Five Critical Factors for Packers in Showdown vs. Eagles

The Green Bay Packers (5-2-1) will look to rebound from a tough loss last week when they host the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) on Monday Night Football.

The Packers’ offense will look to fill the void left by Tucker Kraft as the Eagles’ offense looks to get their star players going after the bye week.

Here is how to watch as well as five things to watch for this matchup of division leaders.

Five Things to Watch in Packers-Eagles

1. Great Linebackers Meet Great Running Backs

No matter which team has the ball, there is always going to be a heavyweight running back on offense going up against a couple of great linebackers.

For the Packers, Josh Jacobs will be the workhorse of the offense. Jacobs ranks just ahead of the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley in rushing yards (534) at 15th in the NFL. Of 48 qualifying players, he is 38th with 3.79 yards per carry but is second with 10 touchdowns.

Jacobs will be running against the Eagles’ strong linebacker corps. Led by 2024 All-Pro Zack Baun, the Eagles are only 19th against the run, although they allowed just 96 rushing yards to No. 1 backs in the two games before the bye.

Baun, who leads the team in tackles with 64 this season and had five forced fumbles last season, is joined by first round pick Jihaad Campbell, who is putting together an impressive rookie season with 45 tackles, one tackle for loss, two passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble.

For the Eagles, 2024 Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley is at the center of their offense. Barkley is 16th in the NFL with 534 rushing yards, 30th with 4.09 yards per carry and tied for 14th with four rushing touchdowns. Those numbers are down sharply from last year, when he rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he’s still one of the most dangerous players in the game.

Barkley will be going head-to-head with the Packers’ great young core of linebackers. Led by Quay Walker in his fourth year, the Packers sport the fifth-ranked run defense. Walker leads the team in tackles with 71, and has added 1.5 sacks, four tackles for losses and four passes defensed. He is joined by second-year player Edgerrin Cooper, who has 62 tackles. He has only one tackle for loss after 13 during his All-Rookie debut.

2. Who Steps Up for the Packers?

After losing their leading receiver in Tucker Kraft last week, it will be a next-man-up mentality for the Packers’ passing attack.

Receiver Romeo Doubs has established himself as Jordan Love’s favorite target with a team-leading 52 targets, but the rest of the receiving corps remains in flux entering this game.

Christian Watson has proven that he has the playmaking ability that he demonstrated before his ACL tear, bringing in a 52-yard pass against the Panthers last week. While he is an explosive deep threat, can he be a weapon in the short passing game, which is what the team is missing without Kraft?

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson (9) makes a 51-yard reception against the Carolina Panthers. | Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

In Kraft’s absence, it will be Luke Musgrave, who was drafted one round before Kraft in 2023, who will be moving into the top tight end spot. Musgrave hasn’t had many opportunities this season, but he has brought in all but one of his 10 targets for 88 yards. While he may not have Kraft’s ability to run after the catch, he has shown he can be a playmaker.

Doubs, Watson and Musgrave will be key figures on Monday. Do the Packers have enough playmakers, though, with Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams questionable?

3. Veteran vs. Rookie Over the Top

For both the Packers and Eagles, they have the benefit of having playmaking safeties protecting the top of the defense.

For the Packers, it is sixth-year safety Xavier McKinney on the back of the defense. McKinney has two of the Packers’ three interceptions. Last week against Carolina, he had one interception and a sack/fumble. He is third on the team with 49 tackles and tied for second with four passes defensed. He’s a big reason why the Packers have allowed a league-low 14 completions of 20-plus yards.

“It’s fun. It’s competitive,” McKinney said of the matchup. “Whenever you dealing with two teams that have really good players, really good rosters, you know it’s going to be a competitive game, and it’s going to be fun for really all of us.

“So I think that’s the joy I get from that. These type of games and these type of rosters don’t always happen like this. So, just not taking that for granted and knowing these type of games can be really special and can really go down in history, to be honest with you.”

The Eagles have second-round pick Andrew Mukuba protecting the back side of their defense. Like teammate Jihaad Campbell, he has put together a solid rookie campaign for the Birds. Like McKinney, he leads the team in interceptions with two to go with 37 tackles, a half-sack, two tackles for losses and three passes defensed. He’s a reason why the Eagles have allowed the ninth-fewest 20-yard completions.

With both safeties playing at a high level, it will be difficult for both offenses to throw the ball downfield.

4. Field-Flipping Punters

For the first time and possibly the last time this year, the punters will be highlighted as a position to watch.

The Eagles’ Braden Mann has displayed a booming leg. In 34 attempts, he averages 52.4 yards per punt, the second-longest in the NFL. The Eagles haven’t matched his field-flipping ability with great punt coverage, as they allow an average of 13.6 yards per return, eighth-worst in the NFL. Still, Mann is 13th with a net average of 42.1 yards.

“The punter’s hit some big balls and has given up a few double-digit returns but, in my opinion, it’s not a flaw,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said. “They give up a little; they haven’t given up a lot.”

Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan (19 ) punts against the Pittsburgh Steelers. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Packers have their own monster leg at punter, third-year player Daniel Whelan. He has punted 22 times for an average of 51.9 yards per punt, which ranks just behind Mann at No. 3. The Packers have also struggled in punt coverage, allowing a 10th-worst 11.9 yards per return. However, because Whelan allows so few returns, he is third with a net average of 43.2 yards.

While it may not be the most exciting thing to see your punter trot onto the field, both teams can rest assured that their punter will be able to provide big swings in field position if their coverage units are on point.

5. Battle in the Trenches

Even in a game with two premier running backs and two MVP-level quarterbacks, it is the battle between the Packers’ star-powered defensive line and the Eagles’ highly touted offensive line that could decide the game.

While the Eagles have allowed 25 sacks, which is the ninth-most in the NFL, they have arguably the best offensive tackle duo in the league. On the left side, Jordan Mailata has allowed only one sack all season, according to Pro Football Focus. On the right, Lane Johnson has yet to allow one.

The Eagles could be the toughest matchup of the year for the Packers’ star edge-rushing duo of Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary. It helps that Parsons has spent time all over the defensive line and can be moved inside if Johnson and Mailata prove to be a brick wall.

“I know I’m not going to go out there and beat Lane Johnson 10, 20 times. That’s unrealistic,” Parsons said. “But how do I beat him one or two times that changes the game? That’s what it’s about.”

The #Packers defense has been good. Here's why Jeff Hafley believes it can become "dominant" down the stretch. ⬇️https://t.co/F5We1h97kN
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 9, 2025

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