Eagles Knock Out Rodgers, Packers 40-33
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers is down and the Green Bay Packers are out.
The Philadelphia Eagles ran all over the Packers’ porous defense, and Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game with an oblique injury as the Eagles pulled away in the second half before hanging on for a 40-33 victory.
The Packers are 4-8. Mathematically, they’re alive in the NFC playoff chase. The reality, of course, is something different. No defense as bad as Green Bay's deserves to be playing a game of any importance in January.
Rodgers was injured on the opening possession of the third quarter when he was taken down on a third-down sack. Rodgers played the next series, helping the Packers to a field goal to cut the deficit to 34-23. As Rodgers walked off the field, he exchanged fist-bumps with coach Matt LaFleur. After Mason Crosby kicked the chip-shot field goal, Rodgers jogged to the locker room. When he emerged about 10 minutes later, it was without his uniform.
Without knowing the severity of the injury, it’s fair to wonder if Rodgers will play again this season. And, with his 39th birthday less than a week away, it’s fair to wonder if Rodgers will throw another pass in his legendary career. If so, Rodgers’ final pass will be a wayward flick into the flat to AJ Dillon.
Love entered the game with 11:11 remaining and facing a 37-23 deficit. His first completion was a toss into the flat to AJ Dillon. On the next play, he gave the Packers their first third-down conversion of the night with a connection to Allen Lazard on the sideline. On the next play, he threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson. Watson was open on a quick post, caught the ball around midfield and outran the secondary for the score.
If Green Bay could have gotten a stop, a national television audience would have been riveted to see Love get a shot to run a 2-minute drill to force overtime or maybe even win the game. Instead, the Eagles ran the ball again and again. Nine consecutive runs consumed almost 7 minutes and set up a 54-yard field goal that made it 40-30 with 2:16 to play.
Set up by Keisean Nixon’s kickoff return and a 17-yard Love-to-Allen Lazard completion, the Packers pulled within 40-33 with 1:08 to go. The Eagles recovered the onside kick and, predictably, ran out the clock with three consecutive runs.
Philadelphia gained 500 yards. An incredible 363 came on the ground. That was the third-worst showing in franchise history behind the 406 yards allowed vs. Chicago in 1955 and the 375 allowed vs. Chicago in 1977.
The Eagles led 27-20 at halftime behind 128 passing yards and 126 rushing yards by Hurts.
Philadelphia led 13-0 in the blink of an eye. It scored on a too-easy opening drive, highlighted by runs of 24 and 28 yards by Hurts, picked off Rodgers, and capitalized on the gift with a 15-yard touchdown run by Miles Sanders.
Through 6 minutes, the Packers had given up 13 points, missed five tackles and had one turnover.
But the Packers didn’t roll over. In fact, a 20-yard touchdown run by AJ Dillon and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb put the Packers in front 14-13. Aaron Jones, who had a 30-yard screen before Dillon’s run, made a leaping 23-yard touchdown catch midway through the second quarter to tie the score 20-20.
In the opening 30 minutes, the Packers were outgained 295-182 in total offense and were 0-for-3 on third down. Hurts’ previous career high for rushing was 106 yards as a rookie.
Game Ball
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had 295 yards through three quarters – 152 through the air and 145 on the ground – compared to 229 yards total for Green Bay. There’s a reason why Hurts has a chance of replacing Aaron Rodgers as NFL MVP. It’s because of an offensive line that absolutely crushed the will out of Green Bay’s defense. The Packers’ tackling was terrible but the offensive line cleared one big hole after another.
Questionable Call
Why is Green Bay’s run defense so bad? General manager Brian Gutekunst has poured a lot of resources into the position. Kenny Clark is one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. He’s re-signed Dean Lowry and signed Jarran Reed. T.J. Slaton is a promising second-year player. Devonte Wyatt was this year’s first-round pick. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry has called that group “special” on multiple occasions. And yet the Packers can’t stop anyone. Is it Barry’s scheme or play-calling? Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery’s coaching? The Packers entered the night having allowed a league-worst six games of 150-plus rushing yards. The Eagles had that long before halftime and topped 300 yards early in the fourth quarter.
The Big Moment
On the opening third down of the third quarter, Aaron Rodgers was sacked and suffered an oblique injury. He played the next series, sprinted to the locker room after the Packers settled for a field goal. His night was over. Who knows if he will play again this season – or again in a Packers uniform.
The Big Number
The Packers entered the week ranked third in the NFL with just 112 rushing yards allowed to quarterbacks. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts had 126 rushing yards in the first half alone. Michael Vick, one of the legendary runners among quarterbacks in NFL history, set the Eagles record with 130 rushing yards in 2010. Hurts finished with 157 yards, not quite an NFL record.
Three weeks ago, Chicago’s Justin Fields rushed for 178 yards – the most yards ever by a quarterback in a regular-season game. In the 2012 playoffs, San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards against Green Bay. So, at least Green Bay avoided that history.
What’s Next
The Packers will play at Chicago at noon Sunday. The Bears were routed by the Jets 31-10. Rising second-year quarterback Justin Fields (shoulder) was inactive. In a battle of backup quarterbacks, New York’s Mike White was 22-of-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns. It might be a backup battle next week, too.
