This game was intended more for grainy, black-and-white celluloid and leather helmets than anything in vivid high definition.
The Eagles outlasted the Green Bay Packers, 10-7, on Monday night at frigid
Lambeau Field in moving to 7-2 and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
From the Eagles’ perspective, that was the only good.
Otherwise, both teams seemed to send NFL football back to its Stone Age. The game was a comedy of errors on both sides. The teams managed to post the first scoreless half in the NFL since 2022. Neither team reached the red zone until the third quarter.
The Packers’ so-called offensive wizard Matt LaFleur, who was playing with a skeleton receiving crew, saw his team blow a 22-yard reception deep inside the Eagles’ territory early in the fourth quarter, and then squander a fourth-and-one play with 1:30 left, again flagged for illegal formation, which the Eagles declined on a forced fumble by the newest Eagle, Jaelan Phillips, who finished with six tackles, four solos, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni was not much better. He practically begged the Packers to steal the game. With 27 seconds left, he decided to go for it on fourth-and-six at the Green Bay 36 with a dagger play to A.J. Brown. It didn’t work, giving Green Bay good field position to possibly tie the game.
Fortunately, Green Bay couldn’t get into field goal range.
With less than three minutes to play, Sirianni opted to throw twice with the ball at the Packers’ 43. Two incompletions stopped the clock, and the Green Bay defense wound up forcing the Eagles to punt with 2:25 to play and a chance to take the lead.
Neither coach scored brilliant points.
There were piles of good, some bad, and piles of ugly in the Eagles’ 10-7 escape from Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers.
The Good
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips making his first impactful play as an Eagle, throwing down the Packers’ Emanuel Wilson for a two-yard gain at the Packers’ 43 on the second play of Green Bay’s fourth drive. Phillips had a strong game, making four tackles, two solo in the first half. Phillips later recovered a fumble at the Eagles’ 27 with :23 left in the first half. Phillips had an incredible start, pulling down Josh Jacobs for a five-yard loss on a fourth-and-one with 1:26 to play, causing a fumble, which was recovered by Reed Blankenship. That should have sealed the game for the Eagles. Sirianni almost gave it back.
DeVonta Smith leaping up and climbing over the Packers’ Evan Williams for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 10:35 left in the game. Hurts stepped up in the pocket and had time to pass. The way the game was going, it led to what appeared to be an insurmountable 10-0 lead. Smith later came up with a huge 16-yard grab on a third-and-12 at the Eagles’ 42 with 4:52 to play. It gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs, and a chance to take more valuable seconds off the clock.
Dallas Goedert’s 22-yard pass reception on the third play of the second half. It brought the Eagles to the Green Bay 37 and eventually led to the Eagles being the first team to reach the red zone. It also led to the Eagles getting on the board first on a Jake Elliott 39-yard field goal with 8:58 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles’ first half defense. Green Bay picked up a mere 83 yards of total offense, averaging 3.0 yards a play. The Eagles did not allow the Packers to convert a third down, going 0-for-5. In five possessions, the Packers crossed midfield twice, with their last drive of the half their most effective, reaching the Eagles’ 27. But that ended when Nakobe Dean caused a fumble. Take away the Packers last drive, and Green Bay had just 50 yards of total offense.
Nakobe Dean forcing a fumble on the Packers’ final drive of the first half. The drive marked the first time Green Bay moved the ball. Dean came slamming through on a blitz into Jordan Love, squeezing the ball free, which was recovered by Phillips at the Eagles’ 35. Dean had six tackles in the first half, with five solo, one sack and one forced fumble. He finished with seven tackles, six solo.
Nolan Smith’s big return with a sack on Jordan Love at the Eagles’ 27 with :31 left in the first half. The play was actually made by Dean, who caved in the Green Bay front, creatingan opening for Smith, who pulled down Love.
Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo ripping through the Packers front to help rip down Packers’ power back Josh Jacobs for a one-yard loss that Dean and Byran Young finished on the fourth play of the Packers’ third drive.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s blocked pass on the Packers’ second-and-13 on Green Bay’s second drive at the Green Bay 33. The play came on the drive after the Jalen Hurts’ fumble and forced a third-and-13.
Jalen Hurts’ hitting Will Shipley rolling right for 11 yards, on the Eagles’ third-and-10 on the Eagles’ opening drive. Hurts averting the Packers’ blitz, and the chugging Micah Parsons coming after him.
Saquon Barkley’s 15-yard burst to the Eagles’ 39 on the Eagles’ first drive, made possible by left tackle Jordan Mailata’s block on Green Bay’s Rashan Gary, and left guard Landon Dickerson rolling the Packers’ Devonte Wyatt inside. Barkley was not touched until he was 15 yards downfield. Barkley’s 41-yard reception on a third-and-seven on the Eagles’ third drive of the second half led to their only touchdown of the game.
The Eagles getting away with an offside play, when left guard Landon Dickerson clearly jumped early on Jalen Hurts’ three-yard run on a variation of the “Tush Push” to convert the Eagles’ initial first down.
Linebacker Jalyx Hunt’s 11-yard sack on the Packers’ opening drive, back at the Eagles’ 49, pushing Green Bay out of field goal position and forcing a third-and-20. It came on a four-man rush, something the Eagles have had trouble with this season, with Hunt beating Green Bay left tackle Rasheed Walker. Hunt showed good discipline on the play, keeping contain, while rushing Love. Hunt later took down Jacobs for a four-yard loss on the Packers’ first drive of the second half at the Eagles’ 46. It pushed the Packers into a second-and-14 and out of field goal range.
The Bad
The Eagles’ second drive of the second half, a three-and-out that managed to gain a yard, and blowing an opportunity after the Eagles had held Green Bay at the Eagles’ 41. The Eagles moved to the 42, though luckily, Braden Mann booted his best punt of the night.
The Eagles losing all-everything right tackle Lane Johnson on the second play of the Eagles’ fourth drive with 5:54 left in the first half, when Packers’ safety Evan Williams came crashing in to stop Barkley and caved in Johnson’s left leg. Johnson was replaced by Fred Johnson. It was later determined to be an injured left ankle. Lane Johnson later returned with 5:49 left in the game.
A very rare shanked punt by Braden Mann, a 31-yarder that came off the right side of his foot. The Packers began their fourth drive at their 41.
The Eagles wasted their first drive. They went 16 plays, took 8:46 off the clock in the first quarter, and came away with nothing.
Mailata’s false start on the Eagles’ opening drive. The pre-snap penalty turned a third-and-five into a third-and-10. Mailata later tripped on the first play of the Eagles’ second drive, and inadvertently took down Barkley for a three-yard loss. Mailata was called for another false start on the Eagles’ fourth drive. It was not a good night for Mailata.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson missing a tackle on Josh Jacobs on the Packers’ second play of the game. Jackson later played way off Dontayvion Wicks in converting a third-and-eight with 7:12 to play, which eventually led to the Packers’ first score of the game.
Savion Williams’ 33-yard, twisting, turning kickoff return with a host of missed tackles to open the game.
The Ugly
What was Nick Sirianni thinking, going for it on fourth-and-six at the Green Bay 36 with 27 seconds left to play? He tried A.J. Brown on a dagger play, which backfired. It gave Green Bay a chance to tie the game, even though the Packers had no timeouts. Fortunately, Brandon McManus horribly missed a 64-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds.
Allowing a 25-yard reception down the middle of the field on a third-and-10 at the Packers’ 35 on the play before the two-minute warning. Love’s completion to Christian Watson brought the Packers to their 35. Eagles’ rookie safety Andrew Mukuba is turning into a coverage liability. He lost where he was down field, and allowed Watson to get tuck underneath.
With less than three minutes to play, why throw twice with the ball at the Packers’ 43? Two incompletions stopped the clock, and the Green Bay defense wound up forcing the Eagles to punt with 2:25 to play and a chance to take the lead.
Jihaad Campbell getting flagged for pass interference on Packers’ tight end Luke Musgrave, with 6:31 left to play. The 21-yard penalty came on a second-and-10 at the Eagles’ 34 and led to the Packers’ first score of the game with 5:49 to play.
A delay of game penalty on the Eagles’ first drive of the second half. It is nine games into the season and things like that should not happen. The Eagles were flagged on a third-and-seven at the Green Bay 20, which turned into a third-and-12 at the Packers’ 27 in a game when neither team was moving the ball very well. It killed the momentum, and the Eagles had to settle for a Jake Elliott 39-yard field goal and 3-0 lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter. In a game where it felt like a touchdown was worth 1,000 points, it was a blown opportunity on the Eagles’ fifth penalty, three of which were pre-snap calls.
The Eagles’ first half offense. How great the defense was in the first half, it was as ugly on the offensive side. The Eagles were only able to generate 125 yards of offense, averaging 4.0 yards a play. Their drive chart on their first five drives read: Fumble, punt, punt, punt, downs. Two of the five drives were three-and-outs. Of the five drives, the Eagles crossed midfield only once, on their first drive, which resulted in a Jalen Hurts’ fumble.
Kelee Ringo getting called for holding on a punt with 2:07 left in the first half, which wiped out a good Mann punt that landed at the Green Bay eight. Instead, the Eagles had to punt again, and the Packers began their fifth possession at their 32 with 1:54 left in the first half. It was a 24-yard difference after another rare poor punt by Mann.
Center Brett Toth flagged for holding wiping out Barkley’s 21-yard run on the Eagles’ fourth drive. The play would have given the Eagles a first-and-10 at the Packers’ 44. Instead, the Eagles had to dig out of a first-and-25 from their 25.
The Eagles’ second drive. They went three-and-out for the first time in the game, which started backwards, with Barkley tripping over Mailata, and the Packers’ Colby Wooden sniffing out a short pass to Barkley for a one-yard loss.
Hurts’ fumble at the Packers’ 13 on the Eagles’ opening drive, which may have had more to do with Packers’ linebacker Edgerrin Cooper timing the play and punching the ball free from the falling Hurts. It was Hurts’ third turnover this season, and second lost fumble, going back to September 21, 2025 when the Eagles hosted the Los Angeles Rams on the Jared Verse sack, forcing a fumble recovered by the Rams’ Nate Landman. It was only the Eagles’ NFL-low fourth turnover this season.
