Seahawks put NFC on notice
The Seattle Seahawks made a statement on Sunday night, pounded the Philadelphia Eagles by a 24-10 count at CenturyLink Field before a national audience.
Seattle, which was an underdog at home for the first time in Russell Wilson’s career, was able to topple the previously one-loss Eagles. Philadelphia was in firm control of the conference’s top seed, having not lost since Week 2. Now, after a loss to the Seahawks, the Eagles have to take on the Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum come next weekend.
We already know the Eagles are going to win the NFC East and be in the playoffs. Seattle isn’t assured of that luxury yet, only sitting in the conference’s top wild card spot. As the No. 5 seed, the Seahawks would currently draw the New Orleans Saints in the postseason’s first weekend.
Yet there is ample reason to believe the Seahawks could improve their playoff positioning. Seattle is only one game back of the Rams in the NFC West. It already has a victory over Los Angeles in California back in Week 5. Seattle will get the Rams in its building come Week 15. That could determine playing in the Emerald City come playoff time, and hitting the road.
Super Bowl Threat
So many people have already counted out the Seahawks because of injuries. Seattle lost Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor to season-ending injuries in November. Sherman tore his Achilles tendon and Chancellor went down with a neck ailment. Still, this is a proud group with a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, ranging from Earl Thomas, K.J. Wright, Michael Bennett and Bobby Wagner to Sheldon Richardson, Doug Baldwin, Jimmy Graham and Russell Wilson.
And of all Seattle’s stars, Wilson is really the key here. Wilson has fantastic stats, but it’s not about the numbers with him. He continually keeps plays alive by scrambling behind the line of scrimmage before unloading deep down the field, saving Seattle from its horrendous offensive line. Wilson hasn’t been talked about much in the MVP race. Behind Tom Brady, there might not be anybody more valuable to his team than the former University of Wisconsin star.
All told, Seattle has been laying in the weeds all season. Injuries threatened to derail the Seahawks, but here we are in the midst of December, and they remain a viable threat to go to the Super Bowl. In a year marked by parity, Seattle once again has to be counted as a dangerous foe, something that the rest of the NFCÂ has to be fretting over.
