The Seattle Seahawks moved to 9-2 on Sunday with a sloppy 17-9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, remaining just a game behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West divisional race. This was a somewhat topsy-turvy outing for the Seahawks, who saw some of their biggest strengths and weaknesses switched around – however, some things just don’t change. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 12’s matchup.
THE GOOD
The pass rush: Seattle’s defense stymied Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz throughout the entire game, with pressure causing no fewer than five fumbles and setting the stage for two picks. Even with lead rusher Jadeveon Clowney sitting the game out due to a hip injury, the defensive line was more than up to the task – Ziggy Ansah notched 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble, Rasheem Green forced another fumble (recovered by Al Woods), and Quinton Jefferson scooped up yet another fumble by the flustered Wentz. One of Seattle’s weakest units in the first half of the season has taken a giant step forward (although defensive tackle Jarran Reed sprained his ankle in Sunday’s contest) and will face their next test against Kirk Cousins and a struggling Vikings o-line.
The defense in general: The defensive backs had a nice day as well, with safety Bradley McDougald and cornerback Tre Flowers each adding an interception to their resumes. Flowers also posted three passes defended, the most on the team, and the unit as a whole only allowed one “explosive” (greater than 16 yards) pass play, a 30-yarder to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Rashaad Penny: Number-one back Chris Carson was quiet on Sunday morning, but Penny rose to the occasion as he posted the biggest game of his young Seahawks career with 129 yards and a TD on 14 rushes. The score came early in the fourth quarter as Penny ripped off a 58-yard beauty of a run for just his second touchdown of the season. If this is an indicator of things to come, coach Pete Carroll might finally have the “one-two punch” he hoped for at the beginning of the season.
THE BAD
The passing game: None of Seattle’s receivers truly broke out during the game. Star rookie D.K. Metcalf only had 35 receiving yards along with a pair of huge drops, while the usually-dependable Tyler Lockett had just one catch (for 38 yards, making him the Seahawks’ leading receiver of the day). Russell Wilson himself went 13-25 for 200 yards, one touchdown, and one interception; his worst throw of the game was a baffling floater several feet above a wide-open Jacob Hollister that would have been an easy touchdown. For an offense that averaged 27.5 points per game up until this week, the Seahawks’ failure to get off the ground against the Eagles’ defense will be noted by their future opponents.
The O-line: Wilson was sacked no fewer than six times on Sunday morning, the most punishing of which turned a second-and-4 at the Seattle 48 to a third-and-13 at the 39. Following that play and a Seahawks timeout, Wilson was immediately sacked again, forcing a punt in the final minutes of the first half. In the fourth quarter, left tackle Germain Ifedi also inadvertently caused Chris Carson to fumble the football, as his elbow poked the ball out of the crook of Carson’s arm.
THE UGLY
The penalties: Seattle committed five penalties in the first half to Philadelphia’s zero, and finished the game with 12 total penalties for 90 yards. The first major penalty was called at the end of the first quarter, when Quandre Diggs lowered his helmet to initiate contact with Zach Ertz after a completed pass, thus giving the Eagles 15 free yards. Later in the same drive, Ziggy Ansah’s stupendous forced fumble was negated by Shaquill Griffin’s defensive holding penalty. In the second half, Tyler Lockett was called for offensive pass interference, forcing the line of scrimmage back to the Seahawks 18-yard line, and a Joey Hunt tripping penalty created a third-and-25 situation in which Wilson was forced to throw deep and was subsequently intercepted. Seattle needs to tighten up on discipline for the tough weeks ahead – even a few yards could make all the difference in a close game down the stretch.
Who greased the ball (again)?: Although most of the fumbles belonged to Carson Wentz (four official, one reverted due to a penalty) one particular drive in the fourth quarter brought back unfortunate memories for Seahawks fans as Carson lost the ball at the Seattle 32, thankfully recovering it himself. On the very next play, the Seahawks were not so lucky – a miscommunication between Wilson and Carson in which Wilson attempted to hand the ball off and released his grip before Carson had figured out that the offense was not, in fact, running a play-action. This time, the Eagles’ Nathan Gerry jumped on it, giving the Philadelphia offense an opportunity for a comeback try. Seattle has had trouble hanging onto the ball all year; as the season starts to wind down, the Seahawks will need to figure out how to remedy the issue if they hope to make a deep playoff push.
