The fellows of the Green Bay Packers learned that quite well on Monday night. Their offense has been particularly anemic, with perhaps their worst game coming in a 10-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Jordan Love couldn’t get it done in his final opportunity to impress. Even with a fantastic defensive performance allowing only ten points from the Eagles, they could not escape with the win. The loss adds salt to the injury as the Packers hope to be a playoff team while they juggle injuries and up and down offensive performances.
The action played out at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, a fitting setting as the Packers’ defense almost saved the day yet again. Defensive end Kingsley Enagbare expressed pride in the defensive unit’s performance, stating, “We were able to hold down their rush game for the most part and keep Jalen from scrambling and limit their deep-passing attack.” How the Packers shut down the Eagles’ running game. They completely shut down Saquon Barkley in their last game, holding him to a pathetic 2.7 yards per carry on 22 attempts.
While the defense certainly played great, it was the offense that truly let the Patriots down. Green Bay’s only touchdown came on a 50-yard pass play. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to win the victory. The Eagles’ DeVonta Smith caught the game-winning 36-yard TD pass from Jalen Hurts that clinched the Eagles victory, but delivered on an unintended theme of numerous catches. Despite this departure, the Packers’ defense was able to contain the Eagles offense for the majority of the game.
Injuries decimated the Packers, stifling an already stagnant offense. Additionally, tight end Tucker Kraft is out for the season after suffering a torn right ACL. This injury continues a long list of NFL players who have already been core affected. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs was knocked out of the game with an injury. Starting center Elgton Jenkins had to leave the game after being injured. The absence of first-round pick Matthew Golden due to a shoulder was felt on Sunday.
Through all these struggles, the Packers’ defense was incredible. Keisean Nixon remarked on their effort, stating, “Prime time, we held a team to 10 points. You can’t really ask too much more of the defense. As a defense, I feel like we’re playing ball right now, back end playing really well. It’s a complementary game though.” This quote really illustrated the pain that the team was feeling when it came to not being able to take advantage of defensive stops.
The Packers arrived in this slugfest oozing confidence after a muscle flexing, 51-26 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that game, they scored 28 of those points in the second half propelling them to a solid 35-25 win. That momentum didn’t translate into this matchup against the rowdies from Philadelphia. Ultimately, Love had a very hard time establishing a rhythm and consistency, which raised serious concerns about their offensive ceiling as they look ahead to the future. Despite this, Micah Parsons voiced his confidence in the offense: “My confidence [in the offense] is still high.”
During that stretch, the Packers’ defense did a great job of containing the Eagles’ quarterback, Jalen Hurts. As for Stetson Bennett, he had 27 yards on five carries. He found tight end Dallas Goedert for a pivotal 22-yard reception on a third quarter 4th-and-1. This remarkable play ensured Philadelphia kept the momentum.
Rico Dowdle perfectly complemented the Eagles’ one-dimensional offensive attack and was obviously the Eagles’ best player. He compiled 130 rushing yards and two touchdown game against Green Bay in their first meeting this season.
As the Packers look ahead, they must reassess their strategy and execution on offense while continuing to rely on their strong defensive showing. The next few games will be important to ensure that they stay competitive within the playoff race. For the team to succeed, they’ll have to beat the adversities that injuries bring.
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