The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers by 12 points in the Wild Card round. The No. 1 defense in the NFL continued its success into the playoffs, but the offense fell flat.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts missed the final two games of the regular season after exiting the Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders with a concussion in the first quarter. Hurts returned to practice on Jan. 8, and head coach Nick Sirianni announced on Jan. 10 that his quarterback cleared concussion protocol and would start against the Packers.
The Eagles have one of the best offensive skill groups in the NFL. Even so, it was expected that Hurts would be rusty after 21 days of no in-game action. He might’ve avoided any rust, starting the playoff game 6-for-6, passing against the Packers’ defense. That was far from true, as Hurts finished the game 13/21 for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a down game for the passing offense in the Wild Card round, but the Eagles’ offensive identity is to run the ball. Superstar running back Saquon Barkley was the focal point of the offense in 2024 en route to a 2,000-yard rushing season and both Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.
Barkley wouldn’t have had the season he did if it weren’t for the Eagles’ elite offensive line. Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens were all named to the Pro Bowl. Jordan Mailata and Johnson both earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. The only lineman not to be selected to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams was former New York Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton.
The Eagles signed Becton to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season and moved him to right guard, where he started every game and enjoyed a breakout season.
Although Eagles fans are disappointed that the passing game was nonexistent against the Packers, the run game did enough to get the win. Barkley had 25 carries for 119 yards, and the Eagles had 169 rushing yards as a team.
Hurts has incredible weapons in the passing game, including wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. Smith had 55 yards in the win over the Packers, and Goedert finished with 47 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown.
Brown only had one catch for 10 yards, but the Second-Team All-Pro has had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his Eagles career and averaged 83 receiving yards per game in 2024. He’s an uber-talented receiver who will bounce back as the Eagles continue their playoff run.
The last time the Eagles’ passing game was under scrutiny, Hurts threw for 290 yards and tossed two touchdowns against a good Pittsburgh Steelers defense at the time. Brown caught eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Smith hauled in 11 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in that matchup.
It’s not time to overreact in Philadelphia. As long as the run game and defense continue to dominate, the passing game must be serviceable. Hurts and the passing game will likely adjust with a full week of preparation and play at a higher level in the Divisional round. The only thing that matters in the playoffs is to win games. It doesn’t matter how it looks as long as it ends by holding the Lombardi Trophy.
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