Eagles fans are flying high after beating the Packers: ‘There was a certain buzz around the stadium’
It wasn't always pretty, but the Eagles advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. And their fans are preparing for a deep postseason run.
While the Eagles were taking care of business against the Green Bay Packers inside Lincoln Financial Field, fans packed into Xfinity Live! to cheer on the Birds, whose postseason run will continue thanks to a 22-10 win in the wild-card round Sunday.
From pregame to postgame, the South Philadelphia sports complex was full of enthusiastic fans as the Birds’ stadium hosted its first playoff game of the year — with another on tap next weekend. The parking lots were flooded with marching bands, fans wearing their favorite Eagles gear, and, of course, Philadelphia Cream Cheese heads.
Ahead of the game, Philly fans were fired up to see the No. 2 seed Eagles take on the No. 7 seed Packers for the second time this season, after the two teams met in São Paulo, Brazil, in the season opener. The Eagles are in their fourth consecutive postseason under Nick Sirianni was hired in 2021, but this year’s playoff run feels different than others — especially compared to last year’s appearance when they were knocked out early in a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
» READ MORE: Eagles grades: An opportunistic defense wore down the Packers in a wild-card win
Instead of in the midst of an epic collapse — losing five of their last six games heading into the playoffs — the Eagles entered this year’s postseason on a run, winning 12 of 13 games. Eagles fan Johnny Frascella, 26, can feel the difference.
“I will say last year the vibes were different because they started falling off, started going downhill,” Frascella said. “And then when the playoffs came around they played the Bucs and ended up losing to the Bucs right away. The vibes were just down. Now, it’s going up. They got Saquon [Barkley]. They got a lot of extra players on the roster.”
Noah Thayer, 25, and Zach Engle, 26, drove down from Quakertown and started tailgating at 10 a.m., as both lifelong Eagles fans were attending their first playoff game. They believe they’re witnessing one of the best teams in franchise history.
“I think 2017, I mean Nick Foles had a miracle run,” Thayer said. “I mean that team had a lot of heart. This team does too, but I think this team is a lot more talented and I think if they just stick together and play as a team; they can definitely make it all the way. I don’t see any reason they can’t. But I think both teams are special in their own ways and I think both teams are going to get it done.”
One thing this current team has that the 2017 Super Bowl team doesn’t have is three-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley.
In Barkley’s first year with the Eagles, the running back made history, setting the franchise single-season rushing record and becoming the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Not to mention, he was just 101 rushing yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards.
» READ MORE: Eagles’ Saquon Barkley had a blast in his first NFL home playoff game
“I love Saquon Barkley,” Thayer added. “He’s just made the team so much different this year and brought a different dynamic and everything. So, I just think this team, they’re up there. If Sirianni can keep them together, then I think this is their year for sure.”
Once the game started, the party for those that didn’t have tickets continued inside Xfinity Live!
The Eagles defense came up big with three turnovers in the first half — a fumble recovery, and two interceptions from Darius Slay and Zack Baun — and rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell added his own pick in the fourth quarter. Naturally, Birds fans were pumped.
Eagles fan Isaac Sahle said big defensive plays were one of the defining factors in Sunday’s win.
“Honestly, I feel like our defense went crazy. Zack Baun with that pick was huge, Slay had a good pick. [Expletive] Quinyon Mitchell had a good [expletive] pick. I’ve been waiting for that all year.”
On the opposite side of the ball, Jalen Hurts struggled in his return after suffering a concussion against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22, completing his first six passes of the game before throwing seven consecutive incompletions in the second quarter. Despite his early struggles, fans aren’t too worried about the quarterback.
» READ MORE: Tom Brady’s first playoff broadcast, A.J. Brown’s sideline reading, and more from Eagles-Packers on TV
When Langhorne native Bill Petraitis was asked what stood out the most from Sunday’s win, he responded “Hurts. He didn’t play great but he got the job done.”
Petraitis typically watches home games at Xfinity Live, but the 34-year-old said this experience felt different from others.
“There was a certain buzz around the stadium,” he said. “I think the Eagles are going to win the Bowl and I think everyone feels that and we’re coming around to watch the game.”
The Eagles will be back at the Linc next weekend for the divisional round. And so will their fans.