NFL Playoffs 2025: Previewing Packers vs. Eagles Wild Card matchup

Every once in a while, we're gifted a fantastic Wild Card round matchup between two teams who each have Super Bowl hopes.

This year, that clash comes between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. The Packers' offense is one of the best units in the game, balancing an explosive passing game with a run game that ranks among the sport's best. They face an Eagles team that more or less does one thing offensively, but does that one thing significantly better than everyone else.

Will the Packers' offense overcome a formidable defensive challenge? Or will Philadelphia's run-centric approach be too much for them to handle? Let's break it down.

Tale of the Tape: The Eagles won their singular meeting this season, a 34-29 shootout in Week 1.

Eagles' Offense: The Eagles more or less do one thing, but they do that thing INCREDIBLY well. Philly loves to run the football; they have the second most yards and touchdowns of any team in the NFL, and rank fifth in yards per carry. Running back Saquon Barkley has been absolutely sensational, racking up 2,005 rushing yards, and 13 touchdowns on the ground, while quarterback Jalen Hurts added another 630 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Between the pair of them, Philly has dynamic rushers that keep defenses on their toes, and make them incredibly tough to stop.

Which is good, because the Eagles' passing game leaves a lot to be desired. They rank 29th in passing yard (ahead of only the Bears, Panthers and Patriots), and 12th in passing touchdowns. That's not due to lack of talent; wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both legitimate stars capable of breaking games open.

The problem for the Eagles is that Hurts has struggled frequently with connecting with his star wideouts; when they're clicking, you get games like his 270-yard, two touchdown performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. When they don't, you get Week 14 against the Carolina Panthers, when the Eagles threw for just 83 yards in a win.

Eagles' Defense: The Eagles have gone from one of the NFL's worst defenses last season to one of its best units in 2024. They rank second in scoring, and first in yards allowed. Philly's pass defense is particularly stingy; they've allowed the fewest yards in the NFL, and just 22 passing touchdowns on the year. What makes that even more impressive is that they rank in the middle of the pack in sacks, so they're just shutting teams down.

The Eagles are slightly worse against the run, ranking 12th in yards, but they've allowed just nine rushing touchdowns, and sit fifth in red zone touchdown percentage. Essentially, the Eagles want to lock you down and then run over you, and they're INCREDIBLY good at doing both of those things.

Path to Victory: Run it early, run it often, and hit a couple deep play action passes. Get up early and force the Packers to throw against your defense. Control this game early and the Eagles will be in good shape.

Packers' Offense: Want to see an offense that's among the most balanced in all of football? Then Green Bay Packers football is for you! The Packers rank eighth in scoring and fifth in total yards this season, but unlike Philly, both their run and pass games have been excellent. They rank 12th in passing yards and 10th in passing touchdowns, while sitting fifth in both rushing yards and touchdowns.

Quarterback Jordan Love spreads the ball around a lot; four pass catchers have at least 600 receiving yards, in wide receivers Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Christian Watson, along with tight end Tucker Kraft. Watson is done for the year, after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 18, which takes away Green Bay's go-to deep threat.

But the Pack aren't just a one-trick pony; running back Josh Jacobs has been an absolute stud this season, racking up 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, while Emmanuel Wilson posted a 500 yard campaign of his own. This is an offense without many flaws, and they can score on almost anyone.

Packers' Defense: Green Bay rank sixth in scoring defense and fifth in total yards allowed. Much like the offense, there's not a big difference between their pass defense (13th in yards, 10th in TDs allowed) and their run defense (seventh in yards, 13th in TDs allowed). They're a patient defense (they rank second-to-last in the NFL in blitz rate, rushing more than four on just 17.3 percent of snaps), relying on their secondary to help them get 45 sacks on the year. That secondary has also helped them snag 17 interceptions on the year, third-most in the NFL.

If Green Bay has a weakness, it's probably red zone defense; they rank just 20th in red zone touchdown percentage.

Path to Victory: The defense needs to play significantly better than they did against the Eagles in the season opener, and their best bet to get a win here is to get a lead. Philly's offense is so run-centric that they'll struggle to catch up if they have to throw, and Green Bay have the offensive firepower to hang with them if it turns into a shootout.

The Verdict: Expect a heavyweight bout in this one. Both of these teams have ideas of making a deep playoff run, and have the talent to make it happen. It wouldn't shock me to see the Packers take this one, but I think ultimately it's going to be the Eagles who come out on top.

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