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The Philadelphia Eagles will try to improve offensively Sunday when they host the Seattle Seahawksin a key NFC contest. Philadelphia was shutout in the second half of its 17-10 loss to New England. Seattle, meanwhile, is coming off a bye week after beating San Francisco in overtime two weekends ago. Both teams are looking to improve ground in the playoff picture. Philadelphia fell a game behind Dallas in the NFC East standings, and Seattle remains a game back of San Francisco in the NFC West.
Philadelphia played New England as tough as anyone not named Baltimore but the offense ultimately couldn't get anything going when it mattered. NE held the Eagles to five punts and a turnover on downs in the second half. The Philadelphia defense did a solid job overall but couldn't compensate for a rough outing from Carson Wentz, who completed 20-40 passes for 214 yards. The Seahawks are coming off a deserved bye week after their impressive 27-24 overtime victory against San Francisco. Seattle scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter. Quarterback Russell Wilson will have to work with a banged-up tight end unit Sunday.
Seahawks go for fourth straight win
The Seattle Seahawks are cruising on the field right now and also got some positive off-the-field news Wednesday. Top receiver Tyler Lockett participated in drills Wednesday at practice and should be ready to go for Sunday, according to head coach Pete Carroll. Lockett suffered a shin injury against San Francisco but had a bye week to recover. Lockett's availability to play takes on great significance with tight end Luke Wilson less likely to play Sunday. The Seahawks also activated veteran tight end Ed Dickson.Carroll wants to provide quarterback Russell Wilson with as many viable options as possible. Wilson leads the NFL in quarterback rating even after a less than stellar performance against the 49ers where he threw for one touchdown and one interception. Lockett's early game removal clearly ruffled the Seahawks game plan. Running back Chris Carson gives Seattle a reliable option on the ground. He's tallied three rushing touchdowns in the last five games.
Another road trip awaits. 😏#GoHawks x #SEAvsPHI pic.twitter.com/MDOeAoYGAS
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 21, 2019
Seattle's defense is far from elite but as the group showed against San Francisco, it's capable of getting key stops. On the 49ers' second drive of overtime, Seattle held them to a three-and-out on three straight incomplete passes. That led to the game-winning field goal a few minutes later. Linebacker Bobby Wagner leads the unit with 97 tackles even as more attention is (understandably) given towards Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin. Clowney, who is recovering from a knee injury, should play Sunday.
Eagles in need of win to stay in NFC East chase
Some of the Philadelphia Eagles' worst fears were realized in the second half of their loss to New England. The Eagles may have a good enough offense to reach the playoffs but once they're there, can Carson Wentz really lead a banged-up Philly offense to another Super Bowl? And how much pressure can the defense hold before the levy breaks? The defeat to the Patriots offered a good measuring stick as to how far the Eagles are from being a real contender.Wentz is positioning himself as one of the NFL's top pocket passers but he can only do so much with a depleted receiving unit. DeSean Jackson remains on the IR and Alshon Jeffery is questionable to return this Sunday. Meanwhile, top running back Jordan Howard is still recovering from a shoulder injury that may keep him sidelined for at least one more week. Philadelphia is also likely to be without Pro-Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson. Expect Wentz to target Zach Ertz at least 10 times Sunday. Starting back Miles Sanders has to improve on the 3.5 yards per carry he averaged against New England.
Some things are bigger than football.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 20, 2019
Thank you to everyone who helped make today's game possible. pic.twitter.com/ZpBYVpR8QP
The Eagles did offer some positive injury-related news Wednesday as linebacker Nigel Bradham fully participated in practice. The seven-year veteran last played on October 13 in a 38-20 loss to Minnesota when he injured his ankle. As the team's starting middle linebacker, Bradham's role can't be understated. Philadelphia ranks eighth in the NFL in yards allowed (323.5) but need to do a better job limiting points (23 points allowed per game).
Notable Trends
The top supporting trends for this game, found on covers.com, are:
- Eagles are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games in Week 12.
- Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their last five games in November.
- Seahawks are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games in November.
- Seahawks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Seahawks are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.
The Bottom Line What to bet on this game.
Full-Game Side Bet
The Seattle Seahawks are a perfect 5-0 on the road including 4-1 ATS so it's surprising to see that opened this line with them as a multiple point underdog. Bettors have since lowered that line a little bit, but Seattle remains an attractive pick. The Seahawks have obviously proven that playing on the road is not a great challenge, and they should be well-rested coming off a bye week. Meanwhile, the Eagles are still missing core guys like DeSean Jackson while other offensive skill players like Alshon Jeffery and Jordan Howard will be playing at less than full health if at all. This one looks like a line that the bookies misplayed.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks
Full-Game Total Pick
With Philadelphia so banged up on the offensive end, it's hard to see the Eagles scoring the requisite number of points to drive this one over. Sure, Seattle ranks seventh in the league with 27.5 points per game but how will that carry over to the road? I think the o/u ultimately falls on the Eagles' scoring ability. The under is 10-2 in the Eagles' last 12 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Prediction: Under 48
