The Philadelphia Eagles capped off the regular season with a win, despite playing primarily backups against the lowly New York Giants. Now the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round of the postseason in a Week 1 rematch.
In the latest edition of my Eagles mailbag, I’ll discuss potential concerns about the team in the playoffs, an underrated impact player on Philadelphia’s defense and much more regarding the team moving forward.
@VladdyMuse asked, “If there is one, what is one concern you have for the Eagles in the playoffs?”
My main concern would be the inconsistency on special teams for the Eagles. Starting with Jake Elliott’s struggles, as he has missed three field goals in Philadelphia’s last five games. Elliott has not been the same reliable kicker this season that he normally is for the Eagles.
It’s also worth noting that Braden Mann has struggled in recent weeks as well. Mann had one of his kickoff attempts bounce out of bounds in Week 18. He also had a punt that had hardly any hang time and allowed the New York Giants to get great starting field position in the fourth quarter.
@PhillyCarter_94 asked, “What under the radar player on defense do you think will be a huge factor in the game against the Packers ?”
Jordan Davis should have a huge impact for the Eagles against the Packers. It’s no secret that Green Bay’s offense loves to establish the run with Josh Jacobs and Emmanuel Wilson. Davis could be Philadelphia’s key to shutting down the Packers’ rushing attack.
While many have been fixated on Davis’ pass rushing ability, he has remained stout against the run. Davis’ presence among the interior of Philadelphia’s defensive line forces running backs to bounce to the outside and into the arms of Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith and others.
@JaisonKoshy asked, “Does Jake Elliot kicking off give him a better feel when kicking field goals or is there no connection?”
Philadelphia’s plan on special teams has truly been puzzling in recent weeks. Elliott handled full-time kickoff duty for just one game, which was in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. He was perfect in that matchup, making both of his field goal attempts and all five extra point attempts.
It sure felt like Elliott handling kickoff duty was a key to his success and consistency on field goals. Yet in Week 18, the Eagles utilized both Mann and Elliott on kickoffs. Sure enough, Elliott missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, his first of the game.
Therefore, I still believe that Elliott’s struggles are due to his inconsistent role on kickoffs. Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay should have Elliott handle full-time kickoff duty and stop shuffling things around heading into the playoffs.
@fullyspectrumed asked, “Is there anyone on IR that you could see the Eagles activating, assuming we get a few more weeks of football?”
Considering that the Eagles just opened the 21-day practice window for Byron Young, he seems like an obvious choice. Although it’s hard to envision him playing much in the postseason given Philadelphia’s depth along the defensive line.
Brandon Graham could be the player to watch for if the Eagles reach the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl 59. Especially if the Detroit Lions host the conference title game, it would be a perfect opportunity for Graham to play one of his final NFL games in his hometown.
@BmaafiNFL asked, “How much are the Eagles going to lose by?”
Brian Maafi does phenomenal work on X (formerly Twitter) and offers a ton of insight into the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Brian is also a diehard fan of the Packers. Which is why he submitted this silly question for my Eagles mailbag this week.
Therefore, I guess I’ll tease my score prediction for Sunday’s matchup between the Packers and Eagles. Sorry Brian, but I believe the Eagles will win quite comfortably against your precious Packers. While the Packers were able to upset another No. 2 seed from the NFC East in the postseason last year, that won’t happen in 2025.
REUTERS/Carla Carniel
