Philadelphia ? A cross-country trip to Philadelphia for a Monday night game in the snow hasn’t exactly been a formula for success. Then again, these are not the same old Seattle Seahawks.

Using big plays on defense, including interception returns for touchdowns by Andre Dyson and rookie Lofa Tatupu, and smaller ones from their top-ranked offense, the Seahawks routed the Eagles, 42-0.

Neither are these the same Eagles who made the last four NFC championship games. Philadelphia (5-7) has been torn apart by injuries and the Terrell Owens affair and played its worst game since becoming an NFC force in 2001.

Certainly a better fight was expected. Yet the Seahawks (10-2) dominated from the outset, winning their eighth straight game, tying a team record set in 1984. They gained only 194 yards overall – the Seahawks were averaging 386 – but didn’t need to do much after taking a 35-0 halftime lead.

“I’ve never been ahead like that against a good football team,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “It was kind of new territory.”

Seattle, which got two short touchdowns runs from NFL rushing leader Shaun Alexander, sort of sneaked its way to the top of the conference and barely survived the New York Giants last week. In the Monday night spotlight, though, the NFC West champions filled the scoreboard.

Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu races toward the end zone after intercepting a pass from Philadelphia quarterback Mike McMahon. The Seahawks scored three defensive touchdowns and drubbed the Eagles, 42-0, Monday night in Philadelphia.

“We just jumped on them and didn’t let them breathe,” said Dyson, who was on crutches and wore a protective boot on the left ankle he sprained when he returned Ryan Moats’ fumble 25 yards for another touchdown on the first play of the second half. Dyson was carried off the field by several teammates.

It was Philadelphia’s worst loss since a 38-0 flop against Seattle to open the 1998 season. Indeed, as Dyson scored on his fumble return, the Linc pretty much emptied out. The majority of fans stayed that long only because the Eagles retired Reggie White’s No. 92 at halftime.

The Eagles, who had six turnovers, were shut out for the first time since 2003 when Tampa Bay beat them, 17-0, in the first game in the new stadium. It was the Eagles’ worst home loss since they were beaten, 49-0, by Green Bay in 1962.

“Embarrassing may be a good term for it,” DE Jevon Kearse said. “It was embarrassing and everything else bad that goes with it.”

And, they lost running back Brian Westbrook because of a sprained foot.

It didn’t take along for Seattle’s powerful offense to begin the scoring. Well, it actually took more than eight minutes on the opening drive, a relentless march featuring four third-down conversions and 16 plays. Matt Hasselbeck, flushed to the right, found Bobby Engram wide open in the end zone for an 11-yard pass after Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Trotter and Quintin Mikell collided.

Three plays earlier, Trotter’s illegal-contact penalty negated Mikell’s interception in the end zone.

When the Eagles staged their own productive drive, it ended ignominiously as Mike McMahon stared straight at receiver Greg Lewis. Dyson read the pass perfectly, picked it off and raced 72 yards down the left sideline for a 14-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, McMahon threw directly to middle linebacker Tatupu, who raced 38 yards to make it 21-0. It was the first time in 30 years the Eagles have allowed two interception runbacks for scores in a game.

“Maybe it was a little reaction, but it wasn’t the greatest decision on the QB’s part,” Tatupu said. “But he has a strong arm and he thought he could force it in there and I just undercut it at the right time. It was a great game all around. It just proved we are coming together at a time when we need to come together.”