The Eagles (10-3) are on the road to face the Seahawks (6-7) on Monday Night Football.
To the predictions:
Reuben Frank (11-2)
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I was all set to pick the Eagles Monday night in Seattle, but I decided to switch to the Seahawks after word came down that Darius Slay would miss the game after undergoing knee surgery. His absence will leave a struggling James Bradberry and a young corner or combination of Josh Jobe, Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo to deal with Seattle’s explosive trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who have combined for 2,068 yards and 13 touchdowns. Even with Slay, the Eagles have the 28th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Without him? Geno Smith isn’t Dak Prescott, Josh Allen or Brock Purdy, but he knows how to manage a game. But one thing I’ve learned is no matter what, go with your first instinct, and my first instinct is that the Eagles will go into Seattle and find a way to beat a 6-7 team that’s lost four straight games, is ranked 20th in offense and 28th in defense and is 2-5 vs. winning teams. This is as big a regular-season game as Nick Sirianni has faced since he became Eagles head coach and I’m sticking with my initial instinct.
Eagles 31, Seahawks 27
Dave Zangaro (9-4)
As bad as things have been for the Eagles recently, they’ve been even worse for the Seahawks, who have lost four straight games and five of their last six. This was a team sitting at 6-3 in mid-November before losing to the Rams, 49ers, Cowboys and 49ers again. The Seahawks will likely have Geno Smith and it’s a little scary to face this good trio of receivers without Darius Slay. But even if the Seahawks put up points, the Eagles ought to be able to not just keep pace but out-pace them. The Seahawks are also one of the worst third-down offenses in the NFL, so maybe there’s a chance for the Eagles’ awful third-down defense to finally get off the field.
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The Seahawks have played quality competition recently but their defense hasn’t looked good. They are susceptible in the pass and run games. Even if the Eagles don’t commit to the run in this one, they should have a chance to hit some deep shots against the Seahawks, even with the likely return of Devon Witherspoon. This isn’t an easy game by any means but the Eagles should be able to do enough to leave Seattle with a win in hostile conditions.
Eagles 27, Seahawks 22
Mike Mulhern (11-2)
Nothing like two straight blowout losses to send the fanbase into a free fall. Super Bowl or bust remains the expectation, but I’m not ready to write this team off by any stretch. Monday Night is the Eagles chance to get right against a Seahawks team that has lost four straight games for the first time during Pete Carroll’s tenure. Not having Darius Slay will make it even more difficult to match up with Seattle’s trio of talented receivers and the Eagles ineptitude on third downs has to change immediately. It will once again be on the defensive line to shut down the run and get after the quarterback in passing situations. Josh Sweat has been quieted by some of the best tackles in football the past couple of weeks. He’ll have to make an impact.
Jalen Hurts missed practice Saturday due to illness but should be all systems go come Monday Night. Despite calls for changes in the offense, this Seahawks secondary has some major vulnerabilities. Another heavy dose of deep shots to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith seems likely. I just hope they scheme up extra touches for D’Andre Swift. His role as a pass catcher has been underutilized despite his game-breaking ability.
The gauntlet ends with another win and the Eagles still very much in play for the No. 1 seed.
Eagles 30, Seahawks 20
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