PHILADELPHIA — In a game where quarterback Jalen Hurts and the passing attack struggled, the Philadelphia Eagles relied on their top-ranked defense to defeat the Green Bay Packers 22-10 in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday. did.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love hasn’t thrown an interception since Nov. 17 against the Chicago Bears, a streak that has stood for more than seven games, but he has thrown two in the first half, including one near the end by the All-Pro. He was picking off a pass. linebacker Zach Baun;
The Eagles’ defense finished the regular season first in yards allowed per play (4.7) and second in yards allowed per game (17.8). Vic Fangio’s team stifled a Packers offense that was without receiver Christian Watson (torn ACL) and lost even more players along the way, including fellow receiver Romeo Dubbs.
Hurts missed the final two games of the regular season due to a concussion and was out of sorts. Receiver AJ Brown also wasn’t his usual dominant self (one catch for 10 yards) after missing two days of practice this week due to a knee injury.
The Eagles proved during the regular season that they’re good enough to win even when parts of their scheme don’t work, and they proved they can win in the more competitive playoffs as well.
The offense will need to improve to continue the season.
Eye-popping stat: Hurts took 90 minutes to complete a pass before heating up late in the third quarter. He went 6-of-13 passing for 39 yards on a drive that started with 5:46 left in the third quarter, then went 3-of-3 for 61 yards on another drive. Tight end Dallas Goedert worked his arm and finished off the drive with a 24-yard touchdown reception.
Pivotal play: Trailing by nine points midway through the fourth quarter, the Packers needed a scoring drive to keep their hopes alive. Love appeared to complete a fourth-and-3 pass to receiver Malik Heath, but Heath made a wide catch on downs and committed a turnover.
Most surprising performance: Former Packers linebacker Oren Burks set the tone for the game with a big hit on returner Keyshawn Nixon on the first kickoff, swinging a loose ball that led to a score for the Eagles. Burks also played defense in place of Dean Nakobe, who left in the first half with a knee injury, and recorded five tackles. — Tim McManus
The Packers’ defense played its part for most of Sunday’s 22-10 loss.
Offensive and special teams not so much.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Packers lost Sunday’s playoff game in much the same way they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 divisional round.
The Packers were the No. 1 seed in that game.
This time, as the No. 7 seed, they were looking to upset the No. 2 seed Eagles. The Packers pulled off the same 2-7 upset they had over the Dallas Cowboys in last year’s playoffs. But that season, they rode momentum into the playoffs, winning six of the final eight games of the regular season. This season, they limped along with two consecutive losses.
It didn’t help that Love finished the game without his top three receivers. After Watson suffered a torn ACL in the final game of the regular season, Dubs (concussion diagnosis) and Jaden Reed (shoulder) withdrew in the second half. Love went 6-for-6 on passes before Reed and Dubs were ejected, but had little success elsewhere. He finished the game 20-of-33 for 212 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Packers are 0-6 against the NFC’s top teams this season, with two losses each to the Eagles, Lions and Vikings.
An alarming trend: If it’s a playoff game, that usually means the Packers have injuries on special teams. The game started with a fumble on Nixon’s kickoff return, and in the second quarter, with the Packers leading 10-0, Brandon McManus, who had not missed a kick all season, missed it from 38 yards to the right. In last year’s playoff loss to the 49ers, he attempted a field goal with 6:21 remaining but missed. In the 2021 district loss to the 49ers, the Packers had a blocked field goal attempt and a punt attempt, the latter of which was returned for a touchdown.
Troubling Trend II: The Packers fell to 1-12 with Love starting despite being trailed by at least 10 points, including the playoffs. Their only win came against the Saints in Week 3 of last season, when they turned a 17-0 deficit into an 18-17 victory. Since then, Love has lost 11 straight such matches.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Packers didn’t have a viable plan because former Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins suffered a shoulder injury and puncture wound in the first half and did not return. First, they tried rookie sixth-round pick Travis Glover, who played just 13 snaps all season. Glover lasted only 20 snaps and was ejected after receiving three penalties: two for holding and one for a downfield violation. Kadeem Telfort was substituted after a two-minute warning in the first half, but was called for a holding penalty in the third quarter. — Rob Demovsky