January 12, 2025
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Jalen Hurts runs with the ball during the first half of the Eagles' Wild Card game against the Packers on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles held on and are moving on.
They came storming out of the gate against the Packers for Sunday's NFL Wild Card Game at Lincoln Financial Field, but the adrenaline settled down, as did Jalen Hurts – finally back from a concussion. As a result, the Philly offense couldn't settle into a steady rhythm.
But the defense, they stepped up to the plate.
Nolan Smith came up with two sacks, the Eagles won the turnover battle with picks from Darius Slay, Zack Baun, and then Quinyon Mitchell for his NFL first, and they always made the timely stop on Jordan Love and Green Bay, buying enough time for Dallas Goedert to storm through on a crucial score and for Jake Elliott to hit on three field goals.
The Eagles won, 22-10, outlasting their opponent once again.
They're moving on to the Divisional Round. Here's a look back at how...
If the Packers needed any final reminder that this is a different ballgame now, or disapproval that they could just shrug off a concerning loss to the Bears in their regular-season finale from a week ago, Oren Burks gave it right to them.
With the Eagles kicking off to start, the depth linebacker and special teamer shed his block, squared up to Green Bay kick returner Keisean Nixon, and hit him like a truck, sending the ball flying out.
A pile jumped after it, Eagles players all started pointing the other way to signal their ball, and after the whistle – and a review – Jeremiah Trotter Jr. had it.
The Linc erupted, and the Philly offense was jogging out to take over at the Packers'28.
That's actually our ball to start 🙂↕️@BangTimeBurks | @TrotterJr54 pic.twitter.com/eYhdSUO2Jd
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 12, 2025
Saquon Barkley took the handoff on the first play, juked to the outside, and broke away for an immediate 16-yard gain.
Early oooh’s and ahhh’s from Saquon
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QTIGAIQOoH
Two plays later, Jalen Hurts dropped back into a huge pocket. The Packers' defense only rushed four and the Eagles' offensive line had that well under control, leaving Hurts to look around back there with all kinds of time as the play extended.
Jahan Dotson, who put in a solid showing as a lead receiver for Tanner McKee and the Eagles' reserves in the Week 18 win over the Giants, carried that momentum over.
In the back of the end zone, Dotson stopped for a second on his route then made a cut to break free from his coverage and move left into open space. Hurts picked up on him and fired the pass over. Dotson caught it for the touchdown, his first as an Eagle, and the immediate 7-0 lead after Jake Elliott kicked the extra point through.
Jalen Hurts with all the time in the world. Touchdown Jahan Dotson!
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oXahvjT2mR
Green Bay needed an answer, but the Eagles' defense wouldn't allow any.
Love and the Packers offense finally stepped onto the field, only to go three-and-out with immediate pressure cracking down.
On their second possession, following an Eagles punt, Nolan Smith brought an emphatic stop to with a 3rd and short sack.
Bend like Gumby
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/gmMjnUJwlg
The third time didn't prove the charm, either.
The Eagles made it a 10-0 game with Elliott's 31-yard field goal, and shortly after the kickoff, Love, growing desperate for anything to break, launched a ball up for receiver Dontayvion Wicks down the right sideline on 2nd and 7.
Darius Slay had the read on it the entire way.
The veteran cornerback stuck to Wicks the whole way down, then only had to turn and watch as an under-thrown pass fell directly into his hands for the interception.
Darius Slay picks it off!
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TlYJLcet59
Arm punt. Field flipped. Eagles ball right at the start of the second quarter, and to that point in the game, Green Bay had yet to leave their own half of the field.
The Eagles' offense had stalled out a bit though and couldn't capitalize on the turnover, going three-and-out.
The Packers did finally make some progress, taking a 13-play, 37-yard drive into the red zone, but the Eagles' defense locked down and forced Green Bay's field goal unit out.
Yet just as the Packers looked like they were at least going to salvage three points and get on the board, kicker Brandon McManus sliced the 38-yard kick wide right.
The Eagles were still up, 10-0, with the clock rapidly approaching halftime and the ball coming back to them after the break.
The offense, beyond that initial, and short, scoring drive was still struggling to move, however.
Granted, the Packers kept running into a wall, too, with recently anointed All-Pro Zack Baun picking off another Love pass over the middle before the half ended.
Picked off by @zackbizzaun!
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/o6xarKqi95
Defense was holding everything together.
But the Eagles' defense was getting strained.
Hurts and the offense were back out to begin the second half, then were off the field just as quickly.
Their drive lasted five plays and moved a net total of two yards after the Packers stacked up on Barkley and Hurts got taken down seven yards back on a sack by Green Bay defensive end Rashan Gary.
The Eagles had to punt, and following that drive, Hurts, in his return from a concussion, was 6-for-13 passing with a touchdown, but only 39 yards and two sacks.
Barkley had 13 carries for 67 yards at that point, but the Packers' defense was cracking down on him.
A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and even Dotson only had a catch each and no more than three targets.
They couldn't keep that up.
Green Bay finally got on the board with a 26-yard field goal from McManus, but only after the Eagles' defense, with a bit of luck on some near misses, came up with another major stop in the red zone following a 12-play, 76-yard march.
The Eagles were still ahead, 10-3, late in the third quarter, but it was a one-score game.
The offense needed to come up with something to put some space between themselves and the Packers.
They found their break.
Hurts rolled out left and found Smith running with him into open space for a 28-yard gain after the catch into Green Bay territory.
Another nine-yard strike to Smith pushed the Eagles forward to the Green Bay 24, and then, on 2nd and 1, Goedert took the screen and bullied Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine the whole run down into the end zone.
DALLAS GOEDERT ANGRY RUN 😡
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rxRDVME91z
MORE: Eagles' dominant defense gifts Birds a Wild Card win over Packers
That difference of a point became a concern once Josh Jacobs produced the response for Green Bay, taking a run and barreling through everyone on a 32-yard romp down to the 1, and capped off with the punch-in a play later.
McManus hit the PAT and the Packers were suddenly down only six early into the fourth quarter.
Josh Jacobs rumbles his way to the one-yard line!
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RD2lGUGCNq
The Eagles were far from safe.
They weren't about to leave anyone breathing easy either.
With a lead in the final period, Hurts and the offense fell into their signature operation, taking their time moving 58 yards down the field, while draining 7:23 of game clock in the process.
Quick passes to Goedert and Smith, an unnecessary roughness call on Nixon for a late hit of Barkley out of bounds, and a clutch run of six yards for a first down by Kenny Gainwell kept the Eagles moving forward and into the red zone, but they got jammed up once there.
Hurts took a couple of shots both in the pocket and while on the run, and faced with a 3rd and long, the Eagles settled up and took the short field goal that Elliott nailed for a 19-10 lead.
The defense was just going to need at least another stop.
They got it done, though probably not in a way anyone expected.
Packers backup running back Emmanuel Wilson ran for four yards to set up 2nd and 6.
Baun pushed Packers tight end Tucker Kraft out of bounds after a short completion for three yards to make it third and short.
Then the Eagles piled up at the line to stop another Wilson run in its tracks for no gain. Jacobs wasn't on the field.
At fourth and short and down late, the Packers had to go for it, but arrived to that potentially ultimate spot banged up.
Top receiver Christian Watson went down for the season with a torn ACL in Week 18, and then the next two wideouts behind him in Romeo Doubs (concussion) and Jayden Reed (shoulder) both left with injury earlier in Sunday's game.
The Packers were down to their reserve receivers, and one of them, Malik Heath, did get open for that crucial fourth down play.
Love got him the pass by the Eagles' sideline, the catch was made, but Heath was out of the bounds, and all the Eagles players and staff that were right there on the spot immediately called it out.
Turnover on downs. It was Philadelphia's ball, and that was pretty much game.
The Eagles swung one more field goal to make it, 22-10, and the Packers were all but out of time, crumbling under a flurry of injuries and self-destructing penalties.
Love took a late shot for the end zone, and rookie Quinyon Mitchell came up with his first NFL pick to close the day out.
Welcome to Quinyonamo Bay
— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2025
📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OE1RLV1GTw
The Eagles are moving on.
MORE: Defense carries sleep-walking offense as Eagles advance
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