Before we get into a look at Sunday's Wildcard Playoff game vs. Philadelphia, a brief look at last weekend's game vs. Da Bearz.
We had a prediction of a not-at-all-close win for the Pack. Well, a funny thing happened. Or a not-funny thing, actually. Chicago won. On a last-second field goal. No double-doink here. As my good friend, Billy Da Bearz Fan, texted after the game: "This was my Super Bowl." Yup. The Packers, for the second straight game, came out flat, did not get a fast start, looked disjointed still on offense, and failed to make rookie QB Caleb Williams uncomfortable in the pocket. And when the Packers D needed to get a stop at the end — where we have seen this before? — they couldn't do so, setting up Da Bearz for a game-winning field goal with 2-seconds on the clock. Oh, let's also not forget the entire punt coverage team of the Packers got faked out by a decoy returner — on the opposite side of the field from where the punter told his teammates he would be directing his punt — only to see that punt returned for approximately a 96-yard punt return. You can't make that stuff up. The difference (one of several) leading to the loss. Oy.
The Preview
All in all, losing to Da Bearz in the season finale was not the way we hoped the Pack would go into the playoffs. Worse, losing two consecutive games to end the season to finish 11-6 (which, by the way, was exactly where we saw the Pack winding up in our preseason preview) and still not playing a complete game in all three phases of the game, doesn't build confidence looking ahead.
Plus, the Packers lost deep threat WR Christian Watson not only for the playoffs but for a good chunk of next season, as well, after a non-contact injury, torn ACL. QB Jordan Love left the game with an elbow injury on his throwing arm. He's been practicing this week so it is expected that he will be good to go against Philly. Backup QB Malik Willis also injured his throwing hand during the game and lost feeling in his time replacing Love. But he says he's good to go, too. Of course, CB Jaire Alexander is done for the season, as we know all too well. But other players are stepping up, including rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper, from whom the Packers will need a big game today along with the rest of the defense.
While the Packers are obviously one of the top teams in the NFL as evidenced by both their record and playoff spot, they also have been an enigma this season. They have a record that would have won several divisions outright, yet finished third in the strongest division, the NFC North, because they couldn't beat either the Lions or the ViQueens once each let alone twice. They were 11-6, as noted, with 5 of those losses against the Lions and ViQueens (2 each), Da Bearz (once) and ... the Eagles in the opener in Brazil. The combined points on those losses? Not much. They've been in each of those games, just couldn't close them out. Slow starts, dropped balls and missed throws, turnovers, time management. If the Packers hope to come away with the upset win today, they can't have any of those occur, separately much less together.
The Packers will need a balanced attack offensively, relying on RB Josh Jacobs and the offensive line to pound and open up the Eagles defense for Jordan Love and his receivers to move the ball in chunks. The latter will not be easily accomplished as Philly has the number one-rated pass defense. Not ideal. But if the Pack can consistently move the ball and keep QB Jalen Hurts and RB Saquon Barkley on the sidelines than on the playing field, that will increase the Pack's chances for an upset.
Now, a reminder that the Eagles are one of the top teams in the NFC and NFL and rank ahead of the Packers in most statistical categories. Today, the Packers defense will try to contain a rested Barkley, who sat out last week's finale. Fresh legs. Oy. They will also need to get pressure on Hurts, who was removed from the league's concussion protocol on Friday. He did get a practice or two in, but he may be rusty coming into the game today and the Pack needs to take advantage of that and perhaps generate a turnover early, especially.
That's a theme that came through on many pundits previews of this game: the Packers need to get a fast start. Some even noted that the game may very well be determined in the first quarter. Where the Packers have been able to get up early, they usually won; where they have not, the opposite was true.
Going against a team the likes of Philly, the Packers really need to play their best game of the year. Put the stumbles of the last two straight losses behind them and see this as an entirely new season. Be physical. Be fast. Be precise. They need to be the Green Bay Packers team that fans have believed them to be all season. The talent is there in all three phases of the game. Time for the players to put up or head to an early offseason.
The Prediction
Most pundits have the Eagles winning this game. They do have the home field advantage, of course. Philly is a tough place to play so the Pack will be playing not only the Eagles but the Eagles fans, as well. You know, the Philly folks who go to the airport to boo landings, as the great Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker, is known to say.
Oddsmakers have installed the Eagles as 4-1/2 point favorites at the time of this writing, down from 5-1/2 just a day ago. The over-under, depending on who you may be looking at, has that set at between 45 and 48; have seen both numbers tossed about.
While we are hopeful the Packers will finally put together a complete, four quarters game and pull off the upset, we really haven't seen them yet this season beat a team that's ahead of them in the win-loss record. And in the season finale, they couldn't even beat Da Bearz. So we are not optimistic.
It goes against our Green 'n' Gold-colored instincts to pick against the Packers. But looking at everything ...
We're calling it Eagles 30 - Packers 24. Hope we are wrong. Very wrong.
Go Pack Go!!!