PHILADELPHIA - Jadeveon Clowney knocked out Carson Wentz, and then Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wilson threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf, Marshawn Lynch ran for a score and the Seahawks beat the Eagles 17-9 in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs on Sunday night.
"To come back here, back East, it's a long ways, we were able to do it, pull through," Wilson said. "We've been road warriors, and it's exciting. We've got a great defense, too."
Making the first postseason start of his NFL career, the 27-year-old Wentz lasted two series before exiting with a head injury after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Clowney.
"I didn't intend to hurt him. I hope he's OK," Clowney said.
Referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter: "He was a runner and he did not give himself up. We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgment, we didn't rule it a foul."
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, left, tries to hold off the Seattle Seahawks' Quandre Diggs during the second half of Sunday's playoff game in Philadelphia. / AP photo by Julio CortezJosh McCown stepped in, and at age 40 he became the oldest quarterback to make his playoff debut. He couldn't lead the Eagles (9-8) into the end zone, though.
"I didn't get the job done," said McCown, who was quite emotional on the field afterward.
The Seahawks (12-5) lost three of their final four games, including a 26-21 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers a week earlier that cost them the NFC West title.
They traveled to Philadelphia for the second time in six weeks and became the third team to win on the road in the opening weekend of this year's playoffs, improving to 8-1 away from home this season.
Wilson threw for 325 yards and led the team with 45 yards on the ground, Metcalf had seven catches for 160 yards and the Seahawks had a season-high seven sacks from six players.
"We made up our mind to not let them score," All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "It was a mental thing more than execution."
Wilson drove Seattle 82 yards late in the second quarter, and Lynch powered in from the 5 for a 10-0 lead. Wilson connected with Metcalf for 26 yards and David Moore for 38 on third-down, catch-and-run passes to keep that drive going.
McCown finally got the NFC East champions' offense going on the opening drive of the third quarter. He connected with Zach Ertz for 32 yards, and Boston Scott ran 15 yards to the 5. A false start, fumbled snap and sack followed, though, before Jake Elliott's 26-yard field goal cut the deficit to 10-6.
The Seahawks answered quickly. Metcalf stretched to catch Wilson's deep pass, got up and tumbled into the end zone for a 17-6 lead.
"I caught the ball, I didn't feel anybody touch me," Metcalf said. "I got back up, and I wanted a touchdown. I wanted a touchdown real bad."
Down 17-9, Eagles coach Doug Pederson passed up a 42-yard field-goal attempt with 6:24 left and went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Seahawks' 24. Miles Sanders couldn't catch McCown's pass.
Philadelphia had another chance after Shelton Gibson, signed last week, drew a 39-yard pass-interference penalty to the Seahawks' 13. On fourth-and-7 from the 10 with two minutes left, Clowney sacked McCown.
Wentz was forced to watch from the sideline after knee surgery when backup Nick Foles led the Eagles to the franchise's first Super Bowl title two years ago. He was out with a back injury last year when Foles led Philadelphia to a wild-card win in Chicago.
This time, Foles - who joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason - wasn't around to lift the Eagles.
Philadelphia was decimated by injuries throughout the season, and the Eagles had to rely on five offensive players off the practice squad during their four-game winning streak at the end of the schedule that sealed the division title.
Wentz started all 16 games for the second time in his four seasons and played his best down the stretch with backups surrounding him, but he finished the season injured - the same as the previous two.
"I'm disappointed for him," Pederson said. "I wanted this for him. I think a lot of his teammates did, too. The team and the organization did. He's battled through a lot."
Seattle had plenty of injuries, too. The Seahawks lost running backs Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise, forcing them to sign Lynch.
Seattle has Wilson, though, and he has the Seahawks heading to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (13-3) in the divisional round. The NFC North champions have won five straight games since a 37-8 loss to San Francisco on Nov. 24.
"We're anticipating some snow," Wilson said with a smile. "They obviously have Aaron, they have a lot of great players, they have a great defensive line."