Spotlight Game: Seattle at Philadelphia

We will see if Seattle can show some mettle on the road tonight. They come into the City of Brotherly Love to face a desperate Eagles team, whose dreams of returning to the big game are hanging by a thread. Seattle comes in riding a seven-game winning streak, while the Eagles come in after keeping their slim playoff hopes alive with a win over the Packers last week. This could be a battle of the running backs: Shaun Alexander and Brian Westbrook. The Eagles defense will have to contain the duo of Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck in order to come out on top. However, Seattle has lost six of their last seven games on the east coast, and they have not won on Monday Night Football since 1999.

Seattle

Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck has been efficient as usual in steadying this offense. However, with Alexander stealing all of the red-zone touches, owners have been frustrated with Hasselbeck’s lack of big numbers (14 touchdowns in 11 games). Unfortunately for Hasselbeck owners, this trend should continue on Monday night. Philadelphia’s pass defense is ranked 22nd in the league, but these numbers are skewed because of blowouts at the hands of Denver and Dallas (on the road). The fact is, the Eagles defense has been much more stingy at home. The Eagles defense has been formidable at Lincoln Financial Field, and they should have enough to contain Hasselbeck in this game. Hasselbeck will go for 215 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Shaun Alexander: Let’s face it, Alexander will get his yards in this game. The Eagles’ run defense has shown the tendency to get gashed for yards (16th in the league), but remember their performance against LaDainian Tomlinson (not to mention Clinton Portis and LaMont Jordan)? If the Eagles can demonstrate even a fraction of that defensive tenacity, then they have a chance to contain Alexander. The problem is that Alexander, along with his offensive line, has been able to control the tempo of the game. Expect Alexander to get his touches and his usual scores. He will end up with 27-28 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle WRs: With Darrell Jackson out for at least Monday’s game, Joe Jurevicius returns once again to the #1 WR spot. Jurevicius is a tall target, and he has been able to utilize his size against smaller defensive backs. Also, unlike some of Seattle’s wide receivers in the past, Jurevicius is sure-handed and fundamentally sound. These things make up for his lack of speed, which is hardly noticeable when he is on the field. With Jackson out, Jurevicius has become Hasselbeck’s favorite red-zone target. With seven touchdowns on only 44 receptions, Jurevicius has half of Hasselbeck’s passing scores. Expect him to tally 60 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Bobby Engram’s fantasy value shot up after Jackson’s injury, but he has not lived up to the hype. Engram (48 receptions for 541 yards) gets the same amount of looks as Jurevicius, but he has yet to record a score this year. Engram is more of a possession receiver, and he is rarely looked at as a red-zone target or a deep threat. Engram should play this role again. Seven grabs for 65 yards should do it for himm. DJ Hackett and Jerheme Urban usually function as the reserves. They should combine for 25 yards.

Jerramy Stevens: Stevens can usually be counted on for four to five catches per game, but that has not been the case recently. Stevens has had just one reception for 27 yards in his last two games (including a zero-catch performance against New York last week). He should find his way back into the fray this Monday. Expect Stevens to post 45 yards on four grabs.

Defense: The Seahawks have been a solid fantasy option thus far this season because of their tendency to get to the quarterback, but they are an average start here. First of all, Bryce Fisher, who is responsible for 7.5 of the team’s 36 sacks, is questionable. Secondly, going to the east coast to play will not be easy for the Seahawks. I like them to tally one or two turnovers and two to three sacks. Seattle offers a couple of IDP options. One is rookie Lofa Tatupu, who is making a push for Defensive Rookie of The Year in the NFC. With 81 tackles and 3.5 sacks, owners can confidently put Tatupu into their lineups. On the defensive line, Rocky Bernard is also an option with 8.5 sacks. If Mike McMahon goes down to the turf, there is a good chance that Bernard will be there.

Philadelphia

Mike McMahon: McMahon has not been a fantasy star, but he has stabilized this offense. While he is not throwing for a great amount of yards and touchdowns, he has avoided mistakes for the most part. McMahon is there to give this team a chance to win; he is not there to be the team’s savior. I expect him to be efficient once again, as the Seattle pass defense is beatable. However, the offensive line will have to protect him. I see McMahon throwing for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Brian Westbrook: Westbrook has gathered up almost 1200 total yards this year, and he has stepped up his production now that the team is without McNabb. Westbrook is not a prototypical 25-30 carry running back, but he may need to go beyond his usual threshold tonight (especially considering the weather forecast). Not only has Westbrook run for 600 yards this season, but he has also tallied up 56 catches for 578 yards (totaling seven touchdowns). Westbrook should utilize his speed to hit the corners and gain valuable yardage. He should have 23-25 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, and should add 50 yards on six catches.

Philadelphia WRs: This could be the weak point of the Eagles offense. Reggie Brown was a bright spot at first, but he has been inconsistent at best. However, he is still probably their biggest threat at wide receiver in the red zone. Expect him to find his way to 40 yards and a short touchdown catch on four receptions. Greg Lewis is Philadelphia’s Bobby Engram. Lewis has 456 yards on 38 grabs this year, but he only has one touchdown to show for it. Lewis should contribute 30 yards to Philadelphia’s cause.

LJ Smith: Smith could very well become McMahon’s main target throughout this game. With the team’s inconsistencies at wide receiver, Smith could act as the stabilizing force and the main target when McMahon is in trouble (which could be often). Smith should also be McMahon’s main red-zone target outside of Westbrook. Smith should end up with a touchdown on seven catches for 70 yards.

Defense: Philadelphia’s defense has been vastly better at home this season, but that alone does not make them a solid play here. Seattle is a mistake-free offense. Alexander rarely loses the ball, and Hasselbeck is efficient enough in the short to moderate passing game to avoid interceptions. Therefore, expect only one to two turnovers and a sack or two from the Eagles. Your two best IDP options can be found at linebacker and at safety. Jeremiah Trotter and Michael Lewis, with 86 and 71 tackles respectively, should put up respectable numbers. On the defensive line, Jevon Kearse is your best chance for fantasy production with his 30 tackles and six sacks. He should be able to get to Hasselbeck at least once.

Sleeper

Billy McMullen: This may be a sleeper that never wakes up. The fact is, the Eagles need a reliable #3 wide receiver to assist the inexperienced tandem of Greg Lewis and Reggie Brown. McMullen has yet to be this receiver, but the Eagles are hoping that he can come into his own. He has a mere nine catches for 140 yards this season, but the Eagles will need him to step up as the season begins to come to an end. If he can make a key catch or two on Monday, McMahon’s job will become easier.

Matchup to Watch

Brian Westbrook vs. Seattle Defense: Westbrook leads NFL running backs with 5.8 yards from scrimmage per touch. We know that he can excel as a receiver, but he has also been running well as of late. With Mike McMahon entrenched as the starter, the Eagles now rely on Westbrook even more than ever. Expect Westbrook to get his carries, but expect McMahon to chuck the ball down to him as well. If Seattle can contain the main focus of the Philadelphia offense, they could extend their winning streak to eight.

Prediction

The Seahawks have won seven straight, but they have to travel to the east coast for this game. Even though they clinched the NFC West with St Louis’ loss on Sunday, they still have plenty to play for, including a playoff bye and home field advantage in the playoffs. The Eagles, on the other hand, may have to win out to make the playoffs, but they are clinging to hope. I feel that the intangibles are in the Eagles’ favor on Monday night. Even though they have stumbled to a mediocre 5-6 record, the Eagles have been solid at home, posting a 4-1 record at Lincoln Financial Field. This should be a fun game to watch, and viewers should expect snow to be falling throughout. I think that the Eagles could pull the upset here to keep their slim playoff chances alive. Whatever happens in this game, the Seahawks will still find themselves fighting for a first round bye. Philadelphia 24, Seattle 21.

 
Dave McGrath hopes to eventually turn his Communication major into a full-time sportwriting career. He can be found posting as dave416 in the Cafe forums.

 

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