Seahawks 2020 Opponent Breakdown: Eagles
Though the process was delayed a bit compared to a normal year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the NFL finally released official 2020 schedules in early May.
Set to travel more miles than any other team this season, the Seahawks will play out of conference games against the AFC East, non-divisional games against the NFC East, and six divisional games. In addition, they'll face two non-common opponents from the NFC North and NFC South.
Preparing for the new campaign, we will be dissecting each of Seattle's upcoming opponents over the next several weeks. Deep into the second half of the schedule, the Seahawks will travel to Philadelphia for the third time in a calendar year for a prime time battle against the talented Eagles in Week 12.
Philadelphia Eagles
2019 Record: 9-7, First in NFC East
Last Meeting with Seahawks: 17-9 loss in 2019 Wild Card round
Following the same recipe from an earlier regular season matchup that finished with the same final score, the Seahawks were able to narrowly edge an injury-battered Eagles squad in a defensive slugfest. After trading field goals, Marshawn Lynch powered his way through multiple tacklers to fall into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown, giving Seattle a 10-3 lead at halftime. Philadelphia responded with a strong opening drive in the third quarter behind backup quarterback Josh McCown, trimming the deficit back to four. Moments later, Russell Wilson found a diving DK Metcalf for a 53-yard touchdown strike, pushing the lead back to 11. McCown made a valiant effort trying to will his team to a comeback win, but Seattle's defense held firm for a pair of fourth down stops in the fourth quarter to secure the playoff victory.
Season in Review: Viewed as one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the NFC prior to the start of the season, injuries quickly decimated the Eagles, who limped out of the gate to a 3-4 start. With players continuing to drop like flies and land on injured reserve by week, three straight losses to the Patriots, Seahawks, and the lowly Dolphins gave them a 5-7 record with four games left to play. Against all odds, Carson Wentz stepped up his game playing without his top two receivers in Alshon Jeffery and Desean Jackson, leading Philadelphia to four consecutive victories against divisional foes to close out the season, helping them edge Dallas for the NFC East crown.
Key Additions: WR Marquise Goodwin, DT Javon Hargrave, CB Darius Slay, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman
By the end of the season, Wentz found himself throwing to former practice squad receivers such as Greg Ward Jr., making it a position of huge need this offseason. Among several moves made to upgrade the receiving corps, the Eagles swapped sixth-round picks with the 49ers to acquire the speedy Goodwin. Defensively, the organization was aggressive upgrading the defensive line and secondary, signing Hargrave to a three-year, $39 million contract to bolster the interior and trading third and fifth-round picks to the Lions for a former First-Team All-Pro cornerback in Slay. In addition, Philadelphia quickly upgraded at nickel corner by signing Robey-Coleman.
Key Departures: RB Jordan Howard, T Halapoulivaati Vaitai, CB Ronald Darby, S Malcolm Jenkins
Dealing with injuries for most of his lone season in Philadelphia, Howard departed in free agency to sign with Miami, creating a void behind Miles Sanders in the backfield. After making spot starts in recent seasons, Vaitai took a multi-year contract with Detroit with hopes of becoming a full-time starter for the first time. The loss of Darby isn't near as significant after trading for Slay, especially considering his issues staying healthy, but losing Jenkins to the Saints will hurt from a leadership and production standpoint. It's also worth noting the Eagles will be without Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks, who recently tore his Achilles and will miss the 2020 season.
Notable 2020 Draft Picks: WR Jalen Reagor, QB Jalen Hurts, LB Davion Taylor
One of the most electric receivers in a loaded draft class at the position, Reagor should immediately provide Wentz with a dynamic play maker who can take the top off of defenses and also create chunk plays after the catch. There's also a chance he could be a factor in the return game for the Eagles as well. The decision to draft Hurts drew the ire of many draft experts and fans, but given Wentz's lengthy injury history, adding another quality young quarterback to the mix makes a lot of sense. Though a raw talent, Taylor possesses rare athleticism as a former track star at the linebacker spot and eventually could be a starter on Philadelphia's defense.
Prognosis: On paper, the Eagles should have one of the best teams in the NFC after upgrading on both sides of the football with the additions of Reagor, Hargrave, and Slay. Anything less than a double-digit win season would be deemed a disappointment, but as last year showed, the team must be able to stay healthy to reach their full potential and the fact they already lost Brooks had to be deflating. Still, if Wentz can avoid the injuries that have plagued him throughout his career to this point and his young receivers develop quickly alongside Jeffery, Jackson, and Zach Ertz, Doug Pederson's squad should be in contention for not only a second straight division title, but also one of the top seeds in the conference. Assuming they are far healthier than the two matchups from last year, this will rank among the Seahawks toughest road contests in 2020.
