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5 keys to an Eagles victory over the Packers

25 September 2019 Eagles News


The Eagles will have their work cut out for them as they travel to Lambeau Field to face off with the undefeated Green Bay Packers tonight.

No win is ever easy in the NFL, and facing Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay on a short week only complicates matters. As a result, a victory tonight would be extremely satisfying, to say the least.

Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers certainly thrive in these types of games as the home team. In Rodgers’ career, he is 67-18-1 in the regular season at Lambeau Field, and has only lost once at home in Thursday night games.

So how do the Birds get this done, you ask? Here are five keys that will help the Eagles come back to Philadelphia at 2-2.

  1. The Eagles  are 3-0 under head coach Doug Pederson in short-week Thursday Night Football games
    — Think of tonight’s game in Green Bay as a combination of the Carolina TNF game from 2017 with a little mix of the 2016 home Giants game
    — have beaten two playoff teams on  TNF (Giants in 2016, Carolina in 2017)
    — They’ll be underdogs with  very little expectation to win. Sound familiar?
    — Will take my chances with a Doug Pederson-led team as road dogs seven days a week
  2.  Wentz Magic, good starts and red zone scoring
    — It never hurts to have one of the most athletic and talented players in the entire league as your quarterback
    — This could be the game, on the national spotlight, that helps Carson silence his critics (at least for this week)
    — Green Bay is only allowing 11.7 points per game through the first three weeks, would like to see the Eagles get into the high 20s
    — The Eagles have struggled to score touchdowns early in the first halves of games so far this season. In order to get a much needed victory on the road tonight, it is imperative that they score touchdowns whenever possible, especially when in the Packers’ red zone.
    — Eagles need at least a touchdown in the first 15 minutes. Field goals against the high scoring Packers won’t get the job done
    — After two disappointing games, would not be surprised to see Wentz go toe-to-toe with the great Aaron Rodgers for the entire football world to see
  3.  Alshon Jeffery, Kamu Grugier-Hill both set to return
    — With Jeffery and Grugier-Hill set to play, both the offense and defense will add a play maker
    — Carson Wentz has already expressed his confidence in the offense with Jeffery joining the WRs group
    — Grugier-Hill can help out a banged up front-seven, as well as add some pressure to a struggling pass rush
  4.  Big game from TE tandom?
    — Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert have not exactly lived up to the title of “best tight end duo in the league” so far this season
    — Still believe that they are and expect big games from both of them, especially within the Packers’ 20-yard line
  5.  Win the turnover battle / Time of possession
    — Whenever you go against Rodgers, forcing him into multiple turnovers is never expected. But, getting one or  two, whether it comes from INTs or a fumble,  can result in the Eagles providing their offense with some short fields (much like how the Lions did last week in their victory at Lincoln Financial Field)
    — The Packers are allowing the eighth most rushing yards per game in 2019, giving up 131 yards over the first three weeks
    — As a result of this, scoring and getting solid, time consuming rushing gains can help keep the Packers’ offense off the field, which greatly helps the chances of keeping Rodgers and Co. out of the end zone

It should be a close, challenging, tight-knit game tonight, with the game possibly coming down to who has the ball last. Here’s to hoping it’s Carson Wentz and not first ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers!

My prediction: 24-20 Eagles