Russell Wilson, Seahawks Beat Struggling Carson Wentz, Eagles to Move to 9-2

With the weather creating adverse conditions and the Philadelphia Eagles defense locking in, the Seattle Seahawks needed their defense to put together a vintage performance.

They got the job done.

The Seahawks forced four Carson Wentz turnovers and got just enough production from their offense to pull off a 17-9 win over the Eagles on Sunday.

Russell Wilson looked anything but his MVP-caliber self, throwing for a disappointing 200 yards and tossing a pick for the second straight week. Rashad Penny picked up the slack with a career-best outing, rushing for 129 yards, 58 of which came on a game-sealing touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks could move into first place in the NFC West if the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Green Bay Packers later Sunday night.

Notable Stats

Seahawks

QB Russell Wilson: 13-of-25, 200 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (3 CAR, 15 YDS)

RB Rashaad Penny: 14 CAR, 129 YDS, 1 TD

RB Chris Carson: 8 CAR, 26 YDS (4 REC, 31 YDS)

WR Tyler Lockett: 1 REC, 38 YDS

Eagles

QB Carson Wentz: 33-of-45, 256 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT

RB Miles Sanders: 12 CAR, 63 YDS (3 REC, 23 YDS)

TE Zach Ertz: 12 REC, 91 YDS, 1 TD 

Seahawks Look Like NFC Favorites

Long one of the NFL's most feared teams when backed with the 12th Man, the Seahawks have been the NFL's best road team this season. Sunday's win brings Seattle to 6-0 in away games, including each of the past two weeks.

Four of those wins have been decided by one score, a fact that can easily be interpreted one of two ways. The series of close victories would, in theory, signal a mean regression is coming at some point in the not-too-distant future. One of the most basic tenants of statistical football analysis is that one-score games are essentially coin flips; things can only come up heads so many times.

On the other hand, the Seahawks have one of the best two or three quarterbacks in football. They've found ways to triumph in a series of adverse conditions. Wilson has 21 fourth-quarter comebacks since entering the NFL; there might not be a quarterback in the NFL you'd want more in a crunch-time situation.

Seattle was seemingly consigned to playing through the postseason on the road before upending the 49ers two weeks ago. With San Francisco having a trio of Green Bay-Baltimore-New Orleans upcoming, the Seahawks could put themselves in commanding position in the NFC West. 

The Eagles Have a $128 Million Problem at QB

OK, let's get the excuses out of the way. The Eagles are decimated at the skill positions. Their wide receiver depth chart was a who's who of "Who?" Sunday. Nearly 33-year-old DeSean Jackson is the only wideout on the roster who can stretch down the field, and he can't stay healthy.

The playcalling has, for the most part, been lacking. Eagles coach Doug Pederson might need to take a long look at himself after this season and cede the play-calling duties.

That said, Wentz was awful all game long. He missed wide-open targets, threw windows with no possibility of a completion and fumbled the ball seemingly at will. The Eagles defense played well enough to beat a Super Bowl contender, and Wentz failed to deliver.

At various points, there has been too much blame foisted on Wentz this season. The Eagles offensive talent essentially forces him into being a checkdown machine. When defenses know they can't be beaten over the top, those underneath windows are nonexistent. The concept of short slants turning into big plays seems almost foreign at this point.

But Wentz has regressed in nearly every statistical category, and he doesn't pass the franchise quarterback eye test at this point. 

What's Next? 

The Seahawks host the Minnesota Vikings next Monday. The Eagles travel to Miami to play the Dolphins.