Packers fall to Eagles in defensive bout

If you’re a fan of the offense, Monday night in Green Bay was ugly. If defense is your thing, this was a thing of beauty.

The NFC’s two top teams played hard on a cold night at Lambeau Field philadelphia eagles coming on top of green Bay Packers 10-7,

Every win is important in the tightly contested NFC: according to ESPN Analytics, the Eagles’ chances of capturing the No. 1 seed increased to 33% with the win; A loss would have dropped them all the way to 12%.

The defense kept the odds in favor of the defending champions. Becomes Eagles’ modified pass rush quarterback jordan love It was an uncomfortable night, holding the Packers scoreless through three quarters for only the third time under head coach Matt LaFleur.

Philly’s offense showed some life late with a 36-yard touchdown pass. jalen hurts To devonta smithAnd it was enough to push the Eagles to 7-2 as they prepare for another heavyweight showdown against detroit lions On Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)

turn: Jalen Hurts takes a 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter Saquon Barkley on a swing pass on third-and-7, which Barkley converted into a 41-yard gain down the left sideline. On the next play, Hurts found Smith in the end zone for a 36-yard score.

Most Amazing Performance: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio takes the lead jalen phillips Phillips played a major role in his first game as an Eagle and played big time. obtained from miami dolphins For a third-round pick before last week’s trade deadline, Phillips had seven QB pressures, two QB hits and six tackles. he filled josh jacobs On fourth-and-1 with 1:30 remaining, a forced fumble helped ensure Philly’s victory. Eagles have something brewing on the defensive front with the addition of Phillips nolan smith jrReturning from a triceps injury.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo played it conservative for the most part, especially on third down. There were several occasions when Philadelphia opted to run it on third-and-long. The Eagles have punted on 29 3-and-out drives this season, second-most in the NFL behind the Broncos (34). , tim mcmanus

Next game: vs. Detroit Lions (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, NBC)

Green Bay Packers (5-3-1)

This game will not be on any incriminating instructional tape. In fact, the Packers might want to burn it.

In one of the worst offensive performances of coach Matt LaFleur’s seven seasons in Green Bay, his team did not score until 5:49 left in the fourth quarter.

The Packers were never shut out under LaFleur, and it was only the third time during the coach’s tenure that they were held scoreless through three quarters. One of them was Jordan Love’s first career start, filling in for aaron rodgers Against the Chiefs in 2021. The second came against the Saints in 2023, and the Packers came back to win.

In the Saints game, they came back from 17–0 down to win 18–17. Monday’s loss was not that big. They trailed 10–0 until running back Josh Jacobs finally got the Packers on the board, completing their first scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.

This came after the Packers managed only 13 points in an upset loss to the Panthers at home last week.

The loss was particularly damaging in the standings, with the Packers (5–3–1) falling from first to third place in the NFC North.

stat to know: According to ESPN Research, Packers receivers had one dropped pass all season entering Monday night. He had two in a row in the third quarter against the Eagles. First, Romeo Doubs Central and then couldn’t get the ball on third-and-9 on the next play, with the Packers attempting to make up for it on fourth down from the Eagles’ 41. Bo Melton A ball had bounced from his chest.

Then on the Packers’ final drive, dontevian wicks Dropped one more, gave them three for the night. Including all players, the Packers came into Monday’s game with a total of five fumbles, four by non-receivers.

The biggest hole in the game plan: The Packers couldn’t find a way to repeat what they lost last week when the rising star had a tough finish. tucker craft Was lost for the season with a torn ACL. In fact, for most of the game, LaFleur worked with a run-heavy call sheet, limiting Love’s passing opportunities. It seemed like the game plan they used when Love missed two games with a knee injury last season, and LaFleur had limited backup. malik willis‘Throwing away opportunities.

trend of viewing: For the second straight game, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s unit led the team to a win. A week later, they held the Eagles in check for most of the game, a 16–13 loss to the Panthers. The Packers gave up their first points of the game on a field goal midway through the third quarter and did not give up any touchdowns until the beginning of the fourth. They gave up 16 or fewer points in all three losses. They are now 1-3 after losing by 16 or fewer points this season, their worst loss since 1978, according to ESPN Research.– Rob Demowski

Next game: But New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Fox)