The Philadelphia Eagles will be home favorites against the surging Seattle Seahawks for their Week 12 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles currently sit at 5-5 on the season and are coming off a 17-10 home loss to the New England Patriots.
With the Cowboys playing well and the NFC playoff picture starting to take shape, the Eagles need to win this game.
With the Seahawks sitting at 8-2 and a true threat in the NFC, here are five things to know about the Eagles Week 12 opponent.
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1. Carson Wentz can learn a thing or two his counterpart
Russell Wilson is at the top of the MVP race right now and he’s carried the Seattle Seahawks to the brink of a playoff berth. On the season, Wilson has gone 224 of 327, for 2,737 yards and 23 touchdowns With two interceptions. Wilson also has accounted for 256 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as well. Wentz can learn a ton from Wilson in regards to being himself and playing his style of ball. Wilson loves to get outside the pocket, he’s efficient and knows when to get rid of the football and most importantly, he puts his receivers in an excellent position to make plays.
2. Seahawks supporting cast is legit
Russell Wilson doesn’t throw or hand off the ball to himself. The Seahawks have provided the MVP candidate with solid complementary pieces and they come without much fanfare. Running back Chris Carson has carried the ball 200 times for 853 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
Tyler Lockett has stepped in to replace Doug Baldwin and even while battling injuries, he’s amassed 62 catches for 793 yards and six touchdowns. Rookie D.K. Metcalf will be linked with the Eagles JJ Arcega-Whiteside this weekend and thus far, the former Ole Miss star has cashed in with 35 catches for 595 yards and five touchdowns. Metcalf has averaged 17 yards per catch as well.
3. Josh Gordon will play a factor down the stretch
The former Browns and Patriot star logged two catches for 27 yards in his Seahawks debut and if he can stay healthy, look for he and Russell Wilson to form a duo that compares strongly to the Saints Drew Brees and Michael Thomas.
4. Pete Carroll has his swagger back
The 68-year-old Carroll signed a two-year extension to remain head coach last season and after retooling his defense and making Russell Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, the personable head coach has Seattle among the NFL’s elite once again. Carroll is the oldest coach in the NFL but one of the best and his contract pays him “more than” $11 million per year. Last season, Carroll clinched the Seahawks’ sixth playoff appearance in seven years, and the seventh postseason appearance in the nine years he’s been at the helm.
5. Mychal Kendricks to play huge role vs. Eagles
Kendricks returns home to face the team that drafted him in 2012 in the second round. Kendricks was a starter on the Super Bowl team that beat the New England Patriots and as one of the better middle linebackers in the NFL, he’ll play a huge role in defending the Eagles two tight end sets.
