The 2023 season is still not a lost one for the Seattle Seahawks. I know some 12s might have given up because even if Seattle makes the playoffs, they would likely lose in their first game, right? Plus, winning the rest of the year means the 2024 first-round draft pick is only going to drop and many 12s want the pick to be higher.
Logically, I understand the reasoning for Seattle not making the playoffs. But emotionally, and that is what being a fan is all about really, Seattle making the postseason, whether they lose their first game or not, would be great. Plus, any team has a puncher's chance once on the playoffs.
But a big step toward making the postseason would be Seattle defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football at Lumen Field in Week 15. The Eagles are 10-3, though losers of two straight, and Seattle is 6-7, losers of four straight. Let's hope Seattle is the one to break the losing streak, though. Here are three things I think will happen on Monday.
Prediction No. 1 - Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf has a massive game
The Seahawks and Eagles have not played each other since 2020. Metcalf has faced off against Philadelphia three times in his career, including the 2019 playoffs. In Metcalf's first game against Philly in 2019, he had just 3 catches for 35 yards. But in the next two games, he exploded. During the 2019 Wild Card game, Metcalf had 7 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. During the 2020 regular season, Metcalf had 10 catches for 177 yards , with a long of 52, but somehow did not score a touchdown.
Maybe there is just something about those Eagles uniforms that Metcalf likes. Of course, in the past three seasons, both teams have made lots of changes, and the Eagles have improved quite a bit while the Seahawks have mostly been resigned to being mediocre. But Metcalf is still capable of greatness, especially against an Eagles team that has been prone to giving up explosive plays through the air in recent weeks.
Since Week 6, Philadelphia has allowed the eighth-most explosive passing plays in the NFL with an average of 2.3 pass plays allowed of 20-plus yards a game. Not even the Seahawks have allowed that much. If Seattle is going to win, they have to get Metcalf involved early and keep feeding him the ball. A long touchdown or two could prove to be the outcome of the game.