The Green Bay Packers desperately need a win this week to save their season. Unfortunately, that win will have to come against the Philadelphia Eagles, who own the NFL’s best record at 9-1.
The Eagles are one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL, including a top-five offense and the No. 2 overall defense. Meanwhile, the Packers have struggled on offense all season and have a defense performing well below expectations.
Sitting at 4-7, this week marks the start of the postseason for Green Bay, as another loss would essentially end their season. Coincidentally, when this team made its improbable run in 2016, it started with a win in Philadelphia.
If the Packers want to repeat history and pull off an upset in Week 12, it could come down to these four key matchups.
Packers RB Aaron Jones vs Eagles run defense
It may sound like a broken record, but Jones will once play a crucial role in how Green Bay’s offense fares this week. While the Eagles are proficient at defending the pass, their 19th-ranked run defense has been their Achilles heel. Philadelphia has surrendered an average of 136.8 rush yards over the last six games. Meanwhile, they are allowing a ninth-worst 4.6 yards per carry this season, according to teamrankings.com. As always, Jones will need help from his blocking, but a big performance from their top weapon is a must if Green Bay has any chance of winning.
Packers LB Quay Walker vs Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
If the Packers’ pass rush can’t keep Hurts in the pocket, it may be up to their rookie linebacker to contain Philadelphia’s quarterback. While Hurts would prefer to do most of his damage with his arm, he is not afraid to run, with 440 rushing yards this season. For that reason, Green Bay may want to consider using Walker’s speed and athleticism to spy Hurts and limit the impact he has with his legs. Of course, this strategy would be a lot easier if De’Vondre Campbell were in the lineup, but that appears unlikely after he practiced for the first time in nearly a month on Friday. For a Packers defense struggling to find answers this season, this seems like the best use of Walker’s skillset against a scrambling quarterback.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs Eagles secondary
The Eagles have one of the best pass rushes in the league, but the secondary is also something that should worry Green Bay. No team has more takeaways than this Philadelphia defense, who are tied with the Buffalo Bills for the most interceptions at 13. Even though Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks of all time at taking care of the ball, he confirmed this week that he has played with a broken thumb since week 6. Even though he won’t use that as an excuse for his accuracy issues, Rodgers has already thrown seven interceptions this season. He can’t afford to put the ball in harm’s way this week against a ball-hawking Eagles secondary.
Packers CBs vs Eagles WR AJ Brown
Brown was a great offseason pickup by Philadelphia, as he now leads the team in targets, yards, and touchdowns. And with tight end Dallas Goedert on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, Brown may be an even bigger focal point for their offense. He can hurt you deep or underneath with his run-after-catch ability, which bodes well against a Packers defense that loves to play soft zone coverage. That said, Green Bay did a solid job against Brown in 2020 when he totaled only four catches on seven targets for 43 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Jaire Alexander allowed only one catch for 10 yards during their matchup. But because the Packers refuse to let their best cover corner follow the opposing team’s best receiver, it will likely take a collective effort to stop Brown.
