By Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
PHILADELPHIA —Rashaad Penny is one of the most controversial first-round picks in recent Seahawks history.
But just why the Seahawks wanted to take him where they did —with the 27th overall pick in 2018 —became evident during Sunday’s 17-9 win over the Eagles.
The second-year tailback out of San Diego State had a 26-yard run to set up a field goal in the first half and then a 58-yard touchdown run that gave Seattle a two-touchdown lead.
The win means the Seahawks are 9-2 for just the fourth time in a franchise history that dates to 1976.
The other years they were 9-2 are three of the most storied seasons in franchise history —1984, when Seattle went 12-4, and the Super Bowl seasons of 2005 and 2013.
And aside from Penny’s runs, Seattle depended on a defense that allowed the fewest points it has all season and forced five turnovers, the most this season.
The Eagles kicked a field goal on their second possession, a 28-yarder by Josh Elliott, but then did not score again as the Seattle defense picked up where it left off against the 49ers, also forcing the Eagles to punt four times.
After the Eagles grabbed a 3-0 lead on a drive that went just 28 yards following a 27-yard punt by Michael Dickson into a stiff wind, the Seahawks dominated.
Seattle grabbed the lead for good on a trick play —a 33-yard flea-flicker pass from Russell Wilson to Malik Turner that made it 7-3 with 5:54 to go in the first quarter.
On the play, Turner pretended as if he was blocking, which allowed him to race past safety Rodney McLeod and cornerback Jalen Mills. Wilson’s pass into the open end zone was on target, and Turner caught it as he slid into the back of the end zone for what was his first career touchdown.
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (3) breaks free from Philadelphia Eagles LB Kamu Grugier-Hill during Sunday’s game in Philadelphia. (Tribune News Service)
The Seahawks took a 10-3 lead with 7:13 left in the first half on a 24-yard field goal by Jason Myers that capped an 11-play, 77-yard drive.
But the Seahawks were hoping to get more and appeared ready to get more when Jacob Hollister broke into the open in the end zone on a third-and-goal play. But on a day when the wind made every throw an adventure —the wind was officially listed as 17 miles an hour before the game but appeared to often be more stiff —Wilson overshot Hollister and Seattle had to settle for a field goal.
That was one of two drops on the day by Metcalf, the rookie from Ole Miss who has otherwise been a significant addition to Seattle’s offense this season
The game stayed perilously close until early in the fourth quarter when Penny grabbed a handoff from Wilson and wove into the open and the stiff-armed an Eagles defender out of the way on his way to the end zone and a 17-3 Seattle lead with 11:56 left that held up for the rest of the game.
That began to clear out the stands at Lincoln Financial Field, which were full when the game began but barely a tenth full at the end, with Philly fans wondering what has gone wrong with a team that two years ago won the Super Bowl and now is 5-6.
If there was a significant difference, it was the play of the quarterbacks.
Wilson was not perfect, and threw his third interception of the season when he tried to thread a pass into traffic to David Moore that was tipped and picked off. But Carson Wentz struggled throughout and had two lost fumbles and two interceptions and a handful of overthrow passes as the Seahawks pulled away.
