Eagles Cruise Past Packers to Claim Wild Card Victory

This game was one of the most anticipated matchups of the Wild Card round entering this weekend. The Packers were one of three NFC North teams to make the playoffs in what was likely the best year in the history of the division. The Eagles, meanwhile, were the dominant force in the NFC outside of Detroit. In a rematch from the opening week of the NFL season, fans were excited to tune in to what most people considered a toss-up. For me, the NFL’s product delivered. 

The beginning of this game was a disaster for the Packers. In the opening kickoff, Packers’ Keisean Nixon returned the ball 27 yards before being blown up by the Eagles special teams coverage and fumbling the football. The Eagles jumped on the ball with a fantastic field position and quickly scored a touchdown off the Green Bay mistake. It was the worst way to start as a Wild Card team having to face the number two seed in the infamously hostile environment of Philadelphia. It was obvious the Packers did not feel comfortable from there on out. Jordan Love almost threw an interception in his first pass attempt, and almost got sacked on his second. The teams then went punt for punt, leaving fans wondering how this game might’ve gone had it not been for that initial mistake. The Eagles wanted to establish a ground game to begin this game. They fed all pro Saquon Barkley early and often, before getting Jalen Hurts involved in the game with read options. When they weren’t running the ball, they found Saquon in slip screens behind the line of scrimmage in order to give the pro bowler room in open space to break out big plays. It mostly worked, and the Eagles managed to secure a field goal in their third drive of the game. By the end of the first quarter, it was already 10-0 Eagles. 

Jordan Love continued to look uncomfortable as the game entered the second quarter. In the second play from scrimmage following the Eagles’ field goal, he threw an interception trying to hit Dontayvion Wicks down deep down the sideline. It was cornerback Darius Slay who caught the ball at the Philadelphia 22, and the Eagles offense took over. Unfortunately, Slay went to the locker room following the play but was able to walk out on his own accord. It was at this point, for the first time all game, the Eagles’ offense failed to get much of anything going. They were held to a three-and-out and punted the ball right back. The Packers finally found themselves driving, but after a promising drive ended deep in Philadelphia territory, a missed field goal by Brandon McManus kept Green Bay scoreless deep in the second quarter. The Packers got one more chance to score before halftime following one more three-and-out stop by the Green Bay defense. With 3:25 left on the clock and all three timeouts, Green Bay had plenty of time to get on the scoreboard. Instead, after getting the ball all the way to midfield, the Packers turned the ball over for the third time with another interception, this time by veteran linebacker Zack Baun. The Eagles failed to reach field goal range, and the half ended anticlimactically 10-0. 

Unlike the first half, the second half started out fairly strong for the Packers. They forced the Eagles to punt on their opening possession and proceeded to work the ball all the way into the red zone on their opening possession of the third quarter. The drive slowed down, however, especially when Romeo Doubs tragically needed help walking to the locker room for concussion concerns. The Packers took their field goal, and Green Bay brought themselves within one possession with six minutes left in the third. It didn’t take long, however, for the Eagles to respond. After four consecutive drives ending in a punt, the Eagles took the ball 68 yards in just five plays and two minutes, 26 seconds for a touchdown from Dallas Goedert. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed the ensuing PAT, and the score became 16-3.  Bad became worse for the receiving core as the game went on for the Packers. One drive after Romeo Doubs needed to be evaluated for concussion protocol, Jayden Reed needed help to the sideline as he looked in serious pain from his arm. The Packers were already playing without Christian Watson due to an ACL tear in their final game of the regular season, then throughout the course of this Wild Card Game they lost their next two top receivers. For the remainder of the game, the Packers were left with Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, and Malik Heath as their top three wide receivers. 

It was at this time Pro Bowl running Josh Jacobs decided to take matters into his own hands and he broke out for 32 yards to the Philadelphia one-yard line, carrying both the football and Eagles players with him. He finished the highlight with a one-yard touchdown run the following play, and the Packers brought it to within six, 16-10. In what was a defensive contest for most of the game, it suddenly became a back-and-forth heavyweight boxing match with each team exchanging blows. The Eagles got a jab in next, hitting the Packers on the side of the chin for a field goal, and expanding their lead to an all-important nine-point margin which ensured a two-possession lead. With just seven minutes left in the game, time was running out for Green Bay to get back into the game. Matt LaFleur and the Packers knew it, too. When they got the ball back following the field goal, the Packers went for it on a fourth and three. They chose a pass play after being stuffed on the ground the previous play. When Love got the ball out accurately to Malik Heath past the sticks, he was unable to get both feet in bounds. The Eagles took over near midfield in what was effectively the sealing moment of the game. 

In games between two evenly matched teams, it often comes down to special team plays that make the difference in the game. Many could argue that was the case in the Packers-Eagles game today. Neither team was able to do much offensively for most of the game, and when one team started throwing haymakers, the other responded. The Packers had their moments to overcome their opening kickoff mistake, but a seven-point deficit in a raucous road environment can be enough to lose a game in the highly competitive dynamics of NFL football. The Eagles await their opponent for the divisional round. It will either be the Buccaneers if they win their game tonight against the Commanders, or it will be the winner of the Vikings-Rams game if Washington wins tonight. The Eagles will play as the home team again, as they secured the two seed during the regular season campaign.