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Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks shut down soaring Philadelphia Eagles

By Chris Cluff, The Sports Xchange
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) catches a 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson during the first quarter against Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) at CenturyLink Field Sunday in Seattle, Wash. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI
1 of 3 | Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) catches a 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson during the first quarter against Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) at CenturyLink Field Sunday in Seattle, Wash. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo

"Don't sleep on us."

That's what Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright said last week as his underdog team prepared to face the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles, who came to Seattle as the NFL's only 10-win team.

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The Seahawks, who had lost their last two games at CenturyLink Field, certainly were awake Sunday night. Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes and Wright and the Seattle defense held the league's No. 1 offense to a season low in points as the Seahawks won 24-10.

The Seahawks (8-4) ended the Eagles' winning streak at 10 games and put themselves back into playoff position, thanks to the Atlanta Falcons' loss to the Minnesota Vikings earlier in the day. The Eagles (10-2) dropped into a dead heat with the Vikings (10-2) for the top seed in the NFC.

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In the NFC West race, the Seahawks remained a game behind the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), who beat the Arizona Cardinals earlier Sunday. The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 15.

Wilson outdueled Carson Wentz, who led the NFL with 28 touchdown passes but had his streak of games with multiple touchdown passes stopped at seven. Wentz completed 29 of 45 throws for 348 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Wilson hit 20 of 31 for 227 yards and threw scoring passes to tight end Jimmy Graham, Tyler Lockett and running back J.D. McKissic.

Lockett's score put Seattle up 17-3 with 5:42 to play in the third quarter and was set up by a 47-yard pass to Doug Baldwin to the 1 -- it was called a touchdown, but reversed on review.

The Seattle defense came up big against Wentz in the third. With 9:39 left in the quarter, Sheldon Richardson stripped the ball from Wentz's grasp at the 1-yard line as the quarterback tried to score on a run from the 6. The ball bounced out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a touchback.

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The Eagles finally put together a touchdown drive, with Wentz throwing a 27-yard pass to Nelson Agholor to cut the deficit to 17-10 with 12:08 to play.

But Wilson answered with a 73-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard scoring pass to McKissic.

The first half was a tale of two quarters, with Seattle dominating the first and Philadelphia owning the ball for most of the second. However, the Eagles' offense, which entered the weekend No. 1 in scoring in the league, was held without a first-half touchdown for just the second time this season.

The Seahawks flipped the script in the first quarter. The Eagles had owned the period better than any team, leading the NFL with 78 points and allowing just 18. Even so, the Seahawks jumped to a 10-0 lead behind Wilson and a stout defense that clearly took the challenge of facing the league's top offense to heart.

Seattle struck first with a 46-yard field goal by Blair Walsh with 9:47 left in the quarter.

The Seahawks then put together a five-play, 85-yard drive on their third possession, scoring with 10 seconds left in the quarter. Graham recorded his NFL-leading ninth red-zone touchdown, on an 11-yard back-shoulder catch against safety Malcolm Jenkins at the front left pylon. It was the first first-quarter touchdown allowed by the Eagles this season.

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Philadelphia got its running game going in the second quarter, gaining 69 yards on 14 carries. However, the Eagles got just three points out of it, on a 26-yard field goal by Jake Elliott.

NOTES: Among Seattle's inactives were DT Nazair Jones (ankle) and DE Dion Jordan (neck). Jones tweaked his ankle in practice Thursday. Jordan missed his second straight game. ... LB Joe Walker (neck) was inactive for the Eagles after sustaining a stinger in Week 12. Recently signed Dannell Ellerbe became the Eagles' third starting middle linebacker of the season. ... The Eagles signed WR Alshon Jeffery to a four-year, $52 million extension on Saturday. Jeffery, in his first year with the Eagles, came into the game with 43 catches for 619 yards and seven touchdowns. He had four catches for 61 yards Sunday night. ... Eagles QB Carson Wentz led all NFL players in Pro Bowl voting through last week. The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Dec. 19.

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