(Photo: NFL.com)
NFC Wild Card
(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Philadelphia Eagles
Packers: I didn’t like how they ended the season. They struggled in division play only winning one game which came against the Chicago Bears in November. After their big win against the Seattle Seahawks on December 15th, I was telling myself they could be a tough outcome at playoff time and that was a huge win for them as Seattle is one of the toughest places to play let alone win as a road opponent. When they were in Minnesota, they got down early and struggled, but did find a way to make the game interesting, but in the end, it was too late and the Vikings swept the season series. Last weekend against the Bears, they took their opponent a little too lightly and ended up paying for it, plus, I always say division matchups are always challenging because you can get the best from anyone in your division. With their loss to the Bears in week 18 and the Commanders winning against the Cowboys in Arlington, the Green Bay Packers find themselves in the same position they were in last season when they entered the playoffs which is the seventh seed and they made history by becoming the first seventh seed to win a postseason game when they defeated the Cowboys in the Wild Card round. One knock on Green Bay has been their defense, but this year, I saw an improvement across the board such as their run defense which used to drag them down as they were ranked seventh this year in rushing yards allowed per game. The regular season is over and it’s playoff time. Tomorrow afternoon, they will battle in a week one rematch in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Eagles: What a season it has been for them. I can admit to you I was skeptical about them after I saw how they lost in week four against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but since then, it’s been all smooth sailing and then some. Everything just gelled and clicked for them and they were once the hottest team in the league winning ten consecutive games. They dominated their division and won the NFC East for the second time in three seasons under Nick Sirianni. I understand the Detroit Lions won 15 games and are the top-seeded team in the NFC Playoff picture, but I feel the Philadelphia Eagles are the complete team in the conference because they can attack you in different ways with their offense either by slowing the game down and establishing Saquon Barkley or they can beat you with their passing attack with Jalen Hurts and his two receivers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert and their defense has been stellar this year. The pass rush has been electric and the secondary plays so well as a unit. They know how to make teams one-dimensional. I want to get back to Saquon if I may. I understand fans wanted him to play in week 18, but I know why he didn’t and I actually agree with him being benched. He wasn’t signed to break records, don’t get me wrong, I love that he recorded 2,000 yards rushing, but he was signed to help get this team to another Super Bowl. Say if he got hurt last weekend, then what? He’s had a history of struggling to remain healthy. The Linc will be rocking Sunday afternoon for their Wild Card game against the Packers.
Packers X-Factor: Xavier McKinney– What a signing he was for the Packers and his impact is very reminiscent of when Charles Woodson signed with the green and yellow. Xavier is exactly what Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley was talking about when he mentioned how he plays with vision. Xavier is a true coverage Safety who is a phenomenal tackler and seems to understand the game from all aspects. He is exactly what the Packers needed and this defense has benefitted greatly from his presence. His history against the NFC East will also come in handy in this game.
Eagles X-Factor: Cooper DeJean– He’s a rookie out of Iowa but has become a key part of a defense that’s been one of the best in the league this year. The Eagles have hit the jackpot with drafting rookie defenders who have an immediate impact and Cooper is one of them. To play in a Vic Fangio scheme, playing downhill is the most important thing and Cooper does that. It’s rare to see someone so young make the reads he does and then execute the play perfectly. He’s also versatile and can play on Special Teams. As a Cornerback, he can cover any receiver in his vicinity.
Final Thoughts: There’s always one playoff game that I’m always looking forward to and this was the one. I remember previewing their week one meeting in Brazil and what a game that was. Jalen Hurts is expected to play after missing the rest of the regular season due to a concussion and Jordan Love is also entering this game banged up. The Packers will also be without Christian Watson who unfortunately tore his ACL in week 18 and he’s the receiver Love used to stretch the field. This is also a matchup of two free-agent Running Backs in Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley who have had strong impacts on their teams this year. It’s key for the Packers to get that run game going early and as often as possible and they are at their best when Josh has it going early. Forcing those takeaways and making the Eagles a one-dimensional football team will also be crucial for Green Bay. On the Eagles side, of course, feed Saquon Barkley early and don’t get away from what works for you. Next, the passing game will open up due to Saquon and I’d attack the Packers’ secondary and lastly, slowing down Josh Jacobs will be key. I’m expecting this to be close just as it was in Brazil in week one. I like the Eagles to advance to round two.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Packers 21
