PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-7) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-7)
Thursday, 8:00 P.M. ET, NFL Network, Sirius 93
Why Watch
First and foremost, even if the matchup stinks, Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock might be the very best tandem working in an NFL Broadcast booth (with all apologies to Collinsworth and Michaels). Secondly, if you like train wrecks, surely you’ll love it when two crazy trains go head to head, right?
While Rome burns around him, Andy Reid is far more concerned with wrapping his thick fingers around DeSean Jackson’s throat and squeezing. But with Jeremy Maclin out, DeSean will presumably be let out of the doghouse tonight. He just might bite someone. Meanwhile, if Andy Reid is hiding a mountain of crazy inside a stone-faced facade, Pete Carroll believes in letting it all out. Most of it is crazy optimism, but crazy is crazy, and it has translated into alternating series of truly inspired play and total chaos. The latter reigned in a loss to Washington last week.
What to Watch
Greg Cosell made a startling claim two weeks ago, after watching Vince Young and the Eagles stifle the Giants 17-10. He believes that Vince Young actually ran the Eagles’ offense better, and more efficiently, than Mike Vick. VY followed that win with 400 yards passing in a 38-20 loss to New England, but the old gunslinger still has a dangerously live arm. However, Seattle has a fantastic pair of starting safeties in Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, and a couple of young but ball-hungry cornerbacks in Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman. Young’s patience to work the soft middle will play against his and DeSean’s desire to break off big chunks of yardage at a time.
Who Will Win
Seattle shocked the world two weeks ago by beating Baltimore at home. It may not be quite so shocking if they put down a rapidly self-destructing Philadelphia team, but it will be another big log on the “Fire Andy Reid” media bonfire.
