The Green Bay Packers (11-6) and the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) will face off on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in the NFC Wild Card round.
The Packers became the first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game last season. Matt LaFleur’s team, again seeded seventh, will try to repeat that feat when they face the second-seeded and NFC East champion Eagles in their postseason opener.
The Packers lost consecutive games to end the regular season, while the Eagles won 12 of 13 games to end the year.
Here are five things to watch and predict for the NFC Wild Card round:
Rematch from the first week
The Packers and Eagles opened the 2024 NFL season in Brazil, where the Eagles defeated the Packers and won 34-29 in a head-to-head battle. The rematch will end the season for one of these teams. It’s so common for teams to change throughout the season. For example, Packers rookies Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams combined for 11 defensive snaps in the first game. On Sunday, they will be key players in Jeff Hafley’s defense. On the other hand, Christian Watson caught a touchdown pass and Jaire Alexander intercepted the ball in the end zone, and neither will be available to the Packers this time. The Eagles will have all 22 of their preferred starters available in the second round, and they added rookie Cooper DeJean – a standout across the board – in the second round. Both teams leaned heavily on their veteran running backs to establish their identity, and after a shooting spree in Week 1, both defenses finished in the top ten.
Quarterback question marks
Quarterback play often determines vital games, especially in the postseason, and both the Packers and Eagles enter these contests with legitimate question marks at the quarterback position. In Green Bay, Jordan Love returns from a right elbow injury in the season finale. He also hasn’t performed particularly well in the last three games and will be without one of his main targets in Christian Watson. In Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts is returning from a concussion and hasn’t played a game since December 15. AJ Brown (knee) and Devonta Smith (defender) are also struggling with injuries. Which quarterback can handle his situation and play well enough to win on Sunday? The Packers probably need love to be a better quarterback and win.
Turning point of turnover
The Packers finished fourth in the NFL in points allowed (31) and second in points allowed (131). The Eagles finished sixth in takeaways (26) and third in points given up (117). The Packers were winning 9-1 and the Eagles were winning 8-0. It’s quite clear how vital getting the ball will be to determining the winner on Sunday. Interesting subplot – Jordan Love hasn’t thrown a single interception since November 17 and hasn’t lost a foul in the 2024 season, while Jalen Hurts has only five interceptions – and just three in his last 14 games after throwing two to the Packers in Week 1. The Packers got three takeaways and still lost the first game, but losses are almost always part of a sorrowful recipe. Will the Packers be able to get the ball on the road in the postseason? Matt LaFleur’s team was +2 (including 14 points from turnovers) in last year’s game in Dallas.
Edge and Embankment
Rookie Edgerrin Cooper was arguably the most disruptive defensive tackle in football over the final four games of the 2024 season, and will likely get his running mate back at linebacker for Sunday’s start. Quay Walker, who was playing at a high level when he suffered an ankle injury, is expected to return after missing three games. The Packers need Cooper and Walker – one of the most athletic linebacker duos in the NFL – to catch up and disrupt Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts from start to finish. The Packers should also return rookie Evan Williams, who forms a powerful safety duo with All-Pro Xavier McKinney. To beat the Eagles on Sunday, the core of the Packers defense must play at an elite level. Remember, this will be the first time in weeks that Cooper, Walker, Williams and McKinney will play together.
Last chance
By the most significant metrics, the Packers were one of the five or six best teams in the NFL heading into the 2024 season. While Matt LaFleur’s team had victories over teams like the Rams, Texans and Seahawks, the Packers had five opportunities to defeat the Eagles, Vikings and Lions and in each they failed together, and a two-game losing streak to end the regular season certainly dampened expectations heading into the postseason. Sunday is the last chance for the Packers to prove they are one of the best. There seem to be two paths forward: either the Packers lose in Philadelphia, suffer their sixth (and season-ending) loss to one of the NFC’s elite teams and establish themselves as good but not great, or the Packers prove their mettle and win in Philadelphia, finally secure a huge win and potentially advance to the NFC Playoffs. Nobody gave the Packers a chance in Dallas last year, and the 2024 team is better than the 2023 team in almost every way. The Packers must avoid the mistakes they made and the self-sabotage that defined their losses and play their most complete game of the season to continue on their preferred path on Sunday.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Packers 23 (9-8)
Packers Power win this soccer match. They have the ingredients – a great quarterback, a tackle-breaking running back, a artistic and experienced quarterback, and a turnover-inducing defense – to go to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles. At their best, the Packers can beat anyone on the field. I simply lack confidence in their ability to play four quality quarters without the self-sabotage that has defined many of their biggest games and moments in 2024, especially on the road against one of the NFL’s best teams. The Eagles are as balanced as any team in football and rarely beat themselves. Much like they did in Dallas in January, the Packers will need to consistently keep the ball, play without turnovers, get clutch passes from Jordan Love and get the ball away from Jalen Hurts a few times to win. The Eagles are great, but this game is as much about the Packers’ ability to get out of their own way as it is about the Eagles’ talent. Ultimately, I won’t be surprised if one more self-made mistake results in the loss of Sunday’s season, which could have been a standout for a newborn and impressive Packers team.
