Battle-ready Eagles prepare for Seattle

PHILADELPHIA (AP):

The Philadelphia Eagles have been playing must-win games for a month to get to this point.

Now, it’s win or go home.

The Eagles (9-7) will host the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Sunday after winning four straight games to secure their second division title in three years.

Pressure won’t be new. Many players on Philadelphia’s roster faced it during the 2017 Super Bowl run. For the new guys, they got to experience it throughout December when one loss in any of the last four games would’ve cost the team a playoff berth.

“The last month, they have been play-off-type games for us,” coach Doug Pederson said. “This team is battle-tested that way and we prepare that way.”

Two-game losing streak

While the Eagles claw their way into the playoffs, the Seahawks enter on a two-game losing streak. Seattle would’ve clinched the NFC West and secured a home game this weekend with a win in Week 17 but lost 26-21 at home to the 49ers.

On the bright side, the Seahawks were better on the road this season, going 7-1. They beat the Eagles in Philly, 17-9, on November 24.

“They finished great,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the Eagles. “They know us. We know them. We game-plan all over again, and they do, too.”

Russell Wilson is 4-0 against the Eagles, including a win in Seattle over the eventual Super Bowl champions in December 2017 when Philadelphia came in at 10-1.

Carson Wentz will make his first career playoff start after missing the Super Bowl run because of knee surgery and last year’s wild-card win due to a back injury.

“We know what’s on the line, and to some extent, we’ve kind of felt that way the last few weeks,” Wentz said. “We’ve kind of had our backs against the wall. It’s a one-game season. We’re excited for it. It’s going to be a fun one.”

The return of playmaking safety Quandre Diggs is a big boost after the Seahawks lost several players to injuries the past few weeks. Diggs suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 15 but expects to play.

The arrival of Diggs in a midseason trade from Detroit bolstered the secondary and seemed to solidify the defence. With Diggs on the field, Seattle was able to play more aggressive in coverages and when it brought pressures. In five games, Diggs has had three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a touchdown.

“The moment he got here, he picked up the defence really, really quick,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “Started making checks really fast, understanding what checks we were making really, really fast. He’s a really smart, intelligent dude who knows how to play the game of football at a really high level.”