Russell Wilson Hasn't Played Like Superman Lately
That Superman cape Russell Wilson wore the first five weeks of the season is no longer there.
Maybe it’s in the laundry, or getting dry cleaned, or maybe the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback is just mortal, after all.
After the first five weeks of the season, MVP talk swirled around Wilson. He was on a trajectory to be the runaway winner of the first most valuable player award of his career, with 19 touchdown passes to just three interceptions as Seattle raced to a 5-0 record.
Wilson is still in the MVP conversation, but his play the past five games has allowed others such as Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger to slip into that talk.
The Seahawks (7-3), who visit Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night to play the Eagles (3-6-1), are 2-3 in the last five games.
The Eagles have never beaten Wilson in four tries, including two cracks at it last year that ended in 17-9 losses in the regular season and playoffs.
In Seattle's last five games, however, Wilson has been vulnerable to the turnover and sack.
He has thrown seven picks, all seven came in the three losses in that pan, with him throwing just five TDs in those defeats.
For the season, Wilson has been sacked 33 times. In the last five games, he has gone down 18 times with 13 coming in the last three games.
So, how do the Eagles beat Wilson for the first time ever?
Simple, sack him, and intercept him.
“I think that’s kind of how we have to go into this game,” said linebacker Alex Singleton. “We have to get the ball to the offense as much as we can. To take advantage of opportunities as well.
“Obviously, you see him scramble a lot. He makes a lot of plays. I think for seven weeks he made a ton of plays, so it’s just kind of being opportunistic and making the plays that come to you and sometimes taking advantage of good opportunities.”
It’s not that simple with this Eagles team. Nothing has been, and certainly intercepting passes has been a challenge.
The defense has just three interceptions. Their cornerbacks, including starters Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox, don’t have any.
The picks have come from Singleton, a linebacker, and safeties Rodney McLeod and Jalen Mills.
“I think he’s just a gamer,” said linebacker T.J. Edwards about Wilson. “A guy who, when his team needs a big play, he’s going to make something happen. Just with the weapons he has, the deep threats, just some kind of all over the field, you have to know where everyone is at, you have to know down and distance, know when he’s going to try to take a shot or check it down. He definitely is going to keep you on your toes.”
The Eagles are good at sacking the quarterback, piling up 34 of them, second-most in the league behind the Steelers’ 38 entering Week 12.
Sixteen different Eagles have earned at least a half-a-sack.
Their top sacker, Brandon Graham, however, hasn’t had one in two straight games and is stuck at seven.
Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett are tied for second on the team with 4.5 each with Josh Sweat right behind them with four.
“We got a guy right now who’s playing at an MVP caliber right now,” said Mills about Wilson. “We all know that offense, really that whole team, starts and finishes with him. Our biggest task right now is limiting him making big plays, whether it’s the pass or with his legs, because he’s been doing it in this league for a very, very long time, and finding ways to get turnovers to give the offense as many possibilities to score.”
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