for 208 yards in all, with Ryan Mathews leading the way with 19 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Wendell Smallwood added 70 yards on 13 totes.

The offensive line played exceptionally well, especially along the left side of the line. Jason Peters, Stefen Wisniewski and Jason Kelce, when he wasn’t committing a penalty, were outstanding.

Here’s the big difference between the Falcons and Seahawks, however. Atlanta had a pair of rookie linebackers in Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell, who overpursued a lot on the running plays. So while the blocking was exceptional, Philadelphia was able to use misdirection runs to cause some rookie mistakes. Wright, Wagner and Cassius Marsh will present a much stiffer challenge in the linebacking core. the Eagles did get a break with Michael Bennett’s ankle injury.

 

SEAHAWKS PASSING GAME VS. EAGLES PASS DEFENSE

PHI- 81.1 Passer Rating allowed (5/32), 222 YPG allowed (7/32)
SEA- 99.3 Passer Rating (7/32), 264 YPG (11/32)

Russell Wilson’s mobility has improved more and more each week.

While Wilson hasn’t had the rushing yards in years past due to an MCL sprain, he’s made up for it with better play from the pocket and getting the ball out quickly, accuracy on the deep ball and tossing just two interceptions. While fantasy owners might be annoyed by his production, he’s still had a solid year despite the lack of statistics.

He’s coming off a monster game, however, throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday night against the New England Patriots.

.@DangeRussWilson out here doing @DangeRussWilson things…#SEAvsNE https://t.co/9xYpfsgTXx

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 14, 2016

One of the reasons why he’s had to get the ball out so quick is due to a woeful offensive line. The Seahawks fared well Sunday against the Patriots, but that was more due to New England’s inept pass rush. Justin Britt has been solid since moving over to center this year, but everyone else along the line has struggled.

So the Eagles’ strength, their defensive line and getting after the quarterback, is Seattle’s weakness, but the Birds haven’t generated as much heat on the road. They have 25 sacks on the year, but average 3.8 per game at home as opposed to 2.0 away from it. And not only do the Eagles need to get pressure, they also need to have gap integrity and not let Wilson beat them on the ground.

Seattle has an underrated receiving core with Doug Baldwin leading the way. He hauled in all three of Wilson’s TD pass last week and does an outstanding job of extending his route when he sees Wilson scrambling. Tight end Jimmy Graham has bounced back following a disappointing first year with the Seahawks. He has 593 yards and three touchdowns so far this season and will be a tough matchup for Nigel Bradham.

I think Jimmy Graham is healthy guys… #Seahawks #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/JQAtQBJ6av

— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) November 11, 2016

C.J. Prosise emerged as a threat out of the backfield last Sunday, catching seven passes for 87 yards.

 

SEAHAWKS RUNNING GAME VS. EAGLES RUN DEFENSE

PHI- 4.3 YPC allowed (14/32), 118.9 YPG allowed (8/32)
SEA- 3.3 YPC (31/32), 77.7 YPG (30/32)

Thomas Rawls returns this week after missing the last seven games due to a cracked fibula. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that he would be a significant part of the game plan against Philadelphia.

“Let’s get him back, get him going and make sure he’s ready to roll and all that and we’ll figure that out in time. I’m not worried about that a bit. If he makes it through the week, he’s going to play considerably because he’s in great shape and he’s ready to do that, but we’re not going to overplay him or try to take it too far too soon,” he said.

Rawls is a breakaway threat that also has some wiggle to him. He also possesses leg power and drive to break tackles. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry a year ago. With Christine Michael’s release, Rawls must definitely be ready to go. Prosise is the x-factor in the running attack.

 

PREDICTION- For whatever reason the Eagles can’t get after the quarterback on the road like they do at home. If they can consistently get to Wilson I think they have a great shot. Special teams and forcing turnovers will also be key too.

Both teams have stellar defenses, but the Seahawks have more weapons on offense. Many have compared this game to the one in New England last year when the Eagles upset the Patriots, but they had three return touchdowns in that game. The Birds will need a couple game-changing plays if they want to pull off the shocker.

Seahawks 24-17