Eagles lose third straight, collapse late as Seahawks’ Drew Lock fires TD pass and Jalen Hurts throws 2 INTs

SEATTLE — For the first time since 2021, the Eagles have dropped three consecutive games.

Despite leading the Seattle Seahawks by 10-3 at halftime at rainy Lumen Field, the Eagles imploded in the second half in a 20-17 defeat. The Seahawks drove 92 yards on 10 plays after the two-minute warning, capped by Drew Lock’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the decisive score.

Now, the Eagles are 10-4, tied with the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the NFC East with three games remaining in the season. Here’s our instant analysis:

Looking for a spark after two consecutive losses, the Eagles named Matt Patricia their defensive play caller, leaving Sean Desai as defensive coordinator in name only. Coach Nick Sirianni took ownership for the decision after the game. The Eagles defense held the Seahawks to a field goal through the first half, as they picked up only five first downs and collected 90 yards of offense.

However, the Seahawks came out for the second half reenergized, particularly on the ground. After collecting 23 net rushing yards in the first half, Seattle exploded for 74 more yards in three possessions. Running back Kenneth Walker led the way all night long, collecting 86 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He notched the Seahawks’ first touchdown of the night on their first drive of the second half, storming downfield for a 23-yard scoring run.

In the fourth quarter, as the Eagles looked to protect their 17-10 lead, inside linebacker Nicholas Morrow stuffed Walked for no gain on third-and-2 at the Eagles’ 30-yard line. But on the following play, the Seahawks opting to go for it on fourth down, cornerback James Bradberry was called for pass interference while defending DK Metcalf.

The flag gave the Seahawks a new set of downs, but defensive tackle Jalen Carter came up big on third down and sacked Lock. As a result, the Seahawks settled for a 43-yard Jason Myers field goal and trailed by four.

But the Seahawks managed to swing the momentum back in their favor. On third-and-10 from their own 37-yard line, Lock connected with Metcalf deep down the right sideline with Bradberry in one-on-one man coverage for a 34-yard gain. Lock picked on Bradberry again later in the drive, completing the ball to Smith-Njigba for the go-ahead touchdown with 28 seconds left.

“Good play by Metcalf,’ Sirianni said. “Good play by Smith[-Njigba]. And good throws by Lock. But we have to help the guys play the call better and we obviously have to execute better.”

Although quarterback Jalen Hurts was downgraded on Sunday to questionable to play as he dealt with an illness, he managed to play through his symptoms. For the first time since Week 9 against the Cowboys, the offense scored a touchdown on the opening drive, as the Eagles took a 7-0 lead on Hurts’ rushing touchdown.

On their first drive of the second half, the Eagles looking to break a 10-10 tie, Hurts threaded an impressive needle to wide receiver DeVonta Smith on third down while rolling out to his right on an RPO. Safety Quandre Diggs had tight coverage on Smith, but Hurts made a leaping throw and the receiver came down with the ball to pick up a first down. The drive ended with a Tush Push touchdown as the Eagles took a 17-10 lead.

With that rushing touchdown, Hurts tied longtime Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 14.

But Hurts struggled in the second half and the game took a turn. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles looking to improve their 17-13 lead, Hurts aired the ball out for wide receiver Quez Watkins in the end zone. However, safety Julian Love picked off the ball, marking Hurts’ 11th interception of the season. Later on, as the Eagles attempted to come back trailing by 20-17, Hurts threw another pick to Love and missed running back Kenneth Gainwell on a wide-open checkdown.

“Just trying to be aggressive in that moment,” Hurts said of the interceptions. “We had multiple opportunities in the game to open it up, and we didn’t do that. I didn’t do that. I didn’t do my job good enough.”

Hurts wasn’t on his A game as a passer throughout much of the night, completing just 54.8% of his throws (17-for-31), his worst completion percentage of the season. He had a 40.1 passer rating.

With starting outside cornerback Darius Slay out for the next several weeks after undergoing knee surgery, rookie cornerback Kelee Ringo filled in for him. Before Monday night, Ringo had taken only 23 defensive snaps, all but one of which came against the Cowboys in Week 14.

The Eagles’ 2023 fourth-round pick out of Georgia, Ringo was tasked with going up against a variety of Seahawks receivers, including the Pro Bowl wide receiver Metcalf. The last time Ringo lined up across from Metcalf, he was 17 years old, working out in the suburbs of Seattle in his native Washington. On the Seahawks’ third series of the night, just after the two-minute warning, Ringo registered his first career pass breakup against Metcalf on second-and-7 in the red zone.

“I’m just being patient and having confidence in myself,” Ringo said. “I feel like through this entire week, I feel like we’ve been able to do that. So, when opportunities come, just being able to seize those moments. You just see things, trust yourself.”

The play helped the Eagles hold the Seahawks to a field goal, maintaining their 10-3 lead at halftime. Ringo wasn’t on the field for all of the defensive snaps, as rookie cornerback Eli Ricks rotated in throughout the night. Ringo finished the night with three tackles and the pass breakup.

In the third quarter, edge rusher Nolan Smith came off the field wincing after tackling Walker. He eventually came out of the sideline tent but went back to the locker room at the start of the next Eagles defensive series. The Eagles said Smith suffered a shoulder injury and he did not return to the game.

In the third quarter, right tackle Lane Johnson appeared to hurt his left ankle after a D’Andre Swift run. Backup Jack Driscoll entered the game in his place. Johnson missed one play — a false start on left guard Landon Dickerson — and returned to action.