Game Preview – Playoffs – GB at PHI
Posted January 12th, 2025 | 1 Comment »Another week, another game. That’s the message Nick Sirianni is giving his team. He doesn’t want them trying to do something different. Stick to the core values. Do what they do and the Eagles will win.
Those of us on the outside obsess on this being the playoffs and will be nervous wrecks. Sirianni has seen his team go 12-1 since the 2-2 start so his message makes sense. Just keep doing what you’ve done all year. If you try to do more, you run the risk of getting away from who you are and that can cause problems.
I’ve seen some pundits talking about how the Eagles should be on upset alert. They focus on potential issues with the Eagles. I agree that Green Bay could win, but I think that has more to do with the Packers being a really good team. There is no question that they can win this game.
Green Bay was Top 8 or better in points and yards on offense and defense. They finished third overall in the DVOA rankings. They are good along the LOS and they have playmakers on offense and defense. The Eagles need to play well to win this game.
The Eagles will try to run the ball. The Packers have done a good job against the run this year. They will be without CB Jaire Alexander and I’m curious to see how both teams approach that. Will GB focus on coverage to help the secondary? Will the Eagles throw aggressively and go after the CBs?
Jalen Hurts threw for 278 yards in the season opener when Alexander was on the field. The Eagles might decide that the smart thing is to attack through the air. There is risk in that because AJ Brown has a lingering knee issue and DeVonta Smith has a back problem. Do you want to feed the ball to those guys?
Will Hurts be rusty? Will the concussion make him reluctant to run? This is the playoffs so I expect Hurts to be as aggressive as he normally is. He’s not a reckless player so he’ll be smart. He’s missed games in the past and come back strong so I don’t anticipate rust as an issue. His teammates certainly thought he looked good this week (although they are a bit biased).
Green Bay has some strategizing to do.
How @packers defense (overhang defender) plays and handles the R-P-O’s from @Eagles will be huge#nfllive pic.twitter.com/beUEwb2Hrb
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 7, 2025
The Eagles make it tough on a defense. They can run and pass. The run can be Saquon or Jalen. The passing game can be ball control or explosive. Hurts has multiple top targets to choose from. The Packers can’t try to stop everything. They need to focus on one area and hope that slows the Eagles down. It will be interesting to see what they do. My guess is that they will focus on Barkley first and take their chances with the passing game.
I’m excited as heck to see Barkley in a playoff game as an Eagle. This is why he came to Philly. The money was good, of course, but you know he also wanted a chance to win, to play January football. He’s been in the league since 2018 and has never had a home playoff game. This is all new to him.
The Packers defense is good, but vulnerable. The Eagles put up 410 yards and 34 points on them in the opener. The Vikings put up 441 yards and 27 points in a crucial game two weeks ago. The Packers do excel at taking the ball away. They were fourth in the league in takeaways and only had three games all year without at least one. Hurts and the Eagles must protect the ball better than they did in the opener.
I have talked a lot about the importance of having a veteran defensive coach like Vic Fangio in the postseason. He’s been around the league for more than 30 years. He has seen every offense you can imagine and knows how to put together a good gameplan. Fangio has his work cut out for him. The Packers have talented players and a great scheme.
Imagine trying to stop this over the course of 4 quarters from @packers pic.twitter.com/G72uUPbdHF
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) November 26, 2024
The key for Fangio will be controlling the run game with a light box so the Eagles can limit explosive plays. When the Eagles can keep the run game under control it allows the secondary to focus on coverage and play at a high level.
A secondary that’s working as one, may be primed for a playoff run.@DariusJButler loves how the @Eagles defense is playing with anticipation @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/Ba4AfFFn16
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 10, 2025
There is an interesting note here. Jordan Love is much better against zone than he is against man coverage, when WR Christian Watson is out. Watson got hurt and is out for the year. That could tempt Fangio to play more man defense. He could still keep two safeties back or he could have one come down to support the run.
If the Eagles can neutralize Josh Jacobs, that puts all the pressure on Love. There are times when he looks great and shreds defenses. There are also times when he looks in over his head and takes dumb chances. Still, I think you’d rather take away the run game and see if the CBs can do their part.
WR Jayden Reed had a monster game in the opener. The Eagles need to limit his explosives. Part of that will be through covering better and part will be through tackling better.
Special teams are always an X-factor. The Eagles have been erratic on STs this year. They can’t afford any big mistakes in the kicking game. They will need to cover well. The Packers have good returners.
A year ago Green Bay went to Dallas and blew the doors off the Cowboys, winning 48-32. The game wasn’t as close as that score sounds so that should tell you what a butt-kicking that was. The Eagles are a tougher opponent and they will not overlook the Packers, in part because of that game.
The Eagles are a damn good team. They can make a postseason run. Still, there are no guarantees. I look forward to seeing what this group can do. They have been fun all year. Let’s hope that continues on Sunday.
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