The Philadelphia Eagles secured a hard-fought 10-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, thanks to a crucial touchdown catch by DeVonta Smith. Jalen Hurts connected with Smith on a 36-yard pass, marking the Eagles” only touchdown of the game. The Eagles” defense played a pivotal role in the win, as Brandon McManus” attempt to tie the game with a 64-yard field goal fell short as time expired.
This defeat marked the second consecutive loss for the Packers, dropping their record to 5-3-1 and placing them third in the NFC North, behind the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. The Packers had previously held the best record in the NFC before suffering a narrow 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on November 2. Currently, they would secure the seventh and final playoff spot if the season concluded today.
The game unfolded as a defensive battle, characterized by a lack of significant offensive plays, leading to the first halftime tie of the season. The Eagles managed to break the scoreless deadlock with a field goal by Jake Elliott early in the third quarter. Philadelphia initially led 3-0 and faced a critical third-and-7 situation from their own 23-yard line when Saquon Barkley made an impressive 41-yard gain after catching a pass behind the line of scrimmage. This set up Smith”s leaping touchdown reception, increasing the Eagles” lead to 10-0 with just over ten minutes remaining.
Green Bay responded by narrowing the deficit to 10-7 when Josh Jacobs rushed for a 6-yard touchdown with 5:49 left on the clock. The Packers were presented with a few opportunities to equalize in the game”s final minutes. Starting from their own 10-yard line with 2:18 remaining and two timeouts, the drive ended when Jacobs fumbled following a 4-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Eagles” 44-yard line. With 27 seconds left, the Packers got another chance from their own 36 after the Eagles opted for a long incompletion instead of punting. An 18-yard completion from Jordan Love to Bo Melton advanced the Packers past midfield, but McManus was unable to convert a potential record-breaking field goal.
This defeat denied the Packers a chance for revenge against the defending Super Bowl champions, who had previously beaten them twice last season. During the offseason, the Packers had even proposed a ban on the “tush push,” a play the Eagles have effectively utilized in short-yardage situations. While the proposal garnered support from 22 of the league”s 32 teams, it fell short of the required three-quarters majority.
In terms of injuries, the Eagles saw right tackle Lane Johnson leave the game briefly with an ankle issue but returned in the fourth quarter. Center Cam Jurgens did not play due to a knee injury. The Packers lost center Elgton Jenkins to an ankle injury and wide receiver Romeo Doubs to a chest injury, while several players, including wide receiver Matthew Golden and defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, did not participate.
Looking ahead, the Eagles will host the Detroit Lions next Sunday night, while the Packers will travel to face the New York Giants.
