Eagles-Packers takeaways: Vic Fangio adds another pelt to the wall in playoff masterclass

The Eagles stayed alive in the postseason hunt with a 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

They’ll have to wait until Monday night to find out who they’ll play next, but there’s plenty to take away from the wild-card round victory in the meantime. Here’s what we learned:

Talking to Eagles defensive players after holding Green Bay and well-regarded offensive play-caller Matt LaFleur to a season-low 10 points, the word “trust” echoed from one end of the locker room to the other.

On one side, edge rusher Josh Sweat described the confidence that comes from having a defensive coordinator like Vic Fangio making the calls.

“We trust that Vic is going to make the right call,” Sweat said. “And we just went and executed it. It’s nice when you ain’t got to worry about what’s being called, you just trust in it and just go. That’s what happened.”

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On the opposite end of the locker room, Zack Baun explained how the “dream” interception he managed in the second quarter was possible only because of Fangio entrusting the newly minted All-Pro linebacker to improvise within the coverage call. Dropping as a middle-field defender in the Eagles’ zone coverage, Baun recognized the Packers’ route concept and cheated toward the dig route Green Bay receiver Malik Heath was running behind him to pick off Love’s pass.

“I was just trusting my coverage responsibility and kind of playing free within the system to steal a backside dig,” Baun said. “I have a list of dream interceptions that I’d like to make and that was one of them.”

What made it a dream?

“Just the situation and the coverage,” Baun said. “And the play that it was against.”

Baun’s transition from a player hoping to get a chance to stick at outside linebacker just one year ago to an All-Pro inside linebacker daydreaming about getting the perfect route concept for his zone drops is as improbable as it is transformative for the Eagles defense.

Even Baun conceded the deviation he made to break into Love’s throwing lane wouldn’t have been something Fangio would have permitted in the season opener against the Packers a few months ago.

“I think with Vic, you’ve got to earn that type of freedom,” Baun said. “It’s a, if you take it, you [better] make it, type of play. I trusted it and went and got it.”

It’s hardly the first time we’ve seen Eagles defenders taking advantage of the leeway Fangio can allow for players once they understand the framework of their coverage calls. Fangio said Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t exactly improvising for the two interceptions he managed against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, but each pick illustrated how his players can capitalize on the agency the coach gives them in certain situations.

There may be some inherent risk with the complexity Fangio’s system seems to present, but the Eagles defense has more than earned the benefit of the doubt going into the divisional round. Fangio’s flexibility has made the Eagles one of the league’s most opportunistic defenses, and that’s exactly what wins big games like Sunday’s.

Call it rust or regression, the Eagles passing game will likely need to find another gear to keep the team alive in the coming weeks.

Jalen Hurts finished 13 for 21 for just 131 yards, although he had two touchdown passes and avoided committing a turnover for the 10th time this year. That type of performance has been good enough for the Eagles to win plenty of games this year and might be good enough again in the divisional round. Beyond that, it becomes considerably murkier as the quality of opponent continuously rises.

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According to Next Gen Stats, Hurts went 3 for 9 for 23 yards and was sacked twice when pressured by the Packers, who resorted to sending extra rushers at him after their defensive line struggled to get home on the Eagles’ opening series. Be it the structure of the offense, Hurts’ decision-making, or somewhere in between, Sunday continued the trend of the signal-caller too often finishing his dropbacks with throwaways or sacks when extending plays.

The optimistic take would revolve around Hurts’ performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers last month. He followed up a shaky outing against the Carolina Panthers with one of his best games of the last two years and showed what the passing game can look like when he and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s plans are in sync. Perhaps Sunday’s game was a product of Hurts’ two weeks sidelined with a concussion and a more decisive version of the Eagles quarterback will return next Sunday.

There are reasons for skepticism, though. Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were both dealing with minor injuries going into the game and neither had their typical impact even against a Packers secondary that’s struggled since losing All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander to injury.

It’s possible the Eagles won’t need a dynamic passing game to advance in the playoffs — Hurts is often the first to point out “winning is the only thing that matters.” Still, it will certainly be more difficult for them to sustain this run without getting more efficient through the air.

The Eagles won’t know their opponent until late Monday night, but which team — the Minnesota Vikings or the Los Angeles Rams — should they want to see at Lincoln Financial Field next Sunday?

The Rams seem like the easier matchup on paper. Aside from the Eagles already having a road win against them on their resume, the combination of Los Angeles’ shaky run defense and the stagnant offensive production Sean McVay’s group had going into the postseason should give the Eagles several avenues to win the game.

» READ MORE: ‘Nasty’ Nolan Smith sacks Packers’ Jordan Love twice and sets the tone for the Eagles defense in a playoff win

The Vikings would be a challenge for multiple reasons as well. They have an opportunistic defense and a defensive coordinator in Brian Flores that could present Hurts with the type of pressure looks that gave him trouble on Sunday.

Flores has evolved some since the last time the Eagles faced the Vikings in 2023, using more zone coverage and more two-high safety sets while still maintaining the heavy blitz rate that he’s become well known for. No team had a higher blitz rate in the regular season than Flores’ group, which sent extra rushers 38.9% of the time.

The Eagles defense should feel confident in either matchup, but the offense could find it tough sledding against the 14-3 Vikings.

Nolan Smith, up: Smith was one of the Eagles’ most important players on Sunday. He had splashy plays, managing two sacks in key moments of the game, while also contributing the high-motor plays that he’s become synonymous with over the latter part of his second season. After a quiet rookie year, Smith has become a tone-setter since taking over the starting edge rusher spot previously held by Brandon Graham midway through the season and is starting to become the impact player the Eagles envisioned when they drafted him in the first round two years ago.

Jake Elliott, neutral: It’s true, Elliott hit two important field goals in the fourth quarter to pad the Eagles lead, but the missed extra point in the third quarter will allow the questions about his reliability to linger for another week. It’s fair to point out kicking this time of year is challenging — Packers kicker Brandon McManus missed a kick as well — but it’s also fair to wonder what the Eagles’ true confidence level would be sending Elliott out for a big kick in a high-leverage moment.