Green Bay Packers Vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Who Has The Edge?

A lot can change in a short amount of time in the National Football League.

In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles shocked the football world and defeated New England with a backup quarterback in the 52^nd Super Bowl. Head coach Doug Pederson and his team were the toast of the town and sat atop the football world.

That same season, the Green Bay Packers had their first losing season since 2008 and had their playoff run of eight straight years halted. When that season ended, Brian Gutekunst replaced Ted Thompson as general manager, and just 11 months later, head coach Mike McCarthy was fired.

Today, the two organizations have almost done complete 180s.

The Packers are 8-3 today, 21-6 over the last two seasons, reached the 2019 NFC Championship Game, and in position to chase a Super Bowl title this season. The Eagles have bottomed out, are just 3-7-1 this year, and sit in third place in the comedically awful NFC East.

On Sunday at 3:25 p.m. (CST), the teams will meet at Lambeau Field. Green Bay is favored by 8.5 points.

Here’s a look at who has the edge at each position.

QUARTERBACKS

At this time three years ago, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was the frontrunner for NFL MVP honors. Then in Week 14, Wentz suffered an ACL injury and hasn’t been the same since.

This season, Wentz has thrown 16 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and has a dreadful quarterback rating of 73.4. The Eagles have been decimated by injury all around Wentz, but he’s also played a large role in Philadelphia’s miserable season.

“The amount of injuries and some of the things we’ve had, and sometimes as quarterbacks and really as players and even sometimes as play callers you just try to do too much and sometimes you get caught up in that,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “And we’ve had conversations where listen, you don’t have to wear the Superman cape all the time. Just go do your job and we’ll coach everybody else up. We’ll coach you up and we’ll make this thing work.

“You just don’t have to feel like you’ve got to make every play. Sometimes that can hurt you and we’ve had that probably more than once this season.”

Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is chasing his third NFL MVP award.

Rodgers leads the league with 33 touchdown passes and is first in passer rating (117.6). Rodgers is second in QBR (85.2), sixth in passing yards (3,100) and has thrown just four interceptions.

Rodgers turned 37 last week and is showing no signs of slowing down. Now in Year 2 of Matt LaFleur’s offense, Rodgers is having one of his finest seasons yet.

“For me, it was just embracing this offense and also really breaking things down after the first season and seeing where I could improve fundamentally within this offense, because it is different fundamentals,” Rodgers said. “When you’re playing in one system forever and you have those fundamentals down from that offense, things just change. You know, things change with the timing, we do so much with splits and the splits really adjust the catch points on so many of these routes that it does change the footwork. And I think that’s one thing I really focused on in training camp.”

ADVANTAGE: Packers

RUNNING BACKS

Green Bay’s rushing attack had been stuck in the mud in recent weeks. But the Packers ran for 182 yards on 39 carries (4.7 average) against Chicago last week.

Aaron Jones was terrific with 90 yards on 17 carries (5.3). Jamaal Williams also had 73 yards and a touchdown.

Last season, Jones closed the year with a bang as the weather turned nasty. In the final four games of the year, Jones averaged 109.8 yards per contest, 5.3 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns.

“I mean, we were playing in the cold up here,” Jones said. “Not a lot of people want to tackle. Everything hurts a little bit more in the cold, and I feel like I’m just starting to get into the, in my prime, getting very comfortable.

“December football, you know, you had the season, now you know how everything’s playing out. You know what to expect and those things. So I feel like I always finish strong and that’s how it should be.”

The Eagles hoped to make second-year man Miles Sanders their bellcow this season. But Sanders has missed three games this year due to injury and is averaging just 13.5 carries per game, despite averaging 5.6 yards per rush.

As a rookie in 2019, Sanders tried to bounce many runs outside, instead of being patient and following his blocks. He’s improved dramatically in that area and could be the Eagles’ best chance to pulling an upset Sunday.

“He’s an explosive back,” Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said of Sanders. “He can make you miss, he runs well between the tackles, he’s good out of the backfield in the pass game, solid at pass protection. Anytime you’re going against him, it’s a challenge.”

ADVANTAGE: Packers

RECEIVERS

The Eagles have one of the NFL’s poorest groups of receivers.

Second-year man Travis Fulgham, who was released by Green Bay in training camp, leads the Eagles with 467 receiving yards. Pedestrian Greg Ward tops the team in catches (41), but is averaging just 7.2 yards per reception.

Alshon Jeffery is 30 and coming back from a foot injury that required season-ending surgery less than a year ago. He averaged a career-low 11.4 yards per catch last season and isn’t close to the same player who went to the Pro Bowl in Chicago earlier in his career.

The Eagles will welcome back tight end Zach Ertz, who’s been out since Week 6 with a high ankle sprain. Ertz went to three straight Pro Bowls between 2017-19, averaged 93 receptions in those seasons and is still the Eagles’ top weapon in the passing game.

“Ertz is definitely a guy that you’ve got to be aware where he’s at all times on the field,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think he’s definitely a security blanket for Carson. Just a guy that’s totally reliable, one of the best in the business. So you’ve just got to know where he’s at at all times because he can hurt you.”

Green Bay’s Equanimeous St. Brown played a season-high 38 snaps last week (54%). He also had a season-best two catches for 39 yards.

St. Brown, who is extremely physical, spent all of 2019 on the injured reserve list (ankle) and three weeks earlier this year with a knee injury. He appears healthy now, though, and could have a greater role down the stretch.

“I just think the knee has gradually gotten better since the injury and he still had some setbacks early in training camp,” Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable said. “He had to go on IR which is unfortunate. But the one thing I realize with him is just his confidence and also his competitiveness have turned up.

“Sitting out, he realized if I’m going to be out here with these guys I gotta be playing at this level. Just his attention to detail, his competitiveness and his confidence is just at an all-time high since I’ve been around him.”

ADVANTAGE: Packers

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Eagles will be using their 11^th offensive line combination in 12 games.

Philadelphia’s line this week will include Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Isaac Seumalo at left guard, Jason Kelce at center, Jason Peters at right guard and rookie Jack Driscoll at right tackle. 

Kelce, the best player in the bunch, is the only player to start every game.

Mailata is a former Australian rugby player who has given up five sacks, but has largely held his own. Seumalo is a solid starter, while the 38-year-old Peters has bounced around the line and given up seven sacks this year.

Green Bay may look to take advantage of Driscoll, though, a fourth round rookie who has struggled in limited snaps this season.

“What he has shown when he’s in there, obviously, he’s a tough kid, he’s a smart kid, and does some really good things,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of Driscoll. “Good athlete in there, and just we feel like it’s a good opportunity for him to get back out there.”

The Packers will be without center Corey Linsley, who went on the injured reserve list Saturday. So Elgton Jenkins will slide to center and rookie sixth round pick Jon Runyan Jr. gets his first NFL start at left guard.

Runyan’s father, Jon Sr., played nine of his 14 NFL seasons with Philadelphia. Runyan Jr. has played well in spot duty this year and hasn’t allowed a sack or been penalized in 156 snaps.

“It’s really exciting. Every week, this whole year has been a really awesome experience,” Runyan said. “I’m just trying to stack days and just trying to keep getting better.

“We had a great group of guys around me who really helped me move along. When I get in there, they make me feel really comfortable. It’s really helpful having this much experience upfront and being able to carry me along with them.”

ADVANTAGE: Packers

DEFENSIVE LINE

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwarz won’t blitz very often. Instead, he’ll ask his front four to generate consistent pressure, something they’ve done extremely well this season.

The Eagles are second in the NFL with 36 sacks, third in sack yardage lost (247), and third in sack percentage (9.11%).

Fletcher Cox is one of the top defensive tackles in football and has 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Tackle Malik Jackson is a force against the run and has rebounded well from a season-ending foot injury in 2019.

Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham leads the Eagles with 7.0 sacks. End Derek Barnett, a first-round draft pick in 2017, has 12.0 sacks since the start of the 2019 season.

End Josh Sweat (4.0 sacks) and tackle Javon Hargrave provide terrific depth.

“They’re definitely one of the better D-lines in the NFL,” Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said of the Eagles. “They do a great job, they’re well-coached, play hard. We’re going to have a gigantic challenge. They do a really good job and they’re very physical and they play with great effort. They play the right way.”

Green Bay allowed 7.6 yards per carry last week in its win over Chicago. Bears mediocre back David Montgomery averaged 9.4 yards per carry, highlighted by an early 57-yard run.

“The run, it was a double whammy because we were misaligned and we had a chance to fix it with some communication and we did not,” Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. “We just have to be better as far as having an awareness of our surroundings. If something doesn’t look right, we’ve got to get it fixed. Definitely something that we corrected right then and there.”

ADVANTAGE: Eagles

LINEBACKERS

Rashan Gary replaced Preston Smith as a starting outside linebacker for Green Bay last week.

Smith then made his biggest play of the year when he recovered a fumble and raced 14 yards for a touchdown shortly before halftime. In the second half, Preston Smith beat left tackle Charles Leno for a sack.

Green Bay’s coaches and players then spent the week trying to downplay the lineup change.

“We have a lot of different packages that we mix and match packages and the package that was called at the beginning of the game was just the package that was called,” Preston Smith said of not starting. “It’s not necessarily like, ‘Oh you’re not starting.’ It’s a package where RG and Z is on the field.

“There’s a package where me, RG and Z are on the field. There’s a package where me and RG are on the field, so the package that was the first call, the first couple of plays of the game, was the package where RG and Z were on the field. That’s just kind of how it played out.”

The Eagles’ group is ordinary, at best.

Weakside linebacker Alex Singleton went undrafted in 2019, but leads the Eagles in tackles (65). Strongside ‘backer Duke Riley, a fourth-year player, is starting for the first time in his career.

And T.J. Edwards, who went undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2019, starts in the middle and has 6.5 tackles for loss and is fifth overall in tackles (52).

“Really good. Really good,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of Edwards. “He’s aggressive. He runs well. He’s kind of the captain, leader there on the defense. He gets the guys lined up, tough kid. He’s a core special teams player. Been really impressed with him.”

ADVANTAGE: Packers

SECONDARY

Green Bay’s second year free safety Darnell Savage entered last week with just two career interceptions. Savage doubled that with a pair of interceptions against Bears overmatched quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky threw into double coverage in the endzone on his first interception and Savage read it perfectly. On the second, Trubisky underthrew a pass into triple coverage and Savage intercepted.

Savage became the first Packer with two interceptions in the same game since Ha Ha Clinton-Dix had two interceptions against Chicago on Dec. 18, 2018.

“The biggest thing for me is just stay patient,” Savage said. “I know the kind of athlete and how smart I am as far as football goes. So, I know my plays are going to come. It’s just staying patient and staying the course really.”

The Eagles rank eighth in the league in passing yards allowed per game (210.7). Philadelphia is just 23^rd in opponent quarterback rating (96.8), though, because it has just three interceptions all year.

The Eagles traded for longtime Lions standout cornerback Darius Slay last offseason. Slay has had a solid year and often travels with opponent’s No. 1 receivers.

“I mean, Slay’s a great player,” Packers wide receiver Davante Adams said. “He’s been doing it at a high level for a really long time now. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, so it’ll be a fun battle for sure.

“I’m not exactly sure what our head to head matchups are going to look like, how many we’re going to have, but you know, just like the past I’ll be looking forward to taking advantage of each one-on-one opportunity and hopefully come out on top of a majority of those, if not all of them.”

Fellow corner Avonte Maddox is extremely versatile and tough as nails, but is also undersized (5-9, 184).

Jalen Mills moved from corner to strong safety to replace the departed Malcolm Jenkins and has held up well. And free safety Rodney McLeod is a steady veteran that holds the group together.

ADVANTAGE: Even

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Packers signed veteran wide receiver/return man Tavon Austin Tuesday and he could give the return game a boost.

Austin, now in his eighth season, has returned three punts in his career for touchdowns and has a career average of 7.9 yards per punt return.

“I mean, he’s an established returner that’s created big plays and had a lot of big things happen,” Packers special teams coach Shawn Mennenga said of Austin. “He’s definitely dangerous with the ball in his hands. So yeah, for sure. We’re looking at those options.”

Philadelphia kick returner Boston Scott (20.1) and punt returner Greg Ward (7.1) have been mediocre. Kicker Jake Elliott is having the worst of his four NFL seasons, making just 73.3% of his field goals.

Punter Cameron Johnston is one of the NFL’s best, with an average of 48.9 per punt and a net of 42.4. Long snapper Rick Lovata played four games with Green Bay in 2015, caught on with Philadelphia late in the 2016 campaign, and has been with the Eagles since.

ADVANTAGE: Even

COACHING

Last week marked the two-year anniversary since the Packers fired head coach Mike McCarthy — who was in his 13^th season. At the time, the Packers had an aging roster, a quarterback in decline and looked like a franchise that was rapidly descending.

Green Bay then hired little-known Matt LaFleur to replace McCarthy, a move that completely reversed the Packers’ fortunes.

Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Green Bay is 21-6 overall. Only Kansas City (22-5) and New Orleans (22-5) have better records.

The Packers went 13-3 in 2019, won the NFC North and played in the conference championship game. This season, Green Bay is 8-3, leads the division by three games and is tied for the NFC’s second-best record.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, the longtime back-up to Brett Favre in Green Bay, led Philadelphia to its first-ever Super Bowl title in just his second season (2017). He’s also guided the Eagles to the playoffs in three of his first four seasons.

Pederson is 41-33-1 overall (.553) and 4-2 in the playoffs (.800). People have short memories, though, and with the Eagles struggling this season, many in Philadelphia want the Pederson-era to end.

“I haven’t been reassured one way or the other,” Pederson said recently about his job status.

If Pederson is fired at the end of the season, it’s a pretty safe guess he won’t be a free agent for long.

ADVANTAGE: Even

Prediction: Packers 34, Eagles 20

Season record: 10-1