Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs next weekend

The Philadelphia Eagles, locked in as the NFC’s No. 2 seed, now know their playoff opponent: the Green Bay Packers, who secured the No. 7 seed despite stumbling to a 20-17 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 18. The two teams will face off next weekend at Lincoln Financial Field.

Finishing the regular season with a dub!@BetMGM | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/kWCE5zQJtj

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 5, 2025

• Takeaways: Process Eagles finish regular season with 20-13 victory over the New York Little Giants
• Jordan Love and Christian Watson exit with injuries, Packers face uncertainty heading into the playoffs

Heading into Week 18, the Eagles’ potential opponents boiled down to the Packers or the Washington Commanders, both sitting at 11-5. Here’s how the scenarios shook out:

• If the Packers lost to the Bears or the Commanders beat the Cowboys, Philly would draw Green Bay.
• If the Packers won and the Commanders lost, the Commanders would come to town.

With the Packers falling to Chicago and Washington handling Dallas, it’s Green Bay that will travel to South Philly next week for the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs.

What to monitor this week:

Jordan Love’s Health: The Packers’ playoff hopes took a hit on Sunday when quarterback Jordan Love exited the game with an elbow injury. Backup Malik Willis finished the contest but struggled to generate offense. Love’s status for next weekend is a massive question mark and will be one of the top storylines leading into Wild Card Weekend.

The Eagles’ defense would likely relish the opportunity to face a less-experienced Willis instead of the more seasoned Love. Either way, Green Bay faces an uphill battle with their passing attack, which has been inconsistent all season.

Jalen Hurts’ Recovery: On the other side, the Eagles have their own quarterback health concerns. Jalen Hurts has been out since suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Commanders. While backup Tanner McKee has shown promise, Hurts’ dual-threat ability and leadership are essential to Philly’s playoff aspirations. His availability will be just as closely monitored as Love’s.

The Week 1 Thriller in Brazil: These teams already met this season in a Week 1 showcase game played in Rio de Janeiro. The Eagles came out on top in a 34-29 barnburner, with both offenses trading big plays. Hurts threw for 300+ yards and three touchdowns, while Love kept the Packers in it with two late scores. The Eagles’ ability to limit Green Bay’s rushing attack and pressure the quarterback was a key factor in that game, and they’ll look to replicate that performance on their home turf.

Playoff History: The last time these two teams met in the postseason was after the 2010 season. The Packers, the NFC’s lowest seed that year, came into Philadelphia and upset the Eagles 21-16 in the Wild Card round, thanks to Tramon Williams’ game-sealing interception of Michael Vick. That Packers team went on to win the Super Bowl, a fact that still stings in Philly.

Go Birds: This game marks the first step in what the Eagles hope will be a deep playoff run. They’ve been dominant at home this season and will look to use that advantage against a Packers team that could be missing its starting quarterback. For Green Bay, the stakes are equally high. Love’s status looms large, but the Packers will need their entire roster to step up if they hope to pull off a shocking road win.

Get ready, Philly. Playoff football is back at the Linc, and it starts next weekend.

Join The Chase