The last time the Packers and Eagles tangled in the postseason, Green Bay won a wild-card game in Philadelphia before capping the 2010 campaign with a victory at Super Bowl XLV.
The first time these franchises ever met in the playoffs, the Eagles defeated Vince Lombardi’s Packers to capture the 1960 NFL Championship.
The first lines in perhaps another championship chapter will be written Sunday when the Eagles (14-3) welcome the Packers (11-6) to Lincoln Financial Field for an NFC wild-card game.
It’s a rematch of their season-opening game on Sept. 6 in Brazil. Philadelphia recorded a 34-29 win behind three total touchdowns and 109 rushing yards from 2024 NFL rushing king Saquon Barkley.
Jalen Hurts passed for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the victory, while Jordan Love threw for 260 yards, two TDs and one pick for the Packers.
There were positive developments for both quarterbacks on Wednesday. Hurts practiced for the first time since he sustained 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 with Hurts, who took the Eagles to the Super Bowl during the 2022 season but lost wild-card games at Tampa Bay after both the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
“This is why you practice,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “This is why you go through the process of practicing and all the things that you do in practice to get on the same page to do everything there. We feel like we practice at a very high-intensity level. This is why you go out there and do these things.”
Love made his playoff debut last season, posting a 48-32 wild-card win at Dallas before falling 24-21 in the divisional round at San Francisco.
“We’ll see. Yeah, I’m hopeful,” Love told reporters after practice Wednesday 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 on runs of 11 and 2 yards. A.J. Brown caught five passes for 119 yards with a 67-yard touchdown to lead the Eagles.
“They got a lot of playmakers, so you just gotta be on all your details and try to eliminate as much space as possible,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday.
“… We know the margins are razor thin in this league and you gotta be at your best when your best is required, certainly against one of the premier football teams in this league.”
The offensive production was nearly identical, with the Packers outgaining the Eagles 414-410. Jayden Reed had 171 yards from scrimmage (138 receiving, 33 rushing) and two TDs 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 total defense (278.4) and No. 2 in scoring defense (17.8).
Green Bay was No. 5 in total 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 all limited in Philadelphia’s practice Wednesday.
The Packers lost Christian Watson for the season with a torn ACL against the Bears but fellow wide 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 past 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 T.J. Slaton (ankle) did not practice.
–Field Level Media