Seahawks vs. Eagles preview: What you need to know about the Philadelphia Eagles.
.JPG "Philadelphia Eagles’ Miles Sanders in action during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, in Philadelphia.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)")
This week, the Seattle Seahawks continue an important stretch of NFC clashes by hitting the road to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2017 Super Bowl champs have been up and down over the course of this season and after a 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots this past weekend.
From an intense playoff race to some goodwill being done by the community, here’s five things you need to know about the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eagles season on the brink?
As of this reading, the Philadelphia Eagles are 5-5 and sit in the 8th spot in the NFC playoff picture. The bad thing for Eagles fans is that only six teams from the NFC can get in.
While a loss to Seattle does not end the Eagles season, it does make their playoff push much tougher. A Sunday victory by Seattle would mean that the Vikings and Seahawks both hold a tiebreaker on the Eagles and would need serious help to get in. It could very well be an “NFC East or bust” campaign to end the season, the last four games for the Eagles in 2019 shake out like this…
vs. NY Giants
AT Washington
vs. Dallas
AT NY Giants
There’s still hope, but a win on Sunday would make everything better.
Dynasty lost?
One championship does not mean a team is a dynasty, however it can lead to more because winning by in large is very contagious. That has not translated well for the Philadelphia Eagles since their title win in 2017. In the moment they won, there was a feasible path that could’ve seen multiple Super Bowl appearances to follow. We haven’t seen that yet and in the fast an ever-moving NFL, Philly is losing ground with contenders at a fast rate.
In the lastest from The Ringer, those questions are starting to be asked.
“Disappointing and frustrating are apt descriptors for the 2019 Eagles, especially when you consider where this franchise was the last time it played New England. Philly finished off one of the most improbable championship runs in NFL history in Super Bowl LII by dropping 41 points on the Pats with backup quarterback Nick Foles under center. That 2017 roster was deep enough to overcome a season-ending injury to MVP front-runner Carson Wentz and bring home a championship, and, as (Doug) Pederson raised the Lombardi Trophy that night in Minneapolis, it seemed like the start of a multiyear reign over the rest of the NFC. So far, though, that dominance hasn’t materialized.”
Wentz Wilting?
The seeming instances of a declining or plateaued Carson Wentz are showing signs of life this season. After a spectacular 2017 season that had him on the brink of an MVP with 33 touchdown passes before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. Since then, Wentz has been just ok with 21 touchdowns in 11 games last season.
This season, through 10 games we see Wentz with just 16 passing touchdowns and in Sunday’s game vs. New England he struggled to gain traction in a game that was there for Philly’s taking.
In defense of Wentz, it’s not all on him (I’ll discuss the receivers later) but it is apparent that Wentz’s slide is noticeable and a former Eagle is speaking up on it and telling people to chill.
City of Brotherly Love comes through.
In the second half of a New Jersey high school football game, gunshots were fired as the stadium furiously and quickly cleared out. The game was postponed but the Eagles organization has stepped in and they will open up the doors to Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday night in a game that will be closed to the public.
