Eagles vs. Packers predictions: Our writers make their picks for the wild-card game

The Eagles host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. Here are our writers’ predictions.

The Eagles and Packers may run different schemes on both sides of the ball, but there are several general similarities. Both offenses want to establish the run and won’t abandon it if there are initial struggles. Both defenses, meanwhile, play a heavy amount of zone coverage and don’t blitz much. There’s also a lot of strength vs strength, especially when it comes to explosive pass plays. The Green Bay offense is No. 1 in the NFL in completions of 20-plus yards, while the Eagles defense is No. 1 in preventing them. Something has to give.

Vic Fangio’s run defense has been much better, for the most part, since the opener when it allowed the Packers to run for 163 yards on 21 carries. He’s been able to limit rushing yards despite employing the most light boxes in the league. Fangio will sacrifice some yards on the ground if it means taking the ball out of quarterback Jordan Love’s hands on obvious passing downs. But Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur’s likely plan is to pound it early no matter what. No offense has run at a higher rate in the first quarter. Having Josh Jacobs helps. He’s an inside slasher who is eighth in the NFL in yards after contact (3.45). (Saquon Barkley, by comparison, is 17th at 3.17). The Packers don’t have an especially dominant O-line, but it works well as a unit opening holes in gap scheme concepts that come from the Shanahan system.

The Eagles are going to want to play from ahead — duh — but if they can get to the fourth quarter with a lead, the Packers will be hard pressed to stop Barkley in the four-minute drill. I’ll take the Eagles O-line over any defensive front in that scenario. Love has a plus arm and can make all the necessary throws, but he hasn’t been as aggressive in the second half of the season. Like Jalen Hurts, he’s sacrificed big plays for fewer turnovers. Will the elbow injury he suffered last week have any lingering effects?

Whether it does or not, the Eagles are the more complete team. They’re stronger in multiple areas, especially up front, where it matters the most. Could Nick Sirianni’s team falter? Of course. LaFleur is a very good coach and he’s won in the postseason. But I still like the Eagles and to cover the spread.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 20

The game is going to come down to how the Eagles handle Green Bay’s running game. Let Jacobs get loose a few times and allow the Packers to control the ball and the clock, and you’re playing with fire, especially if Hurts needs a little time to shake off the rust in his first football game in three weeks.

Show the Packers how far your defense has come since that Sept. 6 game in Brazil, and you’ll probably win easily.

It’s easier said than done. The Packers run the ball well. They throw the ball well. Their offense is the fifth-best in the NFL, an unusual mark for a seventh seed in the playoffs. But the NFC was really good, and the Packers are a really good football team.

The Eagles just happen to be better.

It’s fair to be worried about Hurts and how he’ll look coming off a concussion, and it’s fair to wonder if A.J. Brown is anywhere close to 100%. But the Eagles have the talent advantage, and that will go a long way when combined with the home crowd.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 17

While Jacobs is one of the top running backs in the league and Love has a big arm and a handful of capable receivers besides the injured Christian Watson, the Eagles match up well against this Packers offense. They must continue to be sound tacklers against the run. Cooper DeJean’s presence stands to provide a boost compared to the Eagles’ performance in Week 1 when Avonte Maddox was manning the slot. Not only is DeJean solid against the run, but also he’s been sound in coverage, which will be helpful in limiting Packers leading receiver and gadget player Jayden Reed.

» READ MORE: Cooper DeJean’s last playoff win made him a ‘folk hero’ in his tiny hometown

This is a good Packers team, but it hasn’t performed that way in games against top opponents. Green Bay has gone 0-5 against teams with a minimum of 13 wins this year and 11-0 against all other opponents. The Eagles have much more momentum and confidence going into the postseason compared to last year, and I think they can come out on top of this matchup with a win.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Packers 20

The Eagles are significantly better equipped to combat the run than they were in the first meeting, but the Packers’ ability to maintain a steady ground game out of 11 personnel will test the Eagles. Either they find ways to stuff the run out of nickel packages without as many men deployed along the line of scrimmage, or they run the risk of conceding matchup advantages on the outside when operating out of their base defense with Love capable of making them pay for it.

The cat-and-mouse game between Fangio and LaFleur, two of the league’s best play-callers on their respective sides of the ball, will be a fascinating one. LaFleur had the advantage in the opener, but there’s reason for optimism for Fangio in the rematch considering the defense’s progress since then.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Packers film breakdown: What Vic Fangio’s defense can expect from Matt LaFleur in playoff opener

The Eagles’ pass game has been stop-start all season and the group has been prone to dry spells early in games, but the talent advantages throughout are hard to ignore. Going through each team’s starting 22 or so players, there aren’t many spots you’d prefer a Packer to an Eagle. Add in the home-field advantage, and this feels like an Eagles win, even against a Packers team that looks better than most No. 7 seeds have in years past.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 24

The Eagles host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. Here are our writers’ predictions.

The Eagles and Packers may run different schemes on both sides of the ball, but there are several general similarities. Both offenses want to establish the run and won’t abandon it if there are initial struggles. Both defenses, meanwhile, play a heavy amount of zone coverage and don’t blitz much. There’s also a lot of strength vs strength, especially when it comes to explosive pass plays. The Green Bay offense is No. 1 in the NFL in completions of 20-plus yards, while the Eagles defense is No. 1 in preventing them. Something has to give.

Vic Fangio’s run defense has been much better, for the most part, since the opener when it allowed the Packers to run for 163 yards on 21 carries. He’s been able to limit rushing yards despite employing the most light boxes in the league. Fangio will sacrifice some yards on the ground if it means taking the ball out of quarterback Jordan Love’s hands on obvious passing downs. But Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur’s likely plan is to pound it early no matter what. No offense has run at a higher rate in the first quarter. Having Josh Jacobs helps. He’s an inside slasher who is eighth in the NFL in yards after contact (3.45). (Saquon Barkley, by comparison, is 17th at 3.17). The Packers don’t have an especially dominant O-line, but it works well as a unit opening holes in gap scheme concepts that come from the Shanahan system.

The Eagles should have a decided edge with defensive tackle Jalen Carter vs. the Packers’ interior O-line, especially if he has one-one-ones vs. right guard Sean Rhyan. But if Carter is doubled most of the game, edge rushers Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith will need to get pressure because Love doesn’t need much time to throw downfield. The Packers run to set up the pass with play action and they motion as often as any offense. The Eagles’ middle-field defenders will have to be disciplined and read their keys. Love won’t have field stretcher Christian Watson, but he loves to spread the ball around. Slot receiver Jayden Reed will test rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean. LaFleur will scheme up ways to get him to ball to capitalize on his yards-after-catch ability. Love has struggled vs. the blitz, but he has avoided sacks for the most part. He also hasn’t turned the ball over much of late. After tossing 11 interceptions in his first seven starts, he hasn’t had one in his last eight. The Eagles, though, forced an NFL-best 24 turnovers in the last 11 games of the regular season.

For all the talk about Jalen Hurts having potential rust coming off the concussion, it might not matter considering the Eagles’ slow starts for most of the season. That may be a cynical way of looking at it, but as long as the quarterback doesn’t turn the ball over — something he’s been great at since the bye — it’s likely that Barkley and the run game will do a lot of the heavy lifting early on. The Packers have a good run defense, with off-ball linebacker Edgerrin Cooper capable of blowing up plays on blitzes, but the Eagles should have the edge up front. Kellen Moore needs to stay patient with run calls. Barkley is capable of breaking off a few if he gets enough touches.

I’d expect a fair amount of zone read and run-pass option plays to help get Hurts comfortable after the missed time. Receiver A.J. Brown is dealing with a knee issue, but he’s slated to go, and he should be able to eat on slants vs. the Packers’ zone-heavy coverages. If Hurts can get the ball to Brown and returning tight end Dallas Goedert in space early on, it could be tough for Green Bay’s defense to keep pace with the quick game and Barkley. But if the Packers can take away first reads with linebackers Quay Walker and Cooper at the second level and safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams when they’re up near the line, Hurts may struggle.

» READ MORE: Xavier McKinney says he’s learned from his previous playoff loss to the Eagles and has prepared to ‘capitalize’ this time around

He has done well to protect the ball, but that has also made him trigger-shy at times. No other quarterback has had as many non-throws — throwaways, scrambles or sacks — as Hurts. Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley likes to rush only four, but he does a good job of simulating pressure. Rashan Gary is Green Bay’s best edge rusher, but Eagles tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata should be able to contain him. Hurts can’t allow the threat of pressure to affect his footwork and vision from the pocket. McKinney will be ready to pounce on errant passes. When Hurts scrambles, he needs to be decisive and aware of Cooper as a possible spy.

The Eagles are going to want to play from ahead — duh — but if they can get to the fourth quarter with a lead, the Packers will be hard pressed to stop Barkley in the four-minute drill. I’ll take the Eagles O-line over any defensive front in that scenario. Love has a plus arm and can make all the necessary throws, but he hasn’t been as aggressive in the second half of the season. Like Hurts, he’s sacrificed big plays for fewer turnovers. Will the elbow injury he suffered last week have any lingering effects?

Whether it does or not, the Eagles are the more complete team. They’re stronger in multiple areas, especially up front, where it matters the most. Could Nick Sirianni’s team falter? Of course. LaFleur is a very good coach and he’s won in the postseason. The weather shouldn’t bother the Packers, although it shouldn’t be that cold or windy. But if the game comes down to kicks, Green Bay could have the advantage. Jake Elliott just hasn’t been consistent enough to trust, and his counterpart, Brandon McManus, has missed only one kick this season. The Temple product has also kicked plenty of times at the Linc. But I still like the Eagles and to cover the spread.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 20

The game is going to come down to how the Eagles handle Green Bay’s running game. Let Jacobs get loose a few times and allow the Packers to control the ball and the clock, and you’re playing with fire, especially if Hurts needs a little time to shake off the rust in his first football game in three weeks.

Show the Packers how far your defense has come since that Sept. 6 game in Brazil, and you’ll probably win easily.

It’s easier said than done. The Packers run the ball well. They throw the ball well. Their offense is the fifth-best in the NFL, an unusual mark for a seventh seed in the playoffs. But the NFC was really good, and the Packers are a really good football team.

The Eagles just happen to be better.

» READ MORE: What’s changed the most since the Eagles and Packers met in Week 1? The top-ranked Eagles defense.

It’s fair to be worried about Hurts and how he’ll look coming off a concussion, and it’s fair to wonder if Brown is anywhere close to 100%. But the Eagles have the talent advantage, and that will go a long way when combined with the home crowd.

The Packers will provide some punch with their running game. It’s a unit that, as Zack Baun said earlier this week, knows how to run zone and gap schemes to their advantage. Baun had a breakout game in that first matchup, and the Eagles should be up to the task Sunday and move on to the divisional round.

Plus, they have Barkley.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 17

The improved playing surface isn’t the only difference in the rematch between the Eagles and the Packers in Sunday’s wild-card game.

Much like the Eagles offense, the Packers have taken more of a run-first approach since their last meeting, leaning into the talent of Jacobs. The 26-year-old running back is a free-agent addition who has had one of the best seasons for a running back in franchise history, finishing No. 5 in rushing yards (1,329). So much of the offense is predicated on the success of the run game, as LaFleur places an emphasis on marrying the run with the pass and creating the “illusion of complexity” by running similar concepts out of different looks.

Unlike Week 1, the Packers will be missing one of their top receivers in Watson come Sunday. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound speedster was the vertical threat of the Packers receiving corps, and they don’t have a one-for-one replacement that can perform his role. Bo Melton, the Egg Harbor City native, is likely the next man up, but he lacks the size that makes Watson formidable against man coverage.

Regardless, Love has been inconsistent in the passing game in his second season as the starter. Recent weeks have been particularly alarming. Love has completed just 60% of his passes in his last three games (only two of his 70 total pass attempts were considered dropped passes by receivers, according to Pro Football Focus). Now, Love will be tasked with rebounding from an elbow injury to his throwing arm sustained in the season finale, a loss to the lowly Chicago Bears.

While Jacobs is one of the top running backs in the league and Love has a big arm and a handful of capable receivers besides Watson, the Eagles match up well against this Packers offense. They must continue to be sound tacklers against the run. DeJean’s presence stands to provide a boost compared to the Eagles’ performance in Week 1 when Avonte Maddox was manning the slot. Not only is DeJean solid against the run, but also he’s been sound in coverage, which will be helpful in limiting Packers leading receiver and gadget player Jayden Reed.

Meanwhile, the Packers defense has also come together over the course of the season under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. The group has been dominant against the run in recent weeks, limiting opposing offenses to just 70.4 rushing yards per game since Week 12. Cooper, the rookie linebacker who only played 11 snaps in Week 1, has been a boon for them over the last month, racking up seven tackles for a loss in the run game.

» READ MORE: Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has keyed the Packers’ improvement against the run. Up next is Saquon Barkley.

Still, the Eagles should feel good about their rushing attack with Barkley, the league’s rushing title holder, at the helm. A prolific run game could help Hurts get back into the swing of things after his three-week layoff while in concussion protocol.

The secondary lost Jaire Alexander for the season due to a torn PCL. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine have fared well in his absence, but the group is feeling the absence of Alexander, as it has allowed a 9.7% lower completion percentage with him on the field compared to when he is not this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

This is a good Packers team, but it hasn’t performed that way in games against top opponents. Green Bay has gone 0-5 against teams with a minimum of 13 wins this year and 11-0 against all other opponents. The Eagles have much more momentum and confidence going into the postseason compared to last year, and I think they can come out on top of this matchup with a win.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Packers 20

Watching the film of these teams’ Week 1 matchup almost felt like an exercise in futility because of how different each of them are going into the rematch.

The Packers have become one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL, even more so than the Eagles on early downs, which sets up an important challenge for Fangio’s group. Winning the battle on first down will keep LaFleur from deploying the entirety of his call sheet, which is often flush with play-action passes, deep shots and route concepts designed to create space downfield against the right zone coverages.

The Eagles are significantly better equipped to combat the run than they were in the first meeting, but the Packers’ ability to maintain a steady ground game out of 11 personnel will test the Eagles. Either they find ways to stuff the run out of nickel packages without as many men deployed along the line of scrimmage, or they run the risk of conceding matchup advantages on the outside when operating out of their base defense with Love capable of making them pay for it.

The cat-and-mouse game between Fangio and LaFleur, two of the league’s best play-callers on their respective sides of the ball, will be a fascinating one. LaFleur had the advantage in the opener, but there’s reason for optimism for Fangio in the rematch considering the defense’s progress since then.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Packers film breakdown: What Vic Fangio’s defense can expect from Matt LaFleur in playoff opener

On the other side of the ball, a similar set of questions will be asked by the Eagles offense. Green Bay has been solid against the run, but Barkley has been able to find success even against some of the league’s best rushing attacks throughout the season. They’ll have matchup advantages in the pass game, too, assuming Brown isn’t overly hindered by the knee injury that held him out of Thursday’s practice.

If the Eagles can stay on schedule offensively with the run game, even a rusty Hurts and a hobbled Brown shouldn’t kill their chances of finding a pathway toward winning. They’ll need to keep Green Bay honest, though, which will require timely plays from Hurts regardless of the game script.

The Eagles’ pass game has been stop-start all season and the group has been prone to dry spells early in games, but the talent advantages throughout are hard to ignore. Going through each team’s starting 22 or so players, there aren’t many spots you’d prefer a Packer to an Eagle. Add in the home-field advantage, and this feels like an Eagles win, even against a Packers team that looks better than most No. 7 seeds have in years past.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 24

The Eagles play in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.