The Philadelphia Eagles earned the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC after finishing with a 14-3 record, despite a 2-2 start to the regular season. Philadelphia will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 4:30 PM ET during Wild Card Weekend. The Eagles escaped with a 34-29 victory over the Packers in Week 1, although both teams have come a long way since their first matchup back on September 6th.
Now the Eagles will attempt to defeat the Packers once again, although this time their home game will actually be played at Lincoln Financial Field, instead of in Brazil. While the Eagles were able to win in Week 1, there were plenty of players that failed to live up to their standards against the Packers.
Here are five Eagles players with the most to prove against the Packers, as they seek revenge in Sunday’s rematch:
Jalen Hurts
While many are worried about Jalen Hurts shaking off the rust against the Packers, it’s worth noting his struggles against Green Bay in Week 1. Hurts struggled mightily against Green Bay’s zone heavy defensive scheme, as he had three turnovers against the Packers in Brazil. Hurts had two interceptions and one lost fumble in Week 1. Since then, Hurts has thrown just three interceptions and has one lost fumble in his 14 other games combined.
It’s clear that Green Bay’s defense got the better of Hurts during their first matchup this season, although the Eagles were still able to score 34 points and ultimately win the game. Now Hurts will be returning off nearly three weeks of rest and will surely be looking for a bounce back performance against the Packers. Following a disappointing performance in the playoffs last season without A.J. Brown, Hurts must play at a higher level on Sunday.
Jordan Mailata
Eagles starting left tackle Jordan Mailata has played at an elite level this season, which landed him a spot as an AP Second-Team All-Pro. While Mailata has dominated for much of 2024, he struggled a bit against the Packers in Week 1. Mailata allowed three total pressures against the Packers, according to Pro Football Focus, which matched his season-high.
The 27-year-old offensive tackle allowed six total pressures in Philadelphia’s first three games. Since Week 4, Mailata has allowed just eight total pressures in the nine games that he has played in. Therefore, Mailata will be looking to continue his dominant level of play in a rematch against the Packers on Sunday.
Quinyon Mitchell
Eagles standout rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has dominated for most of his debut season in the NFL. Mitchell earned the “Quinyonamo Bay” nickname due to his ability to lockdown opposing wide receivers. Yet according to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell had the worst performance of his NFL career against the Packers in Week 1.
Mitchell allowed five receptions for 86 yards against the Packers in Brazil, which were the most receptions and yards that the 23-year-old cornerback allowed in any game during his rookie season. It’s also worth noting that Mitchell allowed a touchdown in back-to-back games to end the regular season. Therefore, Mitchell will have a lot to prove in Philadelphia’s rematch against the Packers, as he looks to shake off his struggles both against Green Bay and in recent weeks.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Following last season’s collapse, it was clear that Philadelphia’s defense was clearly lacking toughness and playmaking ability. The return of C.J. Gardner-Johnson has address both of those issues in 2024. Gardner-Johnson is a tone-setter on Philadelphia’s defense and has hauled in four interceptions over his last four games for the Eagles.
While Gardner-Johnson has played at a high level for much of this season, he struggled mightily in Week 1 against the Packers. According to Pro Football Focus, Gardner-Johnson missed three tackles against Green Bay during their first matchup, which was his most missed tackles in a single game this season.
He has also been confused by pre-snap motion in coverage at times this season, which is something that the Packers utilize at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL (73%), according to Shane Haff. Therefore, Gardner-Johnson will have plenty to prove in Philadelphia’s rematch against Green Bay on Sunday.
Jake Elliott
After a near perfect performance and career year in 2023, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has crashed back down to Earth this season. Elliott has made just 28-of-36 field goal attempts in 2024, which is the second-lowest field goal percentage (77.8%) of his NFL career. Elliott has also been removed from kickoff duty, which he handled on a full-time basis for nearly his entire NFL career.
Elliott missed a 39-yard field goal against the New York Giants in Week 18, which is concerning after he appeared to take a step forward against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. While the Eagles have been able to win despite Elliott’s struggles, his inaccuracy could come back to haunt them in the postseason, as the competition will only get tougher each week.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
