Seattle faces challenge of hostile, snowy Lincoln Field

	Shaun Alexander is on pace to become the sixth NFL running back to surpass 2,000 yards in a season. Peter Read Miller/SI
	Perloff's Primetime Picks Week Prediction Outcome 1 N.E. 27, Oak. 24 N.E. wins, 30-20 1 Atl. 23, Phi. 20 Atl. wins, 14-10 2 N.O. 24, NYG 21 NYG win, 27-10 2 Dal. 23, Wash. 19 Wash. wins, 14-13 3 Den. 31, K.C. 28 Den. wins, 30-10 4 G.B. 28, Car. 24 Car. wins, 32-29 5 Pit. 30, S.D. 21 Pit. wins, 24-22 6 Ind. 42, StL. 21 Ind. wins, 38-20 7 Atl. 31, NYJ. 16 Atl. wins, 27-14 8 Pit. 34, Bal. 13 Pit. wins, 20-19 9 Ind. 31, N.E. 27 Ind. wins, 40-21 10 Phi. 27, Dal. 21 Dal. wins, 21-20 11 G.B. 30, Min. 20 Min. wins, 20-17 12 Pit. 29, Ind. 24 Ind. wins, 26-7 Perloff's MNF Record: 8-6

The 9-2 'Hawks still haven't proven they can travel East and win. They've lost their last six contests in the Eastern Time zone, and as much as the 5-6 Eagles have struggled this year, they're 4-1 at the Linc. Add a major snowstorm to the mix, and this might be a difficult game for the NFC's best team.

The Eagles' offense is a shadow of itself without Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens and Tra Thomas, and their injury-plagued defense ranks 25th overall. But at least Philly proved it can win without T.O. by beating the Packers 19-14 last week.

The Seahawks Win If ...

If they don't take the Eagles lightly. This is a showcase game for the Seahawks, but they can't get too caught up in their own headlines.

Seattle running back Shaun Alexander is making a strong case for MVP this season. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,339 yards) and touchdowns (20). The only back who rivals Alexander is San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, whom Philly held to a career-worst 7 yards rushing on 17 carries. The Eagles have the 19th ranked run defense, but they're much better in that department at home.

One of the Seahawks' vulnerabilities is their defensive backfield, which will be without starting cornerback Kelly Herndon (left knee). Luckily for Seattle, Eagles quarterback Mike McMahon has not been a dangerous downfield passer since taking over for the injured McNabb.

The Eagles Win If ...

McMahon doesn't get off to another slow start. Philly's replacement quarterback has been horrendous in the first half of both his starts this season and then turned it around and looked solid in the second half. The Eagles' defense has kept them in both those games, but they can't let the Seahawks get the lead and control the clock with Alexander. Coach Andy Reid says he's making adjustment to help McMahon avoid early-game jitters. The fifth-year quarterback needs to relax and let the game come to him.

Given the weather and McMahon at the helm, look for Reid turn to the running game more than he's used to. Last week was the first time all season the Eagles ran the ball (34) more than they passed it (28), and Brian Westbrook had his first 100-yard rushing game this year. One good sign for Philadelphia: Westbrook averages 5.1 yards per carry in home games vs. 2.9 yards per attempt away from the Linc. The Seahawks will probably stack the line because of the weather, so the Eagles' offensive line has to be at its best.

Brian Westbrook leads all NFL running backs with 578 receiving yards this season. Al Tielemans/SI

Injuries have also caused problems for Philadelphia's defense. Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard is out for the season, leaving Sheldon Brown and Roderick Hood to deal with 6-foot-5 Seahawks receiver Joe Jurevicius, who has been one of the most productive receivers in the league. And middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter has been dealing with sore knees. He'll have to have an inspired game if the Eagles hope to slow Alexander.

Key Stat

Alexander needs 661 yards in his final five games to become the sixth NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. He needs 767 to break Eric Dickerson's 21-year-old single-season record of 2,105 yards. And Alexander needs just eight touchdowns to break Priest Holmes' two-year-old single-season TD record.

The Outcome

You'd think the frosty weather conditions would favor the East Coast team. But with McMahon at the helm, the Eagles probably aren't capable of scoring more than 20 points. And it's hard to imagine Philly holding the NFL's top offense to less than 21 points, even in the snow. At some point in the second half, Alexander will break a long run and McMahon will have a key turnover. And the Eagles have been terrible in the latter stages of games -- remember the Monday night loss to Dallas -- and Philly will find a way to lose again, even if Seattle doesn't play its best game.

Seattle 23, Philadelphia 19