PHILADELPHIA — The biggest game of the Wild Card weekend will feature two of the NFL’s most popular teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, and is a showdown between two of the league’s most successful franchises this century. The Eagles and Packers have played in 31 playoff games since 2000, second most in the NFL behind the New England Patriots.
It was the third time this century that the Eagles and Packers met in the playoffs, both times at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won the 2003 NFC Divisional Round, and the Packers won the 2010 Wild Card Round, aiming for their final Super Bowl title.
This time, the Eagles and Packers will rekindle their rivalry by facing each other in the playoffs, just like they did at the start of the regular season. Philadelphia and Green Bay opened the season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the Eagles returned to America with an emotional 34-31 victory. Both teams have changed significantly since then, making the matchup even more exciting.
“We don’t know this team and they don’t know us,” Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean said earlier this week. “This is not the first game. The first game is all basic stuff: tackling, catching the ball, breaking blocks.
“We’ve gotten better. They’ve gotten better. They’ve gotten the O-line and played together all year, so they’re a lot more comfortable. It’s definitely different.”
As the Eagles and Packers get ready to battle in the wild card round, here’s how to watch the game and a short preview of the showdown.
Eagles vs Packers highlights
Date: Sunday, January 12 | Time: 4:30 PM ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
Channel: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Eagles -4.5, O/U 45.5
Eagles’ transformational defense
The Eagles have had the NFL’s best defense since Week 5 (bye week). Philadelphia has allowed the fewest yards per game (251.5), yards per play (4.3), and points per game (15.9) in the league since its bye week, and is the best in the league. It is a defense.
“I felt like our defense came a long way in everything, stopping the run, stopping the pass,” Dean said. “Our technique, our blocking strength, our tackling, our fundamentals. Little things like that. I thought we all came far in all kinds of ways.”
Against the pass, the Eagles have the fewest passing yards per game (154.8), yards per attempt (5.6), and passer rating when targeted (79.0). The Eagles are fourth in the NFL in sacks (35) since their bye week and fifth in quarterback pressure rate (37.6%). Their run defense is also impressive, ranking fifth in yards per carry (4.0) and sixth in rushing yards per game (96.6).
The Eagles’ defense has been the catalyst for their rise to status as one of the best teams in the NFL.
One of the most interesting aspects of this game is that both quarterbacks have rarely given the ball back lately.
During the Eagles’ 12-1 run, Hurts completed 69.0 percent of his passes, threw 14 touchdowns and only one interception, and had a passer rating of 114.0, third in the NFL. Hurts averaged 8.6 yards per attempt, also third in the league. He also had 12 rushing touchdowns and one lost fumble, and Hurts had 26 touchdowns and just two giveaways in those 11 games. The Eagles have a turnover margin of +17 in their last 13 games (tied for 1st in the NFL).
Love also excelled defensively on the football, not committing a turnover since Week 11. During that time, Love completed 64.3 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions, posting a passer rating of 106.0 (seventh in the NFL). Love has averaged 7.8 yards per attempt over this period, which ranks sixth in the league.
Both the Eagles and Packers are cutting back on Hurts and Love a bit, but they’re not blaming themselves or putting their teams in jeopardy. The Packers also have a turnover rate of +7 after Week 12, good for 5th in the NFL.
If Hurts and Love continue to fight without turnovers, this game will be in the hands of the defense.
prediction
This is one of the most difficult games to predict during Wild Card weekend. Over the past three months, the Eagles have been one of the NFL’s best teams with a talented quarterback, the league’s best run game, and a top defense. The Packers won the wild card game as the No. 7 seed and finished in the top 10 in both offense and defense.
The winner of this game could be whoever starts the fastest or which play caller starts moving the quarterback the quickest. This will be essential for both teams, as Hurts returns from missing two games with a concussion while the Packers need to prove they can beat a team with at least 11 wins (0-5 this season).
If the Eagles take an early lead, the Packers will be in trouble. It all comes down to whether the Packers get Love and the offense can score early against an aggressive Eagles defense.
Eagles 27, Packers 20
BONUS: RJ White, who has a 76-32-2 record in Green Bay Packers games, has announced his best bet for the Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles wild card matchup. White is leaning towards the under, but who does he want to beat? Find out now on SportsLine.
