Sunday’s matchups will finally reveal who the Eagles will be facing in the first round of the playoffs. The most likely teams seem to be the Washington Commanders and the Green Bay Packers. While both of those teams present a unique matchup for the Birds. The question has now become which team should the Eagles prefer to face in the first round of the playoffs.
Our Eagles team put their thoughts and opinions together on who the opponent should be.
Here are who they prefer for the Eagles to face in the first round:
Bryan Cameron
One way or another, the Eagles will be facing a tough opponent in the first round. I’d prefer that over a BYE this season. With Jalen Hurts coming off of the concussion protocol and the entire team coming off a rest week in the final week of the season, they need a proper wake-up call before the next round in the playoffs. This team has been one of the best teams in football and the last thing you want time to show is any signs of rust in what will be a very important playoff run.
Philadelphia chose to rest Saquon Barkley and the starters over getting the record because of the “ultimate goal”. Well, now the pressure is on to reach that goal at all costs. Both the Packers and Commanders represent a tough match. The commanders have a bit of momentum and swagger right now cause of their recent wins including the one over Philly. But I would prefer that they play Green Bay first. The Packers are a dangerous team and if they are left lingering in the playoffs then they could be one of those teams that flips the switch and surprises everyone.
David Neisz
The Eagles will likely face the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round as opposed to the Washington Commanders. They have beaten both of these teams this season. However, I would much rather face the Commanders. Though to be clear, the Eagles should not fear either team. In ranking the team’s skill players, I believe Green Bay has the better running back and trio of Wide Receivers.
Green Bay’s Head Coach, Matt Lafleur, is an elite play-caller. I would rather watch the Eagle’s defense face Washington, OC Kliff Kingsbury. The defenses are relatively equal, so that is a wash. Jordan Love is a good QB, but Jayden Daniels‘s mobility is a potential game-wrecker. Weighing the opponents, I have the Packers offense and coaching over the Commander’s QB. The Eagles should beat either team!
Anthony DiBona
Since the NFL introduced a seventh playoff team in 2020, there has never been a No. 7 seed with 12 wins in the regular season. Both the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders could break that streak with victories in Week 18.
Therefore, the Philadelphia Eagles won’t necessarily have the usual “easy” opponent in the Wild Card Round, despite earning the No. 2 seed and the right to host the No. 7 seed. While the Eagles have defeated both the Packers and Commanders during the regular season, both teams have grown since their most recent matchups.
I’d argue that the Packers are one of the best overall teams in the NFC, yet they were unfortunately stuck in the league’s best division. Therefore, the Eagles would likely rather play the Commanders for a third time instead of a rematch against the Packers.
Cory Nidoh
I don’t think it matters because I believe the Eagles will win their first round matchup, but I think the Packers would be a better opponent in what will be no cakewalk regardless of who the Eagles play. The Commanders are playing with house money, similar to how Green Bay entered the playoffs last season and that can be scary.
The Packers have been a bit inconsistent offensively, most recently in the game against the Vikings last week. They were without Christian Watson who seems to be the most consistent WR in their roulette style receiver room.
Defensively, they are without Jaire Alexander, one of their top players on that side of the ball due to season ending injury. As a unit, they rank inside the top 10 in points allowed, yards per play, and yards per game.
Philadelphia will need a strong showing offensively out of the gate and if they do that to energize what will be a raucous crowd, they should be able to use home field advantage to their advantage to advance to the next round.
Christopher Babos
In the NFL’s playoffs, ANYTHING can happen. Despite being at home at Lincoln Financial Field for the Wild Card matchup, there is no guarantee of success in South Philadelphia. We’ve all witnessed historic collapses and unbelievable playoff results in our collective years of watching Eagles football. Even the Eagles Super Bowl season of 2017 came agonizingly close to a game-winning Falcons touchdown in the final moments of that game.
Entering the postseason, I’d have to vote for the Green Bay Packers, over the Washington Commanders, as the best matchup for Philly. Green Bay just listed their top cornerback, Jaire Alexander, on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. This gives Philadelphia an advantage in the WR vs. CB matchup against Green Bay, and it’s one that Jalen Hurst can take full advantage of by quickly getting the ball out of his hands to A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. Give me the Packers…. and show them no mercy when they enter the Birds Nest at The Linc next weekend.
REUTERS/Carla Carniel
