Eagles Have To Wait For Next Playoff Opponent After Beating Packers

The date and time are set for the next round, but Philly has to wait to see who wins Monday night's game between the Rams and Vikings.
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts during the game against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts during the game against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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PHILADLPHIA - The Eagles took care of business and beat the Packers, 22-10, in Sunday’s wildcard game on their home field.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not. They lost 23-20 on their home field to the Washington Commanders, so the great thorn in the Eagles’ side won’t be trekking to South Philly next weekend.

Instead, the trip east will be made by the winner of Monday night’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams. That game will be played in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Cardinals after the game was moved from Southern California due to the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.

The game between the Eagles and Rams or Vikings will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field and will be televised by NBC.

The rest of the divisional games shake out this way:

SATURDAY

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN.ABC6)

Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, 8 p.m. (FOX)

SUNDAY

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, 6:30 p.m. (CBS)

So the question has already been asked of me, which team I’d prefer to play – Vikings or Rams.

It’s true the Eagles manhandled the Rams in Week 12 on Nov. 24, with Saquon Barkley rewriting the team’s record book by rushing for a single-game record of 255 yards in a 37-20 win, made only that close when L.A. scored a touchdown with just 1:07 to play.

My opinion is the Vikings. The Bucs would have been a difficult test because their head coach, Todd Bowles, always seems to keep Jalen Hurts guessing and usually comes out on top of that matchup. Minnesota is an unknown commodity, and a first-time matchup always intrigues me more.

Either way, the Eagles are in the Divisional Round of the postseason for the second time in four seasons under head coach Nick Sirianni, who has won three straight playoff games at the Linc. That ties him with former head coach Andy Reid, who did it twice – 2000-03 and 2005-07 – and Dick Vermeil in 1979-81.

The Eagles forced four turnovers, including interceptions from Zack Baun, Darius Slay, and Quinyon Mitchell. The other came on special teams when Oren Burks jarred the ball loose from Packers return man Keisean Nixon on the opening kickoff and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. recovered it.

The four takeaways were their most in a playoff game since Jan. 19, 2002, at Chicago, when they combined for four.  The defense held the Packers to a season-low 10 points.

More NFL: Eagles Lose Key Defender In Wildcard Win: "It Hurts My Heart"


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Ed Kracz
ED KRACZ

Ed Kracz has been covering the Eagles full-time for over a decade and has written about Philadelphia sports since 1996. He wrote about the Phillies in the 2008 and 2009 World Series, the Flyers in their 2010 Stanely Cup playoff run to the finals, and was in Minnesota when the Eagles secured their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2017. Ed has received multiple writing awards as a sports journalist, including several top-five finishes in the Associated Press Sports Editors awards.