Seahawks Continue to Impress; Defeat Eagles 26-15
The Cowboys might sit atop the NFC at 9-1, but after a 26-15 win over the Eagles, it's clear the Seahawks remain a big threat to Dallas' Super Bowl aspirations.
Sunday's game was an amalgamation of their previous two wins--quality bouts against Buffalo and New England--with the early season rust on both offense and defense seemed to be getting polished off. In similar fashion to last year's slow start, a struggling Russell Wilson started making plays with his feet, the running game found its holes, and the defense was smothering.
The tone was set from the get-go with an early 72 yard touchdown scamper from rookie running back C.J. Prosise. Prosise made a nice cut and shimmy, then simply dusted the Philly secondary for his first NFL touchdown. Unfortunately, Prosise left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, one that will likely sideline him for the remainder of the regular season. On the bright side, Thomas Rawls returned and fared admirably as the feature back in the second half, taking his 17 touches for 88 yards on the day. It will be interesting to see how the front office and coaching staff handle their running back room for the rest of the season, having only two backs (Rawls and rookie Alex Collins) on the roster, and Rawls being particularly injury prone.
I'll be looking at CJ Prosise's long 72-yard touchdown run vs #Eagles on @FieldGulls#Seahawks #PHIvsSEA pic.twitter.com/w5Zf70h0Pf
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) November 20, 2016
Despite some of the concerns the running game might have going forward, Russell Wilson appears to be over his lingering leg issues, which creates less of a reliance on a running back and a opens the pass game tremendously. Wilson looked spry on a few scrambles, and had several instances where he used his feet to extend plays in trademark fashion. On one such play, Wilson somehow managed to hit tight end Jimmy Graham with the flick of his wrist that lead to Graham's fourth touchdown of the season. Wilson displayed his obscene athleticism again on a classic Seattle trick play, making a 15 yard, over-the-shoulder touchdown catch on a pass delivered by Doug Baldwin.
[Raible Call of the Game: Russell Wilson to Jimmy Graham Touchdown]The return of safety Kam Chancellor on defense was felt yet again in his second game back from a groin injury that sidelined him for four games. Chancellor racked up eight tackles, an interception, and defended two passes, but the numbers don't accurately express the importance Chancellor had on the momentum of the game.
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Seattle lead 16-7 with just under four minutes remaining in the second quarter, but Carson Wentz and the Eagles' offense, particularly tight end Zach Ertz, were finding a rhythm: Ertz had a 57 yard touchdown called back on an illegal formation penalty that had absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the play. The Eagles were in position to close the gap before receiving the kick after halftime. Facing a third-and-two on their own 33, Bam Bam Kam ferociously swatted the ball as soon as Wentz released it, forcing a punt. Then after a quick Seattle three-and-out, Philadelphia was close to crossing midfield with just under 30 seconds remaining when Chancellor intercepted a pass intended for Dorial Green-Beckham, effectively ending the half.
[Seattle Seahawks on Twitter]These two critical plays set the tone for what would be a defensive showcase during the third and (majority of the) fourth quarters. The Hawks allowed only 28 yards on the four drives the Eagles had in the third quarter, picking off another pass and forcing a fumble. The foot came off the gas, however, in a fourth quarter that saw some garbage time points for Philadelphia.
The win took a toll on some notable names in the secondary, with free safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Deshawn Shead suffering hamstring injuries (it's undetermined if it could prevent both of them from playing in Week 12), but Seattle is starting to get hot at the right time. The convincing victory over a formidable Eagles team punctuates the three game winning steak the Seahawks find themselves on, and they look to extend the streak versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.
