The Eagle’s offense struggled in this game while the defense was smothering and too much for the Packers’ offense to overcome. Philadelphia had a four-turnover differential. Otherwise, the game could have ended with a different result. The team showed their resiliency and have proved they can win in a variety of ways.
The Eagles beat an 11-win team in the first round of the playoffs by 12 points. They are not all going to be easy or look how fans want. The name of the game at this stage is to advance, and the Eagles did.
Eagles’ Offense
The Eagles only targeted AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith 3 times combined in the first half. The play-calling and decision-making were very questionable. Despite a 10–0 halftime lead, it felt very different. The offense was not working, they only converted 2 of their 11 third down opportunities in the contest.
Philadelphia’s fake Brotherly Shove was a brilliant play call. Unfortunately, the pass was off-track, possibly due to the wind, but it will give opposing defenses a lot to think about moving forward.
A lot will be said regarding Kellen Moore and his game plan this week, and he does need to do a better job if the Eagles want to hoist a Lombardi trophy in 4 weeks.
Jalen Hurts made his first start since the Commanders game on 12/22/24 when he sustained a concussion. While many were worried he would have to knock off the rust, he started the game six for six and then missed the next seven attempts. The problems seemed more related to play calling, with many downfield vertical routes instead of the short out and cut routes working early. He finished the game by going seven of eight in the second half and ended the day with two touchdown passes and a 111.4 passer rating. His improvement against the blitz has made the QB very hard to defend.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 119 yards on 25 carries, but had he not slid down on the game’s final run; he would have gone for 175+ and had a touchdown. He knew the game was over when he picked up the first down and unselfishly ended the game with his slide to let time expire. The Packers had the number five defense in the NFL, and Barkley still got his 100+ yards. He is a difference-maker, and the Eagles will lean on him on their way to what they hope will be a Super Bowl title.
AJ Brown only had three targets in this game, the fewest he has ever had in an Eagles uniform. He has been dealing with a knee injury, but he should have had a TD on a trick Brotherly Shove play where he had gotten behind the Packers’ defensive backs. He should be more involved in the game plan moving forward and have less time to read books on the sideline. I kid, that is a non-issue.
DeVonta Smith caught all four of his targets, good for 55 yards, and was Mr. Reliable as always. Smitty moved the chains in this game and had a 13.8 yards-per-catch average.
Jahan Dotson had the game’s first TD; it was also his first as an Eagle! He made the most of his one catch and was on the field for 57% of the offensive plays.
Dallas Goedert had one of the better catches, coupled with the most punishing 24-yard touchdown run we will ever see. He had three stiff arms on his way to the endzone. His return from injury has been key for the Eagles’ offense, and he led the team in targets.
Jake Elliott was three for three on his field goal attempts but missed a PAT. The miss could have been a critical mistake had the Packers scored a TD late in the game. He has been as close as a sure thing there was in the kicking game for the last 8 seasons, but he is causing anxiety for most fans every time his number is called.
Eagles’ Defense
Philadelphia’s defenders missed 14 tackles, the most of the season, and still held the Packers to 10 points. This is the best defense in football and if they clean up those mistakes, opposing teams will find it difficult to score against them this postseason.
The Eagles’ defense has produced 14 turnovers in the last 4 weeks, and the Packers learned why. Per Next Gen Stats, the Eagles defense limited Jordan Love to 3-of-11 passing for 58 yards and three interceptions on passes of 10+ air yards. That is an incredibly dominating performance.
Jalen Carter played 94% of the defensive snaps and disrupted the Packer’s offense all day. The All-Pro fought through double-teams all game long and still managed to fill the state sheet with two tackles, one pass defense, and two QB hits. He is altering games and playing at a very high level!
Jordan Davis only played 13 snaps, but they were impactful, and he was a force on the field. He was held a lot and drew a holding penalty that would have been a clean sack.
Nolan Smith busted through the line on an inside move for a sack on third down in the first quarter for a 16-yard loss and had his second with 3 minutes left in the game. He finished the game with eight tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 QB hits, and two sacks. This was his best game as a pro, and he led the Edge position by playing 88% of the snaps. This is the type of performance the Eagles had in mind when they drafted him in the first round last season!
Jalyx Hunt played 32% of the defensive snaps, while Bryce Huff only managed one. Jalyx has passed Huff on the depth chart, and they will need the same consistent play from the rookie for three more games off the edge. They are asking a lot from their 3rd round draft pick, but he has produced and been a problem for opposing offenses with his speed.
Zack Baun, first-team All-Pro, had an interception before halftime, the Eagle’s third of the half. Baun also played special teams and had a tackle to open the second half after a Braden Mann punt. Zack finished with one interception, eight tackles, and a pass defense. He was also running 30 yards down the field with the Packers receiver. His athleticism is off the charts!
Nakobe Dean was playing well until he left injured with 5 minutes left in the first half. He was carted off the field and ruled out within minutes, which is never a good sign for his ability to play next week. Losing the QB of the defense was a big loss. He was injured while making his second TFL of the game. He also had 6 tackles.
Oren Burks, inspired by his recent start, in which he led the team with 17 tackles, laid a BIG hit on the opening kickoff to force a fumble and the game’s first turnover. He came into the game after Dean left injured and struggled in his relief. He will look to be better after a week of practice and preparation. The Eagles are lucky to have a backup of his caliber on the roster to take over.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr recovered the game’s opening kickoff fumbled by the Packers. He ripped the ball from the Packers player at the bottom of the pile. A heads-up play from the rookie!
Big Play Slay had an interception in the second quarter, the first by a corner all season. Slay has been having a good season, and while he left injured, he returned and played well.
Quinyon Mitchell was targeted 6 times; he allowed two receptions for 10 yards. He ended the game with his first interception in the NFL. BP Slay felt like a proud father.
“I was so happy, I cried almost, but I couldn’t shed a tear on the field because I don’t want people taking pictures. It was great to see that.”
Isaiah Rodgers came into the game at corner after Slay left injured in the second quarter, and the Packers immediately went after him. He had a pretty PBU in the endzone before Slay came back in. Rodgers also handled kick return duties.
Special Teams
The unit created a turnover by Oren Burks laying a hit, which was recovered by Jeremiah Trotter Jr on the opening kickoff. This set the tone for the game!
Jake Elliott made his first FG of 31 yards and followed that up with a PAT miss. His performance did not assuage the fears with this issue as they move deeper into the playoffs.
Looking Ahead:
The Philadelphia Eagles will host the winner of the Rams versus the Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field in the Divisional Playoff round next Sunday at 3:00 PM EST.
As always, Thank you for reading.
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Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
