The Philadelphia Eagles will start their playoffs against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday at 4:30 P.M. The showdown will be a rematch of the second game of the season, which took place in Brazil. Now, it will be at Lincoln Financial Field. Saquon Barkley will look to make the same impact that he did in Week 1, where he totaled 132 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
Green Bay will look to slow Barkley down after a stellar year of defending against the run. The team finished seventh against the run on the season, giving up 99.4 rushing yards per game.
However, despite the strong team statistics, the Packers are limping into the postseason. After a brutal loss to the Chicago Bears in which Jordan Love got hurt (Love is good to go and will play this weekend), Christian Watson also suffered a significant knee injury that will hinder his 2025. Jaire Alexander will also not be suiting up this Sunday. So, the Packers will miss some players who saw time against the Eagles in week one.
The Eagles will only miss Brandon Graham and Britain Covey from opening weekend. Of course, the most significant discussion was over Jalen Hurts’ health. Hurts took a brutal hit against the Washington Commanders, where he suffered a concussion. That hit left him out of game action for basically three games as he suffered the injury early in the game against the Commanders. Including Hurts’ concussion, he is also dealing with a broken finger on his left hand. His broken finger came in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers about a month from this Sunday, leading to the game’s first key.
Get Jalen Hurts Going
It shouldn’t be surprising if Hurts starts this game slowly. Of course, that was the Eagles’ mantra for most of the season. The Eagles are 24th in offensive EPA (Estimated Points Added) in the first quarter. In the other three quarters, they are ranked fifth. That is because the Eagles are 30th in first-drive EPA while second in the league for the rest of the game.
The beginning of the season did a number on that statistic; from the bye week up until the week Jalen Hurts suffered the concussion (week 6 to week 16), the Eagles were 14th in offensive EPA.
The narrative of a slow start feels a little overblown, but Hurts getting his first game action in three weeks is a cause for concern. It isn’t known how severe the concussion was, and as of writing this article, the team has not officially cleared him.
However, the quarterback is expected to play on Sunday. If Hurts is fully healthy, this can be a potential statement game for the Eagles.
Coaching showdown
Many tuned in last Sunday night for the coaching chess match between Brian Flores and Ben Johnson. Now it is Matt LaFleur’s and Vic Fangio’s turn at it. Regarding yardage, Green Bay had a top-five offense, while Philadelphia had the top defense in the league.
The turnaround by the Eagles’ defense can not be understated, but Matt LaFleur has coached an impressive offense. Josh Jacobs has carried most of the load for the Packers, who have the fifth-best rushing attack. The team also had an above-average passing game without an alpha wide receiver. That is why the Eagles have the advantage, and they still managed to win on a neutral field when the defense was clicking. Whatever happened during that bye week, outsiders may never know, but the team has truly bought into Fangio’s scheme.
Fangio’s defense will likely have the personnel advantage as well, with the various injuries and Cooper DeJean’s, Quinyon Mitchell’s, and Zack Baun’s progressions. Almost everyone on this defense got better throughout the season. However, it feels right to highlight those three because they were either hurt, playing in their first-ever game, or playing a new primary position for the first time.
The defense is the key to why this season went so well. I predict Lincoln Financial Field will erupt after Quinyon Mitchell gets his first career interception against Jordan Love this Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles game prediction
This game has one of the prime slots in the Sunday afternoon window, which is warranted. The Packers are a good football team, but they have yet to show that they could get over the hump. They are a combined 0-5 against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles, which is why many are picking the Eagles this weekend, including myself. Green Bay will keep it close for a good portion of the game, but the time will come when Barkley wears down the defense and breaks a long run.
Unsurprisingly, the Eagles have the highest share of second-half time of possession. With all of the long drives Jalen Hurts and company go on melting almost full quarters at a time, I expected to see them at the top. Green Bay ranks 28th in that statistic for good measure as well.
It will be cold on Sunday, but that will make the celebration all the more memorable as the Eagles will move on to the divisional round. My early prediction for an opponent is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which has plenty of history to talk about if that is how it shakes out.
Final Score: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Green Bay Packers 17
