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.