The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a loss against the Cleveland Browns and will play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
These two teams are polar opposites of each other.
The Seahawks just defeated the Cardinals and have an MVP candidate in Russell Wilson. The Eagles have lost two straight games and have major issues at the QB position.
With major divisional implications for both teams, this game is a must win for both sides. Neither team can afford a loss this late in the season.
Who will win this Monday Night Football matchup?
Let’s examine both teams.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1):
The Eagles remain committed to keeping Carson Wentz at QB who has struggled mightily this season. Wentz has 14 interceptions this year, which is the most in the NFL.
Wentz also has 10 fumbles this season, which has drastically reduced the Eagles’ ability to effectively move the ball down the field.
Wentz needs to finally turn things around if the Eagles want to stay competitive in the “NFC Least.” More importantly, the Eagles need to focus on their running game.
Miles Sanders is averaging 5.74 YPC, yet he still isn’t getting a lot of attention in the Eagles’ offense. Sanders ranks 25th among running backs in the NFL in total carries.
Will this be the week that Sanders sees his carries get increased, especially since Wentz is struggling to get going?
The Eagles need to have solid production from the WRs this week.
Alshon Jeffery has yet to register a catch this year, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has only played in seven games this season with two total receptions.
The Eagles’ leading receiver, Travis Fulgham, had just one catch for eight yards. Jalen Reagor, the Eagles’ first round draft pick, has yet to make a major splash this season.
Can the Eagles find a way to spread the ball around and get their weapons involved?
Defensively, the Eagles have given up the 6th fewest passing yards in the NFL (2,093).
The Eagles need their passing defense to step up in a major way as the Seahawks boast a lot of talented receivers – namely D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Meanwhile, the Eagles’ defense has given up the 8th most rushing yards in the NFL (1,334). The Seahawks have shuffled through plenty of running backs this season, so the Eagles will need to prepare for many different rushers.
Can the Eagles find a way to stop the Seahawks’ dynamic offense from having a huge game?
Seattle Seahawks (7-3):
Russell Wilson is having an elite season, and he is making a strong case to be named MVP at the end of this season.
Wilson is 2nd in the NFL in passing yards (2,986) and has the most passing touchdowns (30) among all QBs. He having great success finding weapons like D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
However, Wilson does have 10 interceptions, which is 4th worst in the NFL. Wilson has looked tremendous this season, but he definitely has struggled in key moments.
Can the Eagles’ pass defense find a way to force Wilson to turn the ball over?
Additionally, while the Seahawks’ offense has looked very impressive, their defense has shown a lot of weaknesses.
The Seahawks’ defense has given up the most passing yards in the NFL (3,437).
Even though Wentz has struggled this year to perform at a high level, the Seahawks’ defense can’t let him get any momentum going, especially since the Seahawks aren’t great in away games.
The Seahawks have struggled going on the road this season.
Despite being 5-0 at home, the Seahawks are 2-3 on the road. The Seahawks will be looking to improve their road record here as the Eagles will be the second easiest road game the Seahawks have had so far this season record-wise.
Prediction:
Seahawks win 27-17, Seahawks (-5.5), Under 51.5
Simply put, the Seahawks are the much better team, and there’s no way to justify this game being close.
The Seahawks have proven they can be a two-dimensional team offensively, so they will definitely have no problem scoring at will. Considering the Eagles have struggled to stop weak offenses, the Seahawks’ great offense will have no trouble.
However, it’s the Seahawks’ bad defense that will keep the Eagles in this game.
The Eagles should be able to score just enough to pose a threat, but not a legitimate one. Sanders should find the endzone once, and I think Goedert will, as well.
Aside from that, the Eagles will lose because they haven’t taken the next step in addressing some of their issues. Be on the lookout if Jalen Hurts comes in to take snaps if Wentz struggles.
I think the Seahawks will win and cover the spread.
The over/under line of 51.5 seems way too high to me, and I’ll take the under here. The Eagles have struggled to score, and the Seahawks have their own issues.
Eric Fenstermaker 