While most people will use Thanksgiving as an excuse to get together with family and friends this week, the Kendricks family, Monday Night Football will be the reason to celebrate together.
For the fourth time since they both became NFL linebackers, Mychal Kendricks and his younger brother, Eric, will face each other when the Seahawks host the Vikings Monday night. The two also met in the preseason this year, in Seattle's regular-season win over Minnesota last season, and most notably, in the NFC championship game two seasons ago when Mychal played for the Eagles, who went on to win Super Bowl LII.
"It's a time for (our family) to get together, so they really enjoy it," Mychal said. "One brother has to lose, and one has to win, so it's kind of like a bitter-sweet thing, but it's just another game for us at this point."
Talking to reporters in Minnesota, Eric Kendricks said he's grateful to get another chance to face his brother in an NFL game.
"Absolutely," he said. "You have to take a little time to reflect on how far we've come to the NFL. It's always a blessing for my family, getting to watch us. Us taking the field together—we don't play against each other really—but it's pretty special when I get to see him across the field."
While the Kendricks brothers are each other's biggest fans, they don't actually watch each other's games very often.
"I get too nervous," Mychal explained. "He doesn't watch my games, I don't watch his games. I just kind of hear about it, 'Oh, your brother played good.' Great. I don't check on his stats or anything… He's someone I care about a lot, so I'm highly critical, and I don't feel like playing two games. I have my own games to worry about, let alone his. If I'm watching his games, I get too stressed. As a linebacker, we both know what we're supposed to be doing, and it just gets stressful."
That doesn't mean, however, that Mychal isn't aware of the season his little brother is having, recording a team-leading 86 tackles as well as 12 passes defensed.
"He's killing it," Mychal said. "I see him doing his thing, I see the highlights."
Mychal Kendricks is also having a very strong season in his own right, recording 62 tackles, 3.0 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and four passes defensed. Facing his former team, Kendricks had 11 tackles in Sunday's win over the Eagles.
"For Kendricks to go back to Philadelphia, a place where he started, was a big deal to him," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "He wanted to play well. He had 11 tackles in the game. He had a lot of really good tackles and played great football for us. It was nice to come through for him. He handled it well. I was watching him all during the week. I talked to him a few different times about it. I didn't want him to get over hyped about it and try do too much. He was handling it. He went into the game and played really well and did a really nice job. It was a nice come through for him."
And now after going through the emotions of facing the team that drafted him, Mychal Kendricks will play against his brother for the third straight year.
"He comes back from Philadelphia and now he's going to play his brother," Carroll said. "… We've already started talking about it. To me, that's an important part of preparing to compete at your best and not be distracted by stuff that could get you. This is an unusual situation for those guys to be going against each other. His brother is a really good player and he's a really good player. I know that they're going to be banging. I can't imagine that they don't have something that they'd like to get across to one another, which I think is cool as long as we do a good job on our end and control it and not let it take him out of his game."
Go behind the scenes with team photographer Rod Mar as he shares moments from the Seattle Seahawks' Week 12 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Eye on the Hawks is presented by Western Washington Toyota Dealers.
On Friday afternoon, Seahawks Quinton Jefferson, Branden Jackson, Geno Smith and Josh Gordon waited to board the team's charter flight to Philadelphia for the game against the Eagles.
On Saturday afternoon, receivers John Ursua and DK Metcalf headed to the buses for the team's walk-thru.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson surveys Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday during a brief visit by the team. The turf was covered to protect it from inclement weather overnight.
On game day, Seahawks defensive captain Bobby Wagner walks from the hotel to the buses for the ride to the stadium.
Seahawks defensive end Ziggy Ansah boarded the bus for the ride to the stadium on game day.
Seahawks defensive end Branden Jackson stretches during early warmups at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
Seahawks running back and special teams player Travis Homer puts on his gloves before leaving the locker room.
Seahawks fans line the tunnel near the team's locker room to greet players during pregame warmups.
Seahawks receivers are the center of attention as they huddle during pregame warmups.
Seahawks players take to the field for pregame warmups led by K.J. Wright.
Seahawks quarterback and captain Russell Wilson gets the team fired up in the locker room before the game.
Seahawks defensive players and brothers Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin pray in the end zone after the team took the field during pregame introductions.
Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs nearly comes up with an interception during the first quarter.
Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf can't complete the catch on a pass up the right sideline in the first quarter.
Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers deflects a pass during the first quarter.
Tight end Jacob Hollister gets yards after the catch in the first quarter for a 21-yard gain.
Seahawks receiver Malik Turner hauls in his first career touchdown on a 33-yard pass from Russell Wilson at the end of a trick play.
Seahawks receiver Malik Turner cradles the ball as he falls into the end zone with his first career touchdown which gave Seattle an early 7-3 lead.
Seahawks defensive end Rasheem Green hits Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and knocks the ball away for a fumble which was recovered by Seattle's Al Woods.
Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks tackles Eagles running back Jay Ajayi in the first half.
Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford recovers a fumble caused by Seattle's Ziggy Ansah on a strip sack of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.
Seahawks defenders Ziggy Ansah and K.J. Wright celebrate after Ansah's strip sack of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz resulted in a turnover.
Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers brings down Eagles tight end Zach Ertz in the second quarter.
Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald celebrates his interception of a pass by Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz in the second quarter.
Seahawks receiver David Moore makes a leaping grab for a 31-yard gain to help set up a field goal.
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny finds running room up the left side to the Eagles nine-yard line during the second quarter
Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf feigns that a pass is coming towards him to distract Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby while Seattle's Rashaad Penny runs for additional yardage behind them.
Seahawks linebackers K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks combine to bring down Philadelphia running back Jay Ajayi.
Seahawks defensive end Ziggy Ansah hits Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and forces the ball loose for a fumble.
In the locker room at halftime, Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner, Cody Barton and Mychal Kendricks listened to instructions from their coaches.
Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton celebrates after a special teams tackle.
Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers knocks away a pass during the second half.
Seattle's Shaquem Griffin hits Eagles running back Miles Sanders while the loose ball is recovered by Quinton Jefferson in the third quarter.
Seattle's Quinton Jefferson heads upfield with a fumble recovery during the third quarter.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll celebrates and imitates defensive end Quinton Jefferson's fumble recovery and return in the third quarter.
Seahawks defensive players Branden Jackson and Ziggy Ansah celebrate after the defense caused a turnover in the third quarter.
On the sidelines, defensive assistant Clint Hurtt talks with linebacker Mychal Kendricks in-between series.
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny breaks into the open on a 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend SeattleÕs lead to 17-3.
Seattle's Shaquem Griffin, Travis Homer and Marquise Blair gang tackle Philadelphia's Boston Scott.
Seattle's Quandre Diggs dives after and recovers a fumble that he caused in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks defensive players pose for a photo after a fumble recovery by Quandre Diggs in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin celebrates after knocking away a pass by the Eagles on fourth down, turning the ball over to SeattleÕs offense.
Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett catches a deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson for a 38-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks special teams player Ugo Amadi downs a punt by Michael Dickson inside the five-yard line late in the game. Amadi twice downed punts by Dickson inside the five-yard line during the game.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson celebrates with teammate Ben Burr-Kirven after Dickson placed his fifth punt inside the Eagles 20-yard line.
Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers intercepts a pass intended for PhiladelphiaÕs Jordan Matthews in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf hurdles a defender for a 13-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson congratulates teammates on the sideline as the clock winds down in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin talks with assistant coach Andre Curtis and teammate Tre Flowers on the sidelines.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson celebrates with teammates in the victorious locker room after the game.
