Unlike the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles have a long and storied history, and Packers history has intertwined with that of the Eagles on many occasions. The Packers actually met the Eagles during
the latter’s inaugural season, posting a 10-0 win in Philadelphia in 1933. The Eagles, in turn, beat the Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship game, after which Vince Lombardi vowed that his team would never lose another championship game. They didn’t.
But what are the best performances the Packers have posted against the Eagles? I’m glad you asked. Here are some of the best games Packers players have put up against the Eagles.
Passing yards – 422 (Aaron Rodgers, 2019)
Aaron Rodgers had a monster game against the Eagles in 2019, though it came in a loss. He rolled up 422 yards on 53 passing attempts, but the Packers failed to get in the end zone on their final two drives; Jimmy Graham couldn’t haul in a high pass on 4th and goal from the Philadelphia 1-yard line, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling had another pass inside the Eagles’ 2-yard line bounce right out of his breadbasket and into the hands of an Eagles’ defender.
Rushing yards – 192 (Ahman Green, 2003)
It’s hard to have a single player rush for 192 yards and lose a game, but the Packers managed it in 2003, wasting Green’s excellent outing. Well, mostly excellent. The Packers, as a whole, struggled to hang onto the ball on a cold, wet night at Lambeau Field, fumbling six times, losing two. Green was to blame for two of those fumbles and one of those losses, and the Eagles scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to steal a 14-10 win.
Receiving yards – 180 (Davante Adams, 2019)
Another great effort, another loss. Adams’ great performance came in the same 2019 game where Aaron Rodgers piled up his 422 passing yards. Adams caught 10 of 15 targets to get the job done, and probably would have had more if not for a turf toe injury on the Packers’ second-to-last drive of the game. The pass that Valdes-Scantling dropped probably would have been headed to Adams if not for that injury, but so it goes.
Points – 24 (Jim Taylor, 1962)
Finally, a win! Jim Taylor put up 24 points for the Packers in their 1962 thrashing of the Eagles. Taylor’s four touchdowns made up just under half of the Packers’ point total that day as they cruised to a 49-0 win. Taylor won the league MVP that season, rushing for 1,474 yards on 272 carries, scoring 19 touchdowns. He led the league in all three categories, the Packers won the NFL title that year, avenging, at least in part, their 1960 championship loss to the Eagles.
Sacks – 3 (Clay Matthews, 2010)
Matthews launched his 2010 season with a bang, taking down Eagles quarterbacks three times in the Packers’ season-opening 27-20 win over the Eagles. One of the sacks was especially impactful for the Eagles. Kevin Kolb, a fourth-year second round pick, opened the 2010 season as their starter, but when Matthews chased him down and pounced on him, he pinned Kolb’s arms to his sides, preventing him from cushioning the blow as he and Matthews fell to the turf together. Kolb’s head hit hard on the turf, giving him a concussion. Kolb returned to helm one drive, but Michael Vick took over for the second half, setting off an in-season quarterback competition that Vick eventually won. Though Kolb would briefly retake the starting job, Vick did the bulk of the quarterbacking that year, later starting for Philadelphia in their playoff loss to the Packers.
Tackles – 10 (Nick Barnett, 2004; Blake Martinez, 2019)
Barnett and Martinez both deserve credit for their tackling performances against the Eagles. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as grading for quality, but four of Barnett’s 10 solo tackles against the Eagles in 2004 were for a loss, which seems noteworthy. Martinez, meanwhile, chipped in another five assists to go with his 10 solo tackles. Maybe that’s not quite as good as Barnett’s TFLs, but at least Martinez was around the ball.
Interceptions – 2 (four players)
All four of the Packers’ multi-interception days against the Eagles came in the certified olden days of professional football. Don Hutson was the first to do it, hauling in two picks in 1940. Irv Comp did it three years later as a part of his team-record 10-interception season in 1943 (Funnily enough, Comp would throw 21 interceptions the next season. A real give and take kind of guy, he was.) Bob Nussbaumer nabbed his picks as a rookie in 1946. And finally, half-blind Bobby Dillon did it in 1958. The Packers won all four games.
Here’s a bonus fact for you. In a different game, Dillon became one of just four Packers players to record an interception return for a touchdown against the Eagles, and somehow his 59-yard return in 1954 is only the third-longest of those four. Doug Hart took one back 70 yards for a score in 1970, and Bob Summers returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown in 1958. That leaves Julius Peppers’ 52-yarder in 2014 as the shortest, but definitely the most improbable.
