Russell Wilson, Seahawks Beat Eagles Amid Carson Wentz Injury; Will Play Packers

The Seattle Seahawks advanced to the NFC Divisional Round after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9 on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Despite a number of injuries to key players, the Eagles reeled off four straight wins to end the regular season and overtake the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East crown. The buildup to Wild Card Weekend provided little respite as Fletcher Cox, Zach Ertz, Miles Sanders and Lane Johnson were all either limited in practice or out altogether earlier in the week.

Philadelphia finally ran out of gas as the offense totaled 282 yards against the Seahawks. Carson Wentz exited the game in the first quarter with a head injury and didn't return. Josh McCown entered as his replacement.

Russell Wilson connected with DK Metcalf for the night's biggest play. The rookie wide receiver got behind the Eagles secondary and hauled in a deep pass for a 53-yard touchdown that put Seattle ahead 17-6 with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

This game closes a dramatic opening weekend to the NFL playoffs after the first three games—two of which went to overtime—were all decided by one score.

Notable Performers

• Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: 18-of-30, 325 yards, one touchdown; nine carries, 45 yards
• Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks: six carries, seven yards, one touchdown; two receptions, 25 yards
• DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks: seven receptions, 160 yards, one touchdown
• Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks: four receptions, 62 yards
• Josh McCown, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: 18-of-24, 174 yards
• Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: 14 carries, 69 yards; three receptions, eight yards
• Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: seven receptions, 73 yards

Russell Wilson Carries Seahawks Offense

Wilson will likely finish runner-up or worse in the MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson, and it would be hard to argue against Jackson after he put together a historic regular season.

However, Sunday's game was another instance in which Wilson demonstrated his immense value to Seattle. The Seahawks were battling an injury crisis of their own with a threadbare backfield and an offensive line down two of its usual starters, Duane Brown and Mike Iupati.

Time and again, Wilson was flushed out of the pocket and managed to get something positive out of the play.

This kind of reliance on Wilson's playmaking ability is probably unsustainable as the road to Super Bowl LIV grows more difficult. The lack of a running game, in particular, could doom Seattle. Marshawn Lynch and Travis Homer combined for only 19 yards on 17 carries.

Playing in the second game of his return to the Seahawks, Lynch had a limited role yet showed flashes of his old self on a few of his touches throughout the night.

The Seahawks will take the win any way they can get it. Their inability to open a wider lead on the Eagles is concerning, though.

Eagles Unable to Overcome Wentz Injury

Eagles fans probably thought things couldn't get any worse on the injury front. Then Wentz absorbed a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jadeveon Clowney.

He went back to the locker room for further evaluation and was ruled out at the start of the second half. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, McCown became the oldest player (40 years old) to make his playoff debut.

Under the circumstances, McCown performed admirably, but a Nick Foles-like miracle run to the Super Bowl was a bridge too far. Perhaps the Eagles could've made do with McCown under center if they had the rest of their roster healthy.

The true impact of Wentz's injury was apparent when the Eagles crossed midfield and the Seahawks defense had less ground to cover. Back-to-back trips into the red zone during the third quarter ended with field goals, and Miles Sanders couldn't haul in a pass on a 4th-and-4 at Seattle's 24-yard line with 6:24 left in the game.

Philadelphia had one more shot to possibly tie the score after a pass interference on Tre Flowers set the offense up at the 13-yard line. The Seahawks sacked McCown twice over the next four plays, the second of which resulted in a turnover on downs.

Watching your team lose a playoff game is always disappointing. Eagles fans likely resigned themselves to defeat the moment Wentz walked off the field.

What's Next?

The Seahawks will play the Green Bay Packers in the next round. It's the first time the teams have met in the postseason since Seattle's improbable comeback in the 2015 NFC Championship Game. The game will kick off at 6:40 p.m. ET on Jan. 12.