Eagles beat writers make their predictions for the Seahawks game in Week 15

The Eagles visit the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. Here are our beat writers’ game predictions.

The Eagles (10-3) and Seahawks (6-7) enter Monday night’s matchup with a combined six-game losing streak. The advanced numbers say Geno Smith is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league in third-down success rate, while the Eagles rank last in third-down defense. Something is bound to give.

Despite the cross-country flight, this seems like a get-right game for the Eagles, who still have championship aspirations. Last week’s embarrassing defeat to the Dallas Cowboys was somewhat of an anomaly for the group’s top offensive stars: quarterback Jalen Hurts, and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — all of whom critically fumbled in Dallas territory. Coordinator Brian Johnson might need to shake some things up with his sequencing and coach Nick Sirianni would be wise to implement an extra dose of pre-snap motion into the offensive scheme. The Eagles don’t want to become too reliant on their pure star power and talent, but the unit has a proven ability to win individual matchups, and it’ll be looking to gain that winning feeling again on the West Coast.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Nick Sirianni still confident in his coordinators and in-game management

At this point, it feels as if the Eagles need to score 30-plus points to keep up with a majority of their opponents. Aside from being horrid on third down and also in the red zone, the defense hasn’t shown much consistency since late October. Recently-added linebacker Shaquille Leonard could be due for his first start with fellow linebacker Zach Cunningham out with a knee injury. The secondary also has suffered from communication issues. Despite Geno Smith’s poor production on third down, the Seahawks possess a capable group of weapons led by wideouts DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Veteran cornerback Darius Slay is out, and that could mean more run for rookies Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo.

Seattle always presents a challenging environment. With the playoffs scheduled to arrive in exactly one month, the Eagles have their backs against the wall as they attempt to maintain their footing among the conference’s top contenders. It’s difficult to imagine this team dropping three consecutive games. Both teams might be entering Monday on a losing streak, but the guess here is the Seahawks continue their skid, while the Eagles bounce back with a needed victory.

Prediction: Eagles 30, Seahawks 27

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Darius Slay out vs. Seahawks following arthroscopic knee surgery

After opening the season 6-3, the Seahawks have lost their last four. Their last three losses have come against the San Francisco 49ers (twice) and the Cowboys — teams the Eagles have also fallen to in their current two-game losing streak. Quarterback Geno Smith was sidelined last week with a groin injury and is questionable to play, but his return could buoy Seattle’s chances on Monday night and their decreasing odds of squeaking into the playoffs.

When Smith’s under the center, the Seahawks’ have the 11th-ranked dropback offense in the NFL. He has three top-notch receivers to target, the best being Metcalf, who has been on a heater of late. He has 23 catches for 410 yards and five touchdowns in his last five games. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound receiver is freakishly athletic — he has the fastest clocked speed (22.23 mph) in the league this season — and should draw extra attention from the Eagles’ beleaguered secondary. The loss of Slay, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week, couldn’t come at a worse time. While Slay got torched the last time he was matched up against Metcalf in 2020, the drop-off from the veteran to any one of the three youngsters that will replace him — Ringo, Josh Jobe, and Ricks — is significant.

How the Eagles will handle this three-headed monster could depend on the new guy calling plays on defense. Sean Desai was stripped of his play-calling duties and pretty much any authority he had for senior assistant Matt Patricia this past week — a shocking move that was made public on Sunday. Maybe Patricia will have James Bradberry travel with Metcalf, but he has been a liability this season and the Eagles also have the nifty Lockett and rookie slot receiver Smith-Njigba to worry about. Maybe Patricia has something else up his sleeve.

But the Eagles obviously felt a greater change needed to be made. Desai’s unit hit its nadir after allowing 75 points in the last two games. The defense had suddenly struggled to stop the run, which had placed additional stress upon its NFL-worst third down defense. What had been perhaps most disconcerting is that the Eagles have the lowest third-down sack rate. The defense’s snap count has jumped in the last month and the pass rushers could be tiring. Youngsters Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis didn’t have a quarterback hit in the last four games, and edge rusher Josh Sweat didn’t have a sack over that same time period. Seattle’s offensive line is suspect, so this meeting could provide an opportunity for the Eagles pass rush to break out of its doldrums.

» READ MORE: How the Eagles’ secondary sizes up the Seahawks three-pronged receiving attack

The same could be said for the struggling Eagles offense. The Seahawks’ defense ranks 27th in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA), 26th in expected points added (EPA), and is almost as bad as the Eagles on third and fourth downs (ranked 30th in EPA). Coach Pete Carroll had long been known for his 4-3 under, Cover 3-heavy defense, but he altered his scheme some when he brought in Clint Hurtt as defensive coordinator last year, along with Desai as a senior assistant. Carroll’s base coverage is still Cover 3, but he doesn’t disguise that zone with as much man coverage. In fact, no other defense in the NFL plays as much zone as the Seahawks. I think this should play into the Eagles’ hands.

There’s been a lot of talk about the predictability of Sirianni’s offense this past week, but the same criticism could apply to Seattle’s defense. So why doesn’t Hurtt switch up his defense more? Well, for one, he doesn’t have great personnel. Linebacker Bobby Wagner can still get things done, but he’s not the Wagner of old. Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon is a stud in the Seattle secondary, but Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs are among the worst tackling safeties in the NFL. The Seahawks’ suspect run defense could compel Sirianni and Johnson to call running back D’Andre Swift’s number more often, but the Eagles should have downfield advantages with receivers Brown and DeVonta Smith. Despite their miscues last week, both are threats against almost any passing defense.

This past week was gut-check time for the Eagles. I thought they would show more resilience at Dallas, but the defense just didn’t rise to the occasion and the offense had three turnovers in Cowboys territory. Despite the 20-point loss, I didn’t feel that bad about the offense after watching the film. There were mistakes and Hurts forced a few throws. But I think they can get back on track even at difficult Lumen Stadium. I’m not as confident about the defense, although a new play-caller could provide a spark. I see the offensive productivity returning, which should help keep the defense off the field, and that’s why I’m picking the Eagles to bounce back in a high-scoring affair. If they lose — and Hurts’ illness, Slay’s absence and the on-the-surface panic move to supplant Desai has me teetering close to predicting as much — get ready for another week of doom and gloom.

Prediction: Eagles 34, Seahawks 31

» READ MORE: Sean Desai stripped of Eagles defensive play-calling duties for Matt Patricia

It seems like the entire city of Philadelphia is reeling after the Eagles dropped two consecutive ugly games to NFC juggernauts in the 49ers and the Cowboys. The Eagles apparently are, too, underscored by their replacing of Desai with Patricia as defensive play-caller. But the sky isn’t falling (yet) — the 10-3 Eagles still control their own destiny in the NFC East. The No. 1 seed in the conference, however, depends on how the 49ers fare in their remaining games.

So, the playoff picture will start to materialize with the Eagles’ upcoming road matchup against the Seahawks, who have lost their last four games to the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers, the Cowboys, and the 49ers again. Aside from this most recent stretch of games, the Seahawks offense has performed decently well with quarterback Geno Smith at quarterback. He has a trio of talented receivers at his disposal, in Metcalf, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba, who account for the vast majority of his targets (62.1%). Together, if Smith (groin) is healthy enough to go, they will pose yet another daunting task for the embattled Eagles secondary. Plus, the Eagles are missing Slay (knee surgery) and will rely on the rookie Kelee Ringo to start in his place, according to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.

While the Eagles defense has struggled mightily in their last few games, conceding 36.3 points per game (No. 31 in the league), the Seahawks are right there with them, allowing 33.3 points per game in their last three (No. 30). They are particularly susceptible to getting gashed in the run game, allowing 17 rushing touchdowns this season (No. 29) and 4.4 yards per attempt (No. 24). The Eagles have been trying to run the ball in their last couple games, but haven’t been all that efficient, highlighted by their 46 rushing yards on 18 runs against the 49ers.

Before the season started, I circled this game as a loss for the Eagles, seeing as it was coming on the heels of a difficult road matchup against the Cowboys. Earlier this week, I had a hard time seeing the Eagles drop three consecutive games despite their recent offensive and defensive woes. If Hurts, who is questionable to play with an illness, is unable to go, I don’t think the Eagles offense can compensate for their struggling defense. If he can play, I think the Eagles still have a chance. Seeing as he’s still expected to play as of Sunday afternoon, I’m sticking with an Eagles win.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Seahawks 24

» READ MORE: Eagles right guard Cam Jurgens misses second straight practice; Sua Opeta takes reps in his place

In the interest of full disclosure, my initial assessment of this game was far different going into Sunday morning.

I originally viewed this as a “get-right” game for the Eagles, who seemed poised to reverse course after two ugly losses at the hands of the 49ers and Cowboys. Sunday’s developments, from Hurts’ worsened illness to the upheaval on the defensive coaching staff, make me far less confident.

» READ MORE: Sean Desai’s demotion shouldn’t be that surprising. But will the move work out for the Eagles?

At least on the field, this team has showcased a certain level of resilience so far this season, but Monday’s game could be an inflection point. Considering the surprise switch to Patricia as defensive play-caller, it’s fair to wonder if there’s a panic setting in with this group as things start to unravel.

Perhaps the Eagles will have the resilience to stave off the Seahawks, who will be desperate in their own right after losing four straight. Or perhaps the defensive woes that got Desai demoted will continue to persist against a talented Seahawks wide receiver trio that figures to give the Eagles’ hobbled secondary fits.

With Slay sidelined, Ringo could be in for a baptism by fire taking coverage snaps against Metcalf, Lockett, or Smith-Njigba. Ringo is big enough and fast enough to stick with Metcalf, but it’s still quite a tall task for the fourth-round rookie.

The Eagles have advantages at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which very well may be the difference in the game, especially if Hurts is unable to play through illness. Even if Hurts is available, the Eagles shouldn’t rely on his out-of-structure playmaking ability as heavily as they have in recent weeks. He’ll likely be less than 100% and Johnson may need to call the game with that in mind, which could mean more running plays.

Defensively, getting to the quarterback, whether it’s a hobbled Geno Smith or backup Drew Lock, will be the difference. Can the defensive front break out of its slump and affect the quarterback more on key third downs?

Before Sunday, I thought the Eagles would beat Seattle in a shootout. Unless Patricia has been harboring the secrets to unlocking the Eagles’ secondary all along, the defense will likely continue giving up big numbers. Before Hurts’ illness, there was reason to believe the offense would be able to keep pace, but I’m not so sure now.

Prediction: Seahawks 31, Eagles 24

The Eagles will visit the Seattle Seahawks in a Monday Night Football showdown. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lumen Field in Seattle.