Eagles vs. Predictions Packers for the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The No. 2 seed Eagles (14-3) will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers (11-6) in the NFC wild card round at the Linc on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Let’s get to the predictions:
Ruben Frank (10-7)
There are certainly things to worry about. The Eagles’ passing pressure is not what you would want late in the season. The Packers running attack is among the best in the NFL. Jalen Hurts hasn’t played in three weeks, and the Eagles’ only two impact wide receivers are both nursing injuries serious enough to keep them out of practice at some point during the week. And the Eagles are 1-6 in their last six wild-card round games and haven’t won one at home since 2006. So that’s it. There’s also this: I think the Eagles are the better team. They have already beaten the Packers once and they are much better – especially on defense – than they were in the season opener in São Paulo. I’m expecting about 170 from Saquon Barkley, a few TD passes from Hurts, excellent red zone defense from Zack Baun and Company and ultimately a 30-22 victory and the Eagles’ 11th trip to the conference semifinals since 2000 .
Eagles 30, Packers 22
Dave Zangaro (10-7)
As far as the 7-seed goes, the Packers are a tough draw. They are a really balanced team with good offense and defense and we saw them go on the road and win in the wild card round last year before falling just short against the 49ers in the divisional round. So this probably isn’t the team the Eagles wanted to see in the first round and it will likely be a close game on Sunday. But the Eagles are better. Their 14-win season was certainly no fluke this year. They beat good teams, racked up ten straight wins and established a solid identity on both sides of the football that should play well in the playoffs.
On offense, the Eagles will have Jalen Hurts back from a concussion after missing a few games. There is clearly fear of rust at QB1, but the last time we saw him in a full game against the Packers he had one of his best performances of the season. AJ Brown (knee) probably won’t be 100 percent, but he is expected to play. That means the Eagles will have Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert all together, which is rare this season. They also still have a 2,000-yard rusher and the best offensive line in football. The Eagles’ offense is loaded with talent. As long as they don’t turn the football over — and that’s key against an opportunistic defense like the Packers, with stud safety Xavier McKinney — they can score points.
Defensively, the Eagles have been so solid since the bye week. They have my full confidence entering this game. The only fear is that they won’t be able to put enough pressure on Jordan Love, who is rarely sacked. But even if that isn’t the case, the Eagles’ secondary has been fantastic all year. I expect rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to be up to the challenge in their playoff debuts. And without WR Christian Watson, the Packers don’t have their deep threat. A big wrench will slow down Josh Jacobs. If the Eagles can do that, they can keep the Packers out of the end zone.
Eagles 24, Packers 17
Barrett Brooks (13-4)
I love the playoffs. The level of competition is getting better and the energy is also increasing. The Packers are actually a better team than I thought the Birds would face as the No. 2 seed. Both quarterbacks have some health issues entering this game, but they will start the game. Jalen Hurts has cleared the concussion protocol and I’m sure QB Jordan Love’s elbow will be good enough to play.
The Packers’ run game is very good. The Eagles’ defensive line needs to stiffen up the middle. Josh Jacob is a tough runner, especially between the tackles. If the DL can keep the LBs clear of blockers, it should stop the running game. Make the Packers offense one-dimensional. Force Love to throw the ball.
The Eagles’ offense needs to play this game with balance. Almost an even run-to-pass ratio. You all know I’m a run the ball guy, but the Packers secondary looks too good not to take advantage of it. They are very young and inexperienced. But let’s not go overboard and not run the ball consistently. Running the ball is their identity. A tough physical ground game is how the Eagles will win in the playoffs. They need to hold on to what got them there.
Eagles 31, Packers 21
Mike Mulhern (12-5)
In the expanded playoff field, only one seventh seed has ever won a game. It was the Packers a season ago when they knocked off the Cowboys. On paper, Green Bay is even better this year. They are an 11-win team that has faced the Lions, Vikings and Eagles in five of their six losses this season. They have also resolved many of their early season issues. Jordan Love went from throwing 11 interceptions in his first 8 games to throwing zero in his last 7. The defense made great strides under the leadership of first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, finishing 6th in both yards and points allowed. They are a formidable foe, and this will not be an easy match.
The key when the Packers have the ball is how well they can control it. They’re not going to destroy the Eagles, but can they stay ahead of the sticks and avoid third-and-long situations? Josh Jacobs is one of the toughest backs to bring down, but the Eagles are one of the best tackling teams in the league. Jayden Reed totaled 171 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, but much of that damage came against Avonte Maddox. Cooper DeJean has to keep Reed under control. And with Christian Watson out, there is no real deep threat. Couple that with Vic Fangio’s ability to come up with creative game plans and I think the Packers offense will be very tough to beat. Love likes to force passes into tight windows, which will result in a pair of interceptions for the Eagles.
With Jalen Hurts back and AJ Brown saying he will play, the Birds will be at full strength on offense. I can’t ignore the amount of firepower they have. Couple that with an offensive line with three guys who made the Pro Bowl: Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens and another who made 2nd team All-Pro in Jordan Mailata (note: Lane Johnson made both). I think they saddle up a fresh Saquon Barkley and ride him to the divisional round.
Eagles 23, Packers 20
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