Eagles and Packers head into their wild-card matchup with QBs Hurts and Love fighting injuries

By Canadian Press on January 9, 2025.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts returned to Eagles practice after a two-week layoff with a concussion without cameras and social media posts and fans present to dissect his performance.

As the only eyes available, Hurts’ teammates largely praised his comeback.

Hurts was sharp. He was dialed in. He played with energy. It was dope.

They were the kind of encouraging reviews the Eagles needed as they host Sunday’s NFC wild-card game against Green Bay still unsure what to expect from a quarterback recovering from a head injury.

QB concerns ran high in Wisconsin, as well. Jordan Love said his elbow — injured in the regular-season finale — was still sore, and he felt pain when he did some limited throwing in practice.

The expected marquee matchup between Hurts and Love may come down more to which one can survive 60 minutes in one piece — with temperatures expected in the 20s — rather than one healthy enough to fill a game of stupendous plays.

“It’s really just him getting back into his daily routine,” Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith. “I think with us, football is football.”

The NFC East champion Eagles (14-3) have played football about as well as any team this season — one that started with a win in Brazil over Green Bay.

Hurts guided the Eagles to 10 straight wins and Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards rushing. They boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL — a key reason they are 4 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Yes, it’s a different team and a new year, but the Eagles are acutely aware of last season’s playoffs when the Packers pulled off a road upset as a No. 7 seed in Dallas.

The Packers (11-6) are again a No. 7 seed and again hitting the road for the playoff opener. The similarities largely end there for a Packers team that has lost two straight games. Love’s elbow is an issue and wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a season-ending torn ACL last week. Watson had 29 catches for 620 yards and two touchdowns this season.

“If Love doesn’t go, there’s a little bit of change in their offense,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said, “but not a gross change.”

The Eagles would rely less on Hurts’ running should he be slowed by any lingering effects of a concussion.

Hurts, who played late in the season with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, threw for 2,903 yards this season with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw only one interception after the Eagles returned from their Week 5 bye. Thanks to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season.

Thanks to a 17th game, the 25 combined regular-season wins are the most ever in a wild-card game.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who has two 14-win seasons and a Super Bowl trip on his resume, believed his team was playing its best football of the season.

“You see that through the fundamentals. You see that through the guys being on the same page,” Sirianni said. “You see that with how the guys interact with each other because connecting is such a big deal here. We feel like we’ve continued to get better, but we’ve got to go out and show it.”

Backup plan

Packers backup QB Malik Willis injured the thumb on his right hand on a Bears defender’s helmet during the fourth quarter. He also was limited this week in practice and his status is uncertain for Sunday.

Eagles No. 2 QB Kenny Pickett was limited with sore ribs and could lose the backup spot this postseason to Tanner McKee. McKee got the start in the season finale and threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He threw for two TDs on just four pass attempts a week earlier in relief of Pickett in a win over Dallas.

Stopping Barkley

When the Packers played the Eagles in Week 1, Barkley scored three touchdowns. Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper watched most of the game from the bench.

The second-round pick played 11 snaps in his NFL debut. Now, he’s almost an every-down player and arguably the most impactful player on the defense.

Among this year’s rookie off-the-ball linebackers, he is first in tackles, tackles for losses, sacks and quarterback hits. He leads all off-the-ball linebackers with his 13 tackles for losses. And that’s while starting only four games.

Cooper’s blend of athleticism, instincts and power will be critical in trying to limit the exploits of the Eagles’ 2,000-yard rusher.

“He’s just running the ball good. That’s it,” Cooper said.

The Packers’ run defense is playing well, too. It finished third in the NFL in yards allowed per carry.

“I just listen to the play call and look at my assignment and just try to whoop the man in front of me,” he said. “That’s it.”

The Eagles will have their hands full with 1,329-yard rusher Josh Jacobs.

Second time around

Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns and A.J. Brown caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, in Brazil.

Green Bay’s Jayden Reed scored on a 33-yard jet sweep and a 70-yard reception. Reed became the first player to have a touchdown catch of 30-plus yards and a touchdown run of 30-plus yards in a season opener since Hall of Famer Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns against Washington in 1963.

Getting older

Last year, the Packers became the youngest team to win a playoff game since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last year’s team was the youngest by weighted age to make the playoffs since 1980. This year’s Packers are the second youngest.

The Packers might be young, but they’re not inexperienced. Last year as the No. 7 seed, they routed the second-seeded and NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. On Sunday, they’ll try to do it again against this year’s NFC East champs, the Eagles.

How much will that experience help?

“We’ve got new people and new pieces. I just think it’s about trying to not make the game bigger than what it is. Yes, it’s a playoff game,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “We all understand that.

“But this is the same thing that these guys have been doing for 18 weeks now and, really, their whole career. So, it’s another football game. Obviously, we know the margins are razor thin in this league, and you’ve got to be at your best when your best is required and, certainly, against one of the premier football teams in this league.”

Last year in his playoffs debut vs. the Cowboys, Love had a perfect passer rating until throwing a late incompletion.

Now, he has the experience needed to possibly take the Packers deeper in the playoffs.

“Man, it’s just about doing your job,” Reed said. “Age is nothing but a number. It’s about how you carry yourself, how you be a pro.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dan Gelston, The Associated Press