PHILADELPHIA – In a playoff game that won’t garner many reruns on NFL Network, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10 Sunday in the NFC wild-card round.
Dallas Goedert bullied his way to a 24-yard touchdown in the third quarter and the Eagles defense contained Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and a depleted Green Bay receiving corps to pave the way for victory.
Neither quarterback played inspiring ball. For Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts completed his first six passes but missed his next seven and finished 13-for-21 with 131 passing yards and five rushes for 37 yards in his return after missing the last two games (and most of a third) with a concussion he suffered against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22.
Love, who tossed two interceptions, had to rely on Jacobs and tight end Tucker Kraft in the passing game, as Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed exited with injuries while Christian Watson was lost for the long term last week against the Chicago Bears.
The smoke from the pregame fireworks display hadn’t even cleared and the Eagles already had the Packers on their back foot. Oren Burks popped Packers returner Keisean Nixon on the opening kickoff and the Eagles took over at the 28-yard line after a review that appeared to show Nixon had regained possession. Saquon Barkley immediately ran for 16 yards with a bounce to the outside and a spin to move into the red zone.
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Two plays later, Hurts had all day to throw and he stood and fired to Jahan Dotson, who ran wide open in the back of the end zone for a touchdown lead 99 seconds into the game. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, he had 6.75 seconds to throw, the longest time to throw on a touchdown pass from a clean pocket this season. No Packers pass rusher got within 2.5 yards of him.
On the first play of the second quarter, Love threw deep for Dontayvion Wicks, who was running a go route up the right sideline. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, however, was running step for step with him, and the ball fell into his breadbasket for the easy interception. It was Love’s first turnover in 409 plays. He didn’t have to wait nearly as long for his next one, when he didn’t see All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun dropping back in coverage to corral an interception before halftime. Love threw a third interception to Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the final two minutes to seal the result.
Packers kicker Brandon McManus entered 20-for-21 on the season since signing with the Packers in October but pushed a 38-yard field goal right, and Green Bay came up empty on a 13-play drive that went 37 yards and took 7:37 off the clock.
Between turnovers, penalties and typically subpar special teams play, the Packers beat themselves as much as the Eagles beat them. But the defense performed admirably, as the first-half touchdown surrendered came on the short field.
The injury bug also kept biting them. Left guard Elgton Jenkins left early with a shoulder injury and backup defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt departed with a lower leg ailment. Then Doubs went down in the end zone after Love threw precariously to him in double coverage, and Reed exited with a shoulder injury later in the frame. Center Josh Myers was also carted off late in the fourth quarter.
The first time Green Bay threatened came following a defensive pass interference call on Mitchell to move into the red zone. Love targeting Malik Heath and Bo Melton on consecutive plays in the end zone, both attempts hitting their outstretched hands respectively and falling incomplete, symbolized the Packers’ uphill battle. McManus hit from 26 yards away to make it 10-3 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
The temporary salvation for the Packers’ offense was success rate on third down. Philadelphia, meanwhile, started 1-for-7 before Hurts found DeVonta Smith for 28 yards on third down in the third quarter to jumpstart a touchdown drive that made it 16-3 – Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed the extra point – and ended with Goedert stiff-arming Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine three separate times to bully his way for a 24-yard catch-and-run into the end zone.
On the final play of the third quarter, Jacobs (18 carries for 81 yards) did not let six different Eagles making contact with him impede his way to the goal line, where he almost stuck the ball over before his knee hit the ground for a touchdown. After officials initially ruled it a touchdown, replay ruled him down shy of breaking the plane. He punched it in on the next play and the extra point made it 16-10.
Barkley had some space early but went away from running the ball in the second quarter. That changed with three straight runs to him to start the second half. But Hurts took a sack on second down and the Eagles handed it off on third and long to incite some boos from the Philly faithful.
Elliott connected on field goals from 30 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to provide some breathing room.