It's remarkable what a win can do for the outlook of a football team.
And shutting down the league's top offense in the process doesn't hurt either.
The Eagles' season went from swiftly approaching dire straits to right in the thick of the wild card race with their convincing 24-15 win over the explosive Falcons in Week 10. Now the Birds (5-4) will look to make it two straight on Sunday as they head into the always-boisterous CenturyLink Field for a showdown with the Seahawks (6-2-1).
Seattle, winners of two straight, is coming off an impressive 31-24 win over the Patriots in Foxborough last Sunday night.
The last time these two teams met was in 2014, when the Seahawks captured a 24-14 win over the Mark Sanchez-led Eagles at the Linc.
To learn more about the current state of this year's Seahawks, here's what they're saying about the Eagles' Week 11 opponent.
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Better days ahead for running game
In their 31-24 win over the Patriots on Sunday night, the Seahawks' offense pieced together their best rushing performance since Week 3 by gaining all of 96 yards on the ground against New England. In the five games prior, Seattle's highest rushing output was 74 yards.
Despite leading-rusher Christine Michael's release earlier in the week, things are actually looking up for a Seattle run game that currently sits 30th in the league at 77.7 yards per game.
Rookie C.J. Prosise flashed some potential both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield with 153 yards total yards from scrimmage against the Pats. While Prosise is expected to get the bulk of the carries, the Seahawks will welcome back Thomas Rawls on Sunday as well. Following a strong end to 2015, Rawls entered the season as the lead back before suffering an injury to his fibula in Week 2.
According to Larry Stone of The Seattle Times, the combination of Prosise's emergence, Rawls' return and Russell Wilson's overall health continuing to improve should help open up an otherwise one-dimensional Seahawks offense.
"Suddenly the prospects for the Seahawks’ offense are rising," Stone wrote. "Not only did Prosise show he can make an impact, but Thomas Rawls finally might be back next week from his broken fibula, which has sidelined him the past seven games. As Wilson begins to move around with more vigor — and to avoid a rush Sunday he unveiled one vintage spin move that had been locked away in storage — the entire offense will open up commensurately. The pressure on a developing offensive line will be eased as well."
Only getting stronger
The Seahawks have survived injuries to several key players this season, starting with their superstar quarterback Russell Wilson, who hasn't missed a game despite suffering a sprained right ankle, sprained left MCL and a right pectoral injury through Seattle's first nine games.
As previously mentioned, the Hawks are expecting to have Thomas Rawls back this weekend and are hoping top pass-rusher Michael Bennett will be back on the field in the coming weeks.
According to Joel Gunderson of CSN Northwest, the Seahawks have already put themselves in a formidable position at 6-2-1 and will only get stronger as Wilson's health improves and Rawls and Bennett return to the lineup.
"Sometimes injuries unsettle a team," Grunderson wrote. "They’re not prepared to deal with change, or they lack the depth necessary. But Seattle has done the opposite; they’re 6-2-1, they’ve gone into New England and toppled Tom Brady and now, just in time for the home stretch, they’re deeper, more confident, and set to welcome back the remaining stars to the fold."
Doug Baldwin a threat over the top
For as stout as the Eagles' defense has been overall this season, the secondary has been susceptible to deep passes over the top. This was evident in the Birds' win over the Falcons, where the only real blemish on the defense's performance was a 76-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Taylor Gabriel.
Despite having the seventh-best pass defense this season holding teams to 222.4 yards per game through the air, the Eagles are tied for tenth for the most passes of 20-plus yards allowed (32) and tied for eighth for most passes of 40-plus yards against (seven).
The Seahawks possess the league's No. 11 passing offense and have a few weapons who can stretch the field, headlined by Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham.
Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com listed six Seattle players to watch on Sunday and had Baldwin down as Seahawk to watch on offense.
Baldwin leads Seattle's receiving corps in receptions (50), yards (629) and touchdowns (5). While he does most of his damage in the intermediary passing game (averaging 12.6 yards per catch), Baldwin is a threat downfield as well.
"He and tight end Jimmy Graham are Wilson’s favorite targets," Kapadia wrote. "Baldwin is an outstanding route runner and does most of his damage from the slot. Since Week 10 of last season, he has 17 touchdown receptions, more than any other receiver in the NFL. Baldwin is effective on third down and is often used in the short and intermediate parts of the field. But he’ll test the Eagles downfield as well. Baldwin’s eight catches of 20-plus yards this season are the most on the team."
Predictions
The Seahawks seem to really be hitting their stride and Russell Wilson is 31-5 in his career at CenturyLink Field, making it no surprise that Seattle is heavily favored in this one.
ESPN: Eight of nine experts picked the Seahawks
FOX Sports: All five experts picked the Seahawks
CBS Sports: All eight experts picked the Seahawks
The Seattle Times: All four experts picked the Seahawks
