The Eagles hosted the Packers yesterday for the Wild Card round and while the Birds pulled out the win, there are definitely some concerns as we await to see who are opponent will be next week in the Divisional Round.
There is a saying that a win is a win is a win, and at the end of the day, that is true–especially in Football. While losing a game isn’t particularly bad in other sports (yes, they do start to add up) it’s the most hurtful in the NFL. This is why getting that W, by any means necessary, is important. And finding ways to win, in this writer’s opinion, is a quality championship teams need. But that will only get you so far. I touched on this during our Post Game Pod–have a listen if you haven’t already–but at some point, you need to get over that hump of “finding ways to win”. I do feel like the Eagles did that at some point in the regular season, but this Packers Wild Card game should have been a blowout.
Eagles vs Packers: The Ugly
The most obvious thing, in my book, is that Jake Elliott is no longer the elite kicker he once was. His longest field goal of the year is just 50 yards–he used to be clutch for anything in the 50s, with his longest being 61 yards. Missing the extra point didn’t end up costing the Eagles the game this time, but it’s a sign that something is off with Jake the Snake. JJ mentions this on the Post Game Pod, but there was a play that the Eagles would have definitely gone for a field goal if Elliott was in top form, with the numbers showing he can’t hit anything longer than 50 yards this year, the Birds had to leave points on the table and punt the ball while in enemy territory.
Jalen Hurts Rust. There was a lot of hope that with the additional time off, Hurts would be ready to go and rip through the Packers. And no, I’m not just upset that I missed a parlay because he missed the mark by 4 yards. I’m upset because Hurts simply didn’t look good out there today. This easily could have been a game where the Eagles were up by an additional two touchdowns and I think this falls squarely on the shoulders of QB1. Outside for his first 6 for 6, he couldn’t pass the ball well and his run game looked super off. I’m hoping that it was simply rust he had to shake off, but no matter what, it needs to be figured out before the Divisional Round–whether it be the Rams or the Vikings, we need to be a better offensive football team.
Eagles vs Packers: The Good
It goes without saying that Saquon Barkley and the Defense are the highlights of the 2024/2025 Philadelphia Eagles. The fact that the Eagles started both the first AND second half with the bar is a testament to how aggressive this defense is. With an additional 3 picks, the defense showed the national audience why they are the number 1 defense in the league. If there is one positive takeaway from this Eagles vs Packers game, it’s that I’m not worried about our defense–they will do everything they can to keep any team from scoring too many times.
Saquon Barkley is a beast. I believe Tom Brady said this during the game, and I can’t believe I’m about to agree with him, but you don’t go out and sign Barkley because you just want a divisional round or conference title. You want the Super Bowl and Barkley is a key part of that plan.
The Future
No matter who wins tonight, the Eagles will have a tough Divisional Round matchup. While I still think this team has what it takes to win and move on to the NFC Championship, the 2024 Phillies Divisional Round is lingering in the back of my head. So is the 2022 season where the city of Philadelphia lost 3 championships in one year (two on the same night)–could this be a repeat of that year? Both our premier teams, who were arguably the best team in their regular season outings, losing in the same round of the postseason yet again? I hope not.
Despite the difference in their regular season records, both the Vikings and the Rams are dangerous teams and, honestly, worse possible scenarios despite our history with the Buccaneers in the postseason. If we can get the Jalen Hurts we had the 3-4 weeks before his concussion, we’ll be in good shape, but if Hurts is still shaking the rust off and we are in any situation where it may come down to a field goal, I am very worried.
