Last year, the Eagles also played a Thursday night game in Week 13 coming off a loss when they dispatched the Houston Texans at Lincoln Financial Field 34-24. This time around, the shockingly 4-7 Eagles face a six-hour flight before the Thursday night contest. Waiting for them is a Seahawks team that has also disappointed at 4-7, but will pose a tough test, especially in front of the notoriously loud fans at CenturyLink Field (formerly Qwest Field). The Eagles figure to be led by Vince Young for the third straight game as Michael Vick continues to recover from his two broken ribs. Over his last two starts, Young has combined to throw for 658 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 79.4. Tellingly, Young has only been sacked twice over the past two games as the offensive line has afforded him plenty of time in the pocket. That should continue as the Seahawks rank 28th in sacks per pass attempt. Because of the short week of preparation, the game plan for both teams could be comparatively limited, which could mean more touches for LeSean McCoy, the league's leading rusher.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks, and the rest of the NFC West, are all but eliminated from the division hunt. With only one more win from the San Francisco 49ers, or a Seahawks loss, the Niners will wrap up the division. But the Seahawks have plenty to play for as head coach Pete Carroll continues to overturn the roster and they've impressed this year with wins over the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles' mettle will be tested during the final five games of the season – with only a glimmer of playoff hope remaining, how will the team respond? Those answers begin Thursday night.
Last Time They Met:
November 2, 2008: Eagles 26, Seahawks 7
Having not lost in Seattle since 1995, the 4-3 Eagles traveled westward to face a 2-5 Seahawks team. Philadelphia did not disappoint, responding to a 90-yard touchdown pass to Koren Robinson in the first quarter with 26 straight points in the win. Quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns, including one on a designed pass play to offensive lineman Todd Herremans. Placekicker David Akers scored the team's final 12 points, hitting four consecutive field goals to give the game its only points of the second half. The Eagles outgained the 'Hawks 419 to 233 in terms of total yardage and committed only one penalty on the day.
When The Eagles Have The Ball:
The Eagles will see a face that is familiar lining up for the Seahawks defense on Thursday night in defensive end Chris Clemons. The former Eagle was traded to Seattle along with a fourth-round pick in the 2010 offseason for defensive end Darryl Tapp. Clemons, who leads the Seahawks with 8.0 sacks this season, is a pass rush specialist who lines up at left defensive end, but will also be utilized as a two-point rusher similar to the Joker position he manned when he was with the Eagles. Elsewhere on the defensive line, the Seahawks won't be too worried about LeSean McCoy, the league's leading rusher, in part because of a strong run defense led by defensive tackles Alan Branch and Brandon Mebane. Branch did miss last Sunday's game against Washington with an ankle injury, but reserve Clinton McDonald played well in his place.
At linebacker, the Seahawks play physical and downhill to augment the line in the run defense. David Hawthorne is the middle linebacker and he is also on the field in nickel situations. The Eagles will look to get him in a mismatch since he can be beat in pass coverage. Leroy Hill is the strongside linebacker and he is good in both the run and the pass game. In the secondary, the Seahawks have a good safety tandem with 2010 first-round pick Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Thomas was known for his range and ball skills coming out in the draft last year, but he has arguably been better in run support for the Seahawks this season. Chancellor is getting a rep for illegal hits as he drew personal fouls for hitting a defenseless receiver in two straight games prior to last Sunday's game against Washington.
The Seahawks lost their top cornerback Marcus Trufant to injury earlier this season, but rookie starting cornerback Richard Sherman has been impressive. He is a press corner who is tall at 6-3 and the Seahawks place him in a lot of man coverage. Opposite Sherman is veteran Brandon Browner, who is also tall at 6-3, but has a knack for committing penalties. Despite the team's 4-7 record, the defense has kept the team in games. In the past four games, the defense has not given up more than 23 points in a single contest. In their last two wins, the defense gave up a combined 24 points. Earlier this season, the Seahawks lost a game against Cleveland where they gave up just six points.
When The Seahawks Have The Ball:
After forcing a three-and-out on the first drive last Sunday, the Eagles defense proceeded to allow five touchdowns on the next eight possessions, which also included one field goal and one missed field goal. Of course, the maestro behind those drives was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, one of the best to ever play his position. Tarvaris Jackson, the Seahawks quarterback, has a long way to go before he's mentioned in the same breath as Brady. On the season, Jackson has thrown for 2,065 yards, nine touchdowns, 12 interceptions, a completion percentage of 59.1 and a quarterback rating of 72.8 – 29th among 33 qualifying quarterbacks. The Seahawks running game hasn't fared much better, as lead back Marshawn Lynch ranks 17th in the league with 706 rushing yards to the tune of only 3.9 yards per carry. So it's no wonder that the Seahawks ranks 30th in overall offense and 26th in scoring. And tellingly, they rank 31st in the league in time of possession, so the onus is on the Eagles defense to get the ball back in the hands of the likes of Vince Young, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson.
Defensively, the Eagles could potentially be without two of their top three cornerbacks. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week while Nnamdi Asomugha, who toughed it out in a sub-package role against the Patriots, is fighting through a hyperextended knee, which won't be helped by the short week of preparation. That could mean that Brandon Hughes will make his second consecutive start while Joselio Hanson mans the nickel role inside. As always, any semblance of turnover or turmoil in the secondary puts pressure on the defensive line to pressure the quarterback in passing situations. The Eagles, who at one point led the league in sacks earlier this season, have waned a little bit over the last few games and now rank tied for seventh with 30 sacks on the season. Trent Cole has uncharacteristically gone two games without a sack, so he'll certainly be quarterback-hungry, while his partner in crime Jason Babin, has plenty of motivation to make an impact Thursday – more on that later. Cole, Babin and the rest of the defensive line should have an opportunity to get to Jackson as the Seahawks offensive line, best by several injuries, has allowed a sack on just under 10 percent of their passing plays.
Key Matchups
LDE Jason Babin vs. RT Breno Giacomini
Breno Giacomini has allowed a sack in each of his last three starts this season. Thrust into a starting role two weeks ago after an injury to rookie James Carpenter, the four-year veteran out of Louisville has faced stiff competition. Against the Rams, he lined up across from double-digit sack artist Chris Long, and against the Redskins, he faced dominant rookie Ryan Kerrigan. This week, he'll face another tough challenge. After notching seven sacks in the first four weeks of the season, defensive end Jason Babin has mustered "only" three in the team's last seven games. The ferocious pass-rusher is looking to break his slump, and knows that it would be even sweeter if he could do it against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, who he feels disrespected and mistreated him when he played for them in 2007 and 2008. Giacomini will have his hands full with a motivated Jason Babin lining up in front of him Thursday.
RB LeSean McCoy vs. Seahawk Linebackers
LeSean McCoy is the league's leader in rushing yards, touchdowns, rushing first downs, and total first downs. However, the last three weeks have been tough for the 208-pound back; during that time, he's combined for 296 yards and three touchdowns. For most backs, those numbers would be par for a very fine season. For LeSean McCoy, however, those numbers are a disappointment. He is looking to bounce back from a 61 total-yard, one-touchdown showing Sunday with a big day against the Seahawks. It won't be an easy task, as Seattle has allowed the 11th-fewest rushing yards in the league this season, 100.9 per game. McCoy gains the majority of his yardage outside the tackles and behind Jason Kelce under center, which is where the Seattle run defense is its strongest. Their three starters at linebacker, veterans Leroy Hill and David Hawthorne and rookie K.J. Wright, have combined for 176 tackles and have contributed mightily to their team's solid rush defense. They'll look to key in on McCoy Thursday night, with the Eagles likely missing two key figures in their passing game, quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
Players To Watch
RB Marshawn Lynch
Blessed with breakaway speed, great initial burst, and a superb ability to break tackles, Marshawn Lynch is built like a prototypical NFL lead back. While the six-year veteran has had an up-and-down career in the National Football League, he is back on track this season and is on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards for the third time in his career; the first time since his first and second NFL seasons. The 215-pound back has rushed for 443 yards and has four touchdowns in his last four games. As the Cal-alum would say, he's been in "beast mode" as of late. Fans will remember Lynch as the running back who torched the Saints late in the fourth quarter of a Wild Card playoff game last season, making eight defenders miss en route to a 66-yard, game-winning touchdown.
DE Chris Clemons
Chris Clemons was a forgotten man during his time in Philadelphia. After signing him as a free agent in 2008 from the Oakland Raiders, the Eagles had hoped to refine the shifty end's talents and turn him into a situational pass rusher. The 254-pounder spent two years with the team, 2008 and 2009, and had just 26 tackles and 7.0 sacks in that time (and a notable piledrive block of current teammate Tarvaris Jackson in the playoffs). Since leaving the team to play for head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, Clemons' potential has been realized. He has started each of the Seahawks' 27 games and has posted a team-best 19.0 sacks to go along with 79 tackles in his time with the club. He will line up at left defensive end, across from offensive tackle Todd Herremans, Thursday.
