December 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, United States; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Pictures
The last time the Packers and Eagles met in the postseason, Inexperienced Bay won a wild card game in Philadelphia before capping the 2010 campaign with a victory in Tremendous Bowl XLV.
The first time these franchises met in the playoffs, the Eagles defeated Vince Lombardi’s Packers to capture the 1960 NFL Championship.
The first lines of perhaps another championship chapter will be written Sunday when the Eagles (14-3) host the Packers (11-6) at the Lincoln Monetary Area for an NFC wild-card game.
It’s a rematch of their season opener on September 6 in Brazil. Philadelphia posted a 34-29 victory thanks to three total touchdowns and 109 rushing yards from 2024 NFL rushing king Saquon Barkley.
Jalen Hurts threw for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win, while Jordan Love threw for 260 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Packers.
There were positive developments for both quarterbacks on Wednesday. Hurts practiced for the first time since suffering a concussion in the first quarter of a Week 16 loss at Washington. Love also practiced on a limited basis after leaving the Week 18 loss to Chicago with an elbow injury.
Coach Nick Sirianni said he wasn’t worried about rust for Hurts, who led the Eagles to the Tremendous Bowl during the 2022 season but missed the wild-card games in Tampa Bay after the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
“That’s why you practice,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “That’s why you go through the practice process and all the things you do in practice to be on the same page and do everything there. We feel like we practice at a very high intensity level. That’s why you go out there and do these things.”
Love made his playoff debut last season, posting a 48-32 victory in Dallas before falling 24-21 in the divisional round in San Francisco.
“We’ll see. Yeah, I’m hopeful,” Love told reporters after Wednesday’s practice about his chances of playing Sunday.
In this season’s Week 1 game in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Barkley scored on an 18-yard reception and runs of 11 and 2 yards. AJ Brown caught five passes for 119 yards with a 67-yard touchdown to lead the Eagles.
“They have a lot of playmakers, so you have to pay attention to all the details and try to eliminate as much space as possible,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday.
“…We know the margins are very close in this league and you have to be at your best when it counts, certainly against one of the top football teams in this league.”
The offensive production was nearly identical, with the Packers outscoring the Eagles 414-410. Jayden Reed had 171 yards from scrimmage (138 receiving, 33 rushing) and two touchdowns for Green Bay.
For the season, Philadelphia finished seventh in scoring (27.2 points per game) and eighth in total offense (367.2 yards per game). The Eagles were No. 1 in complete defense (278.4) and No. 2 in scoring defense (17.8).
Inexperienced Bay was No. 5 in complete offense (370.8) and had the No. 6 defense (315.6). The Packers tied for third in the league with a plus-12 turnover margin.
In addition to Hurts, Brown (knee), backup QB Kenny Pickett (ribs) and rookie running back Will Shipley (ankle) were limited in Philadelphia’s practice on Wednesday.
The Packers lost Christian Watson for the season with a torn ACL against the Bears, but fellow receiver Romeo Doubs is back after missing that game with an illness. Linebacker Quay Walker and rookie safety Evan Williams practiced Wednesday after both missed the last three games. Quarterback Malik Willis (thumb), linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (illness, knee), defensive lineman Brenton Cox (foot) and safety Javon Bullard (ankle) were limited. Defensive lineman TJ Slaton (ankle) did not practice.
–Media at field level
