On Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Green Bay Packers (11-6) will face the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) in the NFC Wild Card round.
Playoff play will consist of a massive battle at the line of scrimmage, an arena where vital games are often won and lost.
Football is a complicated game, but finding the reasons why individual matches between teams are won every week is often a elementary exercise. What wins games? Excellent quarterback play, winning the line of scrimmage, taking care of and tackling the ball, controlling huge plays, and overcoming or taking advantage of an injury situation.
So who has the advantage in the fight for Sunday’s clash?
Let’s look at some vital numbers on both sides:
Packers offense vs. Eagles defense
| GB crime | Defense of PHI | ||
| Yards per carry | 4.7 (6th place) | Yards per carry | 4.3 (10.) |
| PFF executive block class | 62.1 (22nd place) | PFF has a defensive rating | 76.5 (2nd place) |
| Start block win rate | 71% (23rd place) | Trigger a winning stop | 33% (3rd place) |
| Start the success indicator | 41.9% (11th place) | Start the success indicator | 37.1% (6th place) |
| Bags allowed | 22 (2nd place) | Bags | 41 (13) |
| Bag percentage | 4.4 (3rd place) | Bag percentage | 7.0 (15th) |
| The PFF block grade passes | 81.8 (3rd place) | PFF passes the exam urgently | 86.3 (2nd place) |
| Pass block win rate | 67% (7th place) | Rush win rate | 43% (8th place) |
Packers defense vs. Eagles offense
| GB Defense | PHI crime | ||
| Yards per carry | 4.0 (3rd place) | Yards per carry | 4.9 (5th place) |
| PFF has a defensive rating | 62.0 (24th) | PFF block class | 75.2 (6th) |
| Trigger a winning stop | 33% (6th place) | Start block win rate | 72% (9th place) |
| Start the success indicator | 37.5% (9th place) | Start the success indicator | 42.8% (9th place) |
| Bags | 45 (8.) | Bags allowed | 45 (20) |
| Bag percentage | 7.4 (9th place) | Bag percentage | 9.1 (31st) |
| PFF passes the exam urgently | 68.8 (16th place) | The PFF block grade passes | 73.8 (6th place) |
| Rush win rate | 35% (26th place) | Pass block win rate | 67% (6th place) |
While the offensive line may seem like a huge advantage for the Eagles from the outside, the numbers suggest the Packers are competitive on both ends of the floor.
On offense, the Packers are great at protecting the pass, and Jordan Love is great at avoiding sacks. Although the Packers were not a dominant run-blocking team, Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson were effective on offense, and the Packers were among the league leaders in yards per attempt. The offensive line is robust and has played together as a starting five for most of the season. Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom are great pass protectors on the edge.
Defensively, the Packers were very good at tackling and were surprisingly good at rebounding despite their lack of consistent block wins. In his first year under Jeff Hafley, Green Bay has allowed under 100 rushing yards in six of the last eight games. The Packers were great at stopping runs at or behind the line of scrimmage.
This is probably where the game will be won and lost. There’s no denying how well the Eagles are playing offensively on both ends of the field – PFF named the Eagles the best offensive line in the NFL in 2024, while the defense is comprised of a staggering seven players with at least 20 pressures, including two (Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat) with 50 or more.
The Packers face huge challenges. Can they protect Jordan Love in huge passing situations and give Josh Jacobs enough space to run to keep the offense two-dimensional? And can the Packers defense contain AND disrupt Jalen Hurts in the pocket while also ensuring that Saquon Barkley – who rushed for over 2,000 yards – doesn’t take over as a running back?
The Eagles have the advantage in attack. The Packers need to find a way to overcome the lead and win enough early battles to win the game, but they’re not being lethargic up front heading into this Sunday’s battle.
