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'MNF' takeaways: Seahawks WRs steal the show in upset win
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches a touchdown pass against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry (24) during the fourth quarter. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

'MNF' takeaways: Seahawks wide receivers steal the show in upset win over Eagles

The Seahawks (7-7) got a massive 20-17 win on "Monday Night Football" over the Eagles (10-4), keeping Seattle's playoff hopes alive while calling into question Philadelphia's Super Bowl aspirations.

Here are our takeaways from the Week 15 finale.

Seahawks wide receivers steal the show: DK Metcalf finished with 78 receiving yards, 58 of which came on Seattle's winning touchdown drive with under two minutes remaining.

He followed an 18-yard reception that got the Seahawks out of the shadow of their endzone with a circus six-yarder on a bobbled reception to move the chains on a second-and-5.

Later, he held on to a 34-yard deep bomb by quarterback Drew Lock after getting drilled by an Eagles defender. 

Not to be outdone, rookie wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba made an outstanding grab on the 29-yard winning score, his longest reception of the game.  

Metcalf, Smith-Njigba and veteran Tyler Lockett form one of the most outstanding wide receiver units in the league, and the two youngest stars in the group were the reason why Lock was able to win his first game as a starter since Dec. 13, 2020.

Eagles offense doesn't look Super Bowl-worthy: Something is missing with Philly's offense. The Eagles (10-4) have coasted through the 2023 season, stacking wins despite never looking as impressive as they did during their run to the Super Bowl last year. Philadelphia had three long scoring drives against Seattle but also had just as many three-and-outs. Facing a third-and-7 with an opportunity to seal the victory, the offense couldn't convert. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completion percentage was eight percentage points below expected. Nothing the Eagles offense did on Monday suggests they're a serious threat for the Super Bowl this season.

Third-down defense continues to haunt Philadelphia: As discombobulated as the offense was for the Eagles, they were ultimately undone by a defense that's been a glaring issue all season. Entering Monday night, Philadelphia was 29th against the pass and had the worst third-down defense in the league. On Seattle's 92-yard winning touchdown drive, Lock's 34-yarder to Metcalf and the touchdown to Smith-Njigba both came on third downs. This is who Philadelphia is. Coaches and players have had all season to fix their issues. It's unrealistic to expect things to finally click over the final three weeks of the regular season and the playoffs after the Eagles failed to figure things out over the first 15 weeks.

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