The Seattle Seahawks will take on the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC wild card, their second year in a row in the wild card game and the seventh time in the last eight years they have made the playoffs.
Seattle took on Philadelphia back in Week 12, winning a hard-fought battle 17-9 despite playing without star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney will be active for this one, along with free safety Quandre Diggs which should give Seattle a strong defensive presence against a banged up Eagles offensive unit.
On offense, Seattle has opened up the playbook for veteran Marshawn Lynch, and will get a healthy Luke Willson back in the fold as well.
It should be a hard-fought battle in the city of brotherly love. Here are three things for fans to watch for that will be key for Seattle to win and advance in the NFC.
The impact of Quandre Diggs
Even though he’s only played five games in a Seattle uniform, it’s clear just how monumental of an impact free safety Quandre Diggs has had on this Seahawks squad.
A sideline-to-sideline free safety is the bread-and-butter of Pete Carroll’s cover-3 defensive scheme, and the post-Earl Thomas era needed someone to step into that role, and trading for Diggs proved to be just what the doctor ordered.
A high-ankle sprain kept him out of action for the final two regular season games, and Lano Hill wasn’t cutting it as his replacement.
Now, after getting left off the injury report, Diggs will be back and making his first ever playoff appearance on Sunday.
His performance in the secondary will be perhaps the most crucial element of this game, and should swing things in Seattle’s favor.
Will we see more of Marshawn Lynch?
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made it clear that veteran running back Marshawn Lynch has the entire playbook at his disposal, which could open him up to a larger share of the offense on Sunday.
“He can do everything we’re doing,” coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. “He’s got the whole game plan.”
Of course, Seattle still plans to run the ball primarily through rookie Travis Homer, who carried the ball 10 times for 62 yards in Week 17 while also hauling in five receptions for 30 additional yards.
So, Lynch may not be on track for 20 carries and 100+ rushing yards, but about half of that and another touchdown certainly seems plausible, and it would no doubt send the 12’s into a frenzy to see Beast Mode score a touchdown in the playoffs.
Can Seattle generate a pass rush?
The Eagles are perhaps the only team to deal with more significant injuries than the Seahawks this year, and they’ll go into Sunday’s battle without right tackle Lane Johnson – a big loss up front.
Seattle has Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, Rasheem Green and Quinton Jefferson all healthy for this one – a rarity this year – and should be able to actually inflict some pressure on Carson Wentz.
The health of tight end Zach Ertz is a big boost for Philadelphia, as it gives them someone to throw to in short-yardage situations and on quick plays, therefore mitigating the success of the rush.
However, if Seattle can find ways to bring Wentz down, it will go a long way toward securing a victory and advancement in the NFC playoff picture.
