Hawks Flying Into Battle of the Birds

Earl Thomas and the Seattle Seahawks (8-4) are playing their best football of the season, just in time for the most crucial, and most difficult stretch of their schedule.

The Hawks are fresh off two dominating wins: both 19-3 finals against NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. Now, ET III and Co. will look forward to another daunting challenge: the 9-3 Philadelphia Eagles.

Philly has won two straight and four of its last five, while Seattle has won two in a row and five of its last six. While his team is set to take on one of the hottest teams in the league, Earl is confident that, the way the Hawks are playing, they can beat any team in the NFL.

“It’s easy to say what you’re going to do in a meeting, but when it’s time to do it, actions speak louder than words,” Earl said after Thursday’s win over the Niners. “You can tell guys are buying in and guys are playing for each other. That’s so powerful. It’s hard to beat a united team.”

With four games remaining this season, Earl and the Seattle defense have finally hit their stride. No. 29 has eight tackles and a pass deflection in the last two games, but his presence alone has altered opposing offensive gameplans. The two interceptions star cornerback Richard Sherman recorded last week against San Francisco would not have been possible without the relentless pressure from the Seahawks pass rush, as well as Earl patrolling the secondary and stopping the deep pass.

While he has been nothing short of a Pro Bowl safety on the field, ET III’s biggest influence in the team’s resurgence came just three days before the Seahawks dominated the Cardinals, who were the top team in the NFC heading into the game. Earl thought the defense looked uninspired during practice, so he burst into action.

The star safety lit into his teammates, criticizing them for not focusing and challenging them to step their game up, which has since proved to be a turning point in the season. The Hawks defense responded with an almost flawless performance against Arizona, then carried that momentum into San Francisco for another impressive showing.

Now firmly back in the playoff hunt, the Seahawks are looking much more like the team that snuffed out the explosive Denver Broncos offense in the Super Bowl last season as they head to Philly for a showdown between two of the NFC’s powerhouses.

The elite Seattle defense will head across the country to take one of the NFL’s most unique attacks in Philadelphia. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly runs an offense unlike anything else in the league, and both squads know the challenges that will stand on the other side of the field.

Chip: With Earl Thomas, the first thing you see is his speed. Extremely active, extremely physical, hard to trick because he's so smart.

— Eagles Insider (@EaglesInsider) December 3, 2014

This could be a game for @Earl_Thomas to step in front of a pass and take it to the house. A lot of routes across the middle.

— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) December 4, 2014

At a press conference earlier this week, Kelly told reporters that he views the Seattle defense much like Sherman has previously said he views the defense.

“They’ve got really good players doing it,” Kelly said of the Seattle D, “but it’s not like they’re doing anything revolutionary from a coverage standpoint.”

Just like Seattle has the utmost confidence in its defense, Kelly has similar feelings about his offense. The Eagles are second in the NFL in scoring (trailing the Green Bay Packers by just five total points), fifth in passing yards and sixth in rushing yards.

Earl has played the Eagles just once in his career. He tallied six tackles as the Hawks trounced the Vince Young-led Philly team, 31-14.

The Seahawks have had plenty of time to prepare for that unique challenge, as their game against the 49ers came on Thanksgiving. The defense is especially grateful for the three extra days of rest, as the unit has been trying to recover from early-season injuries to linebacker Bobby Wagner, among others.

“Any time you get an extended amount of rest and recovery, I think it’s needed,” Sherman said. “Especially in this league, with how long and grinding these seasons are, I think guys need breaks like this. Especially since we had an early bye, so you don’t get a break for a very long time. Guys needed it and I think we took advantage of it.”

The Seattle defense is about as confident a group as you’ll ever see on a football field, and between that and the extra rest it’s gotten, the whole unit will be ready for the game. The Eagles offense presents a challenge to any defense, but as they’ve proven time and again, Earl and the rest of the defense love a good challenge.

“I don’t think it has anything to it,” Wagner said of the Eagles’ offense. “We’re not worried about it one bit, (at least) me personally. I don’t think they run it any faster than any other teams that run no huddle. It’s just up to us to not let them get in that groove to where we stay on the field a long time and let the no-huddle maybe affect us because it’s long drive after long drive.”