Eagles at Seahawks
THE STORY: Some dream, eh? The self-labeled "Dream Team" – otherwise known as the Philadelphia Eagles – will travel to the Pacific Northwest to continue their nightmare of a season on Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Despite widely different expectations after last season's playoff appearances, both clubs enter Thursday's prime-time contest with identical – and disappointing – 4-7 marks. After dropping three of its last four games, Philadelphia's rail-thin postseason hopes rest on running the table and receiving a riverboat gambler's share of luck in the process. To add injury to insult, QB Michael Vick (ribs) and WR Jeremy Maclin (shoulder, hamstring) are likely to miss their respective third straight games on Thursday. For its part, Seattle saw its modest two-game winning streak come to an end with a 23-17 home loss to the Washington Redskins.
TV: NFL Network, 8:30 p.m. ET. LINE: Eagles -3, O/U 45.5
ABOUT THE EAGLES (4-7): Vince Young is credited/blamed for bestowing the team with an unneeded nickname in the preseason and saddling it with even loftier expectations. Young started his second straight game in place of Vick and threw for 400 yards in Philadelphia's lopsided 38-20 loss to the New England Patriots. LeSean McCoy, who is the league's leading rusher with 1,050 yards, received just 10 carries last weekend. McCoy will likely see a larger workload against the Seahawks, who do boast the league's 11th-ranked rush defense despite surrendering 108 yards to Roy Helu on Sunday.
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (4-7): QB Tarvaris Jackson isn't lighting up the scoreboard, having averaged just 182.5 yards in his last four contests. During that stretch, Jackson has three touchdowns and six interceptions. He'll likely be without WR Sidney Rice, who suffered his second concussion of the season on Sunday. RB Marshawn Lynch rushed 24 times for 111 yards on Sunday, but Seattle was unable to grind out the clock and watched a 10-point lead evaporate in a loss to the Redskins.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Disgruntled Eagles WR DeSean Jackson was benched in the fourth quarter on Sunday after dropping three passes. Despite his season-long troubles, the two-time Pro Bowler will start on Thursday.
2. Seattle is ranked second in the NFL in total penalties (105). The Seahawks committed just 101 penalties all of last season.
3. Prized offseason acquisition CB Nnamdi Asomugha (hyperextended knee) is also a game-time decision for the ailing Eagles.