Packer Central

What’s Packers-Eagles Score? Live Updates From Wild-Card Playoff Game

In an NFC wild-card playoff game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Green Bay Packers will play at the Philadelphia Eagles. Follow along all day for updates.
Bill Huber|
The scene before Packers-Eagles
The scene before Packers-Eagles | Jacob Westendorf/Packers On SI

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Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers kicked off the 2024 NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles and they’ll meet again in an NFC wild-card game on Sunday.

Can the Packers upset the Eagles to earn a return trip to Detroit to face the Lions in the divisional round next weekend?

Follow along all day for updates.

Final Score

Eagles 22, Packers 10

Here is the early story from the season-ending loss.

Fourth Quarter

Eagles 22, Packers 10 (3:12 remaining)

Jake Elliott kicked a 32-yard field goal to increase the Eagles’ lead to 12 points. It would have been a longer field goal if not for T.J. Slaton’s unnecessary-roughness penalty for his far-too-late tackle of Saquon Barkley.

Eagles 19, Packers 10 (4:58 remaining)

The season probably is over. Jordan Love had Malik Heath open on the sideline on fourth-and-3 but the ball carried Heath out of bounds.

The Eagles will take over at Green Bay’s 41.

Eagles 19, Packers 10 (7:33 remaining)

Jake Elliott’s 30-yard field goal made it a two-score game. Almost as important, the Eagles devoured almost half the remaining time with their 13-play scoring drive.

The Eagles gained a first down on a fourth-and-1 “Brotherly Shove.” Moments later, Keisean Nixon handed them 15 more yards for a senseless unnecessary-roughness penalty when he took Barkley down well out of bounds. Evan Williams and Rashan Gary drew holding penalties to kill the drive.

Eagles 16, Packers 10 (14:56 remaining)

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Josh Jacobs’ 1-yard touchdown run made it a one-score game. Jacobs had a highlight-reel run. On second-and-10 from the 33, Josh Jacobs avoided a tackle in the backfield, sidestepped another defender, dragged Oren Burks for about 7 yards and then ran over Reed Blankenship on a 32-yard inside the 1. All told, Jacobs gained 35 yards after contact and broke four tackles.

Injury Update: Packers WR Jayden Reed (shoulder) is questionable. With Christian Watson out with a knee injury and Romeo Doubs out with a concussion, the Packers are down to Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath and Bo Melton.

Third Quarter

Eagles 16, Packers 3 (3:20 remaining)

Dallas Goedert put Carrington Valentine on a poster. On second-and-1 from the 24, Jalen Hurts threw a quick pass to Goedert in the flat. He bounced off Valentine following the initial collision, then delivered two stiff-arms as he turned a horizontal pass into a touchdown. The extra point was no good. Earlier in the drive, Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for 28 on third-and-3.

Eagles 10, Packers 3 (5:46 remaining)

The Packers are on the board with Brandon McManus’ 26-yard field goal.

Starting from their 16, Josh Jacobs turned a checkdown into a gain of 11 on third-and-2. He gained 10 yards after the catch with a broken tackle. Moments later, on third-and-4, the Packers blew blitz protection. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith had a clean shot on Jordan Love but Love’s deep shot was caught by Dontayvion Wicks, who made a leaping catch in front of safety Reed Blankenship for a gain of 29 to the Eagles’ 30.

After a run for 7 by Jacobs, Love was flushed from the pocket and took a deep shot to Romeo Doubs against double coverage. Doubs landed hard and stayed on the turf for several minutes before being helped off the field and into the locker room. For added insult, the team’s third left guard, Kadeem Telfort, was flagged for holding.

They overcame it on third-and-13. Quinyon Mitchell, the team’s first-round cornerback, was far too physical on a deep shot to Wicks. The 24-yard penalty made it first-and-goal at the 9. The Packers wasted the opportunity, though. Josh Jacobs fumbled on first down and Love just missed Malik Heath and Bo Melton.

Injury Update: Doubs is being evaluated for a concussion.

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (11:33 remaining)

Green Bay’s defense played its “ass off” in the first half, coach Matt LaFleur, told Fox’s Tom Rinaldi. That continued into the second half. T.J. Slaton and Quay Walker dropped Saquon Barkley for minus-2 and Rashan Gary sacked Jalen Hurts. The boobirds came out after a give-up third-and-19 run.

Halftime

Eagles 10, Packers 0

Somehow, it’s only a 10-point game at halftime. Keisean Nixon’s fumble on the opening kickoff handed the Eagles a touchdown, Jordan Love tossed two interceptions and Brandon McManus missed a field goal.

The Packers have 101 yards, with Josh Jacobs limited to 25 yards on 10 carries. They badly miss left guard Elgton Jenkins, who suffered an injured shoulder in the first quarter. His replacement, Travis Glover, was penalized three times. He was replace by Kadeem Telfort for the final series.

The Eagles have 125 yards and are just 1-of-6 on third down.

Second Quarter

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (0:14 remaining)

Once again, Jeff Hafley’s defense did its job. On second-and-4, Evan Williams broke up a pass to tight end Dallas Goedert; maybe he arrived a touch early. On third-and-4, Rashan Gary’s bull rush against Lane Johnson might have forced Jalen Hurts’ wayward throw. A false start on fourth-and-4 led to the Eagles punting.

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (0:36 remaining)

The Packers can’t get out of their own way. On a first-down pass to Josh Jacobs, Travis Glover held Jordan Davis. They overcome it, though, when Jayden Reed turned a 7-yard pass into a gain of 20 because he broke four tackles. On the next play, a solid run by Jacobs was eliminated when Glover held Milton Williams.

The Packers overcame that, too, but Jordan Love threw his second interception of the day. Apparently, he expected tight end Tucker Kraft to take his route over the middle. That didn’t happen, though, and Zack Baun picked off Love’s fastball. They will start at Green Bay’s 45.

The Packers' only chance in this game will depend on what happens in the next 36 seconds.

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (3:25 remaining)

Jeff Hafley’s defense is the only reason why the Packers aren’t getting totally destroyed. The pass rush has been phenomenal. On first down, Colby Wooden chased Jalen Hurts out of the pocket and was given credit for the sack when Hurts slid to the turf. On second down, TJ Slaton stormed up the middle and forced a throwaway. On third-and-13, Hurts settled for a meaningless run.

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (5:05 remaining)

Green Bay’s disastrous first half continued. Kicker Brandon McManus, one of the most reliable players on the team since being added at midseason, missed a 38-yard field goal to the right. He had missed only one kick this season.

The Packers finally got something going, thanks to second-year receiver Jayden Reed, who got things started with a 20-yard punt return and a couple catches, and tight end Tucker Kraft, who used his power and determination to convert a couple “quarterback” sneaks. On second-and-10 from the 17, Love’s screen to Kraft lost 3 because Zach Tom couldn’t block linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (12:42 remaining)

The defense survived Jordan Love’s bad interception. On second-and-13, Karl Brooks flushed Jalen Hurts from the pocket and forced a poor pass.

Will Jayden Reed’s 20-yard punt return to the 43 provide a spark?

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (14:52 remaining)

Dontayvion Wicks wasn’t open on second-and-7. Jordan Love threw it deep, anyway, and was intercepted by Darius Slay. It’s his first interception since Week 11 against the Bears.

After First Quarter

Eagles 10, Packers 0

The Eagles lead 103-16 in yards and 7-1 in first downs. It is total domination against the Packers, who are once again starting slowly against a top opponent.

First Quarter

Eagles 10, Packers 0 (0:19 remaining)

The Eagles lead by two scores, which is more than the Packers have first downs. Jake Elliott kicked a chip-shot field goal to cap a long drive that was kick-started by a 17-yard run by Saquon Barkley and a 15-yard zone-read run by Jalen Hurts. On first down from the 13, Brenton Cox had a good pressure. On second down, Rashan Gary forced a throwaway. On third down, Edgerrin Cooper shot up the middle and forced another throwaway.

Eagles 7, Packers 0 (5:19 remaining)

The Packers got one first down on a third-down completion to Tucker Kraft but, on third-and-3, Nolan Smith used his freakish athleticism to beat right Zach Tom with an inside move and then ran down Jordan Love. The Eagles will start at their 30.

Eagles 7, Packers 0 (9:13 remaining)

Javon Bullard made one of the best plays of a solid rookie season. On third-and-5, it was Bullard vs. Saquon Barkley, one-on-one, on a swing pass to the right. Bullard got Barkley to the turf to force a three-and-out punt.

Eagles 7, Packers 0 (12:09 remaining)

What a disastrous start.

The Packers needed to answer the Eagles’ opening touchdown. Instead, they started at their 13 because John FitzPatrick was flagged for holding on the kickoff return. Jordan Love air-mailed one to Dontayvion Wicks on first down, Josh Jacobs was stuffed on second down and Milton Williams beat Elgton Jenkins and forced a throwaway on third down. Before the near-sack, Love had a couple underneath options.

Eagles 7, Packers 0 (13:21 remaining)

What a disaster.

On the opening kickoff, Keisean Nixon was clobbered by former Packers linebacker Oren Burks and fumbled. Nixon appeared to get the recovery but lost it in the scrum, and the ruling somehow survived a replay review.

Starting from Green Bay’s 28, Saquon Barkley ran for 16 yards on the first play – breaking Carrington Valentine’s tackle attempt for 10 additional yards. One play later, Hurts enjoyed a cheesesteak and an order of fries before throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson.

A Scout’s Perspective on Packers-Eagles

With his team eliminated, a 25-year NFL scout offered his assessment.

“It’ll definitely be a good game,” he said. “If there’s going to be an upset special this week, I would think it’ll be Green Bay.”

He assumed Jordan Love would be close to 100 percent healthy after last week’s elbow injury. However, the unquestioned key will be the Packers’ ability to run the ball with Josh Jacobs and to slow down the Eagles’ run game.

While the Eagles have a rugged defensive line and an All-Pro linebacker with Zack Baun, the scout thought the Packers would have success running the ball with Josh Jacobs. The legs of Love could be important, too.

When the Eagles lost to the Falcons in Week 2, Bijan Robinson averaged 6.9 yards per carry as the Falcons ran for 152. When the Eagles lost to the Commanders in Week 16, quarterback Jayden Daniels ran nine times for 81 yards, a 9.0 average.

“Josh Jacobs is a monster,” the scout said. “He has the ability to crank out the yards in the run game. If they can get the run game going, I think the Packers have a legit chance to win.”

On the other side, the Packers must handle NFL rushing champion Saquon Barkley because the scout doesn’t believe Jalen Hurts and a “shaky passing game” is good enough to beat a strong Packers defense.

“If Green Bay can get up 10 points and Philadelphia isn’t disciplined enough to stick with the run and they put the ball in Hurts’ hands, I think that falls in Green Bay’s favor,” he said. “I’m just not a believer that throwing the ball 40 or 45 times is a good thing.”

Packers-Eagles Inactives: Big News on Key Starters

The cavalry has arrived on defense for the Packers.

Four key defenders who were questionable – safety Evan Williams, linebacker Quay Walker, defensive tackle TJ Slaton and defensive end Brenton Cox – are active.

Williams (quad) and Walker (ankle) missed the last three games, Cox (foot) was inactive last week and Salton (ankle) was injured last week.

Williams, a fourth-round pick, has been important. These numbers are impossible to ignore: The Packers went 5-1 when he started and 7-0 when he played 30 plus snaps but were 1-5 when he was inactive or played 10 or fewer defensive snaps.

Incredibly, when he had even one tackle, the Packers were 10-0.

Williams did not play on defense in the Week 1 loss to the Eagles.

Walker and Williams returned to practice this week. With the season on the line, there’s no time to ease them back into the lineup.

“It’s really just trying to have a mixture of being smart in practice and turning it up a little to where you have those glimpses of, ‘OK, this is what I want it to look like,’” he said this week. “I’m hoping to be back to my hair-on-fire self come Sunday.”

The Eagles are healthy. Their entire starting lineup will play.

History Lesson No. 1

OK, this is nothing but fun, but the 2024 season has quite a few interesting parallels to the Super Bowl season of 2010, including a Week 1 game against the Eagles followed by a wild-card game against the Eagles.

History Lesson No. 2

Is momentum overrated? It’s not impossible to win the Super Bowl after losing the final two games of the regular season. Here’s the history, which includes one of Vince Lombardi’s legendary teams.

Stud Linebackers

The Packers re-signed De’Vondre Campbell to a huge contract after an All-Pro season and they used a first-round pick on Quay Walker.

With rookie Edgerrin Cooper, the Packers might finally have that great linebacker.

Cooper is a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week and the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month. He even received an All-Pro vote this week.

As good as he’s been in leading all off-the-ball linebackers in tackles for losses, the coaches see plenty of room to grow through experience.

“To me, it’s all about consistency,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “Obviously, he’s incredibly gifted, incredibly talented and everybody can see the splash plays he’s been making. It’s can you make all the routine plays when they’re there? And not that he hasn’t, but I just think there is a(nother) level; and that’s to be expected of most young players that there’s going to be mistakes.

“He’s learning a lot of football, and just getting acclimated to the National Football League is not like a process that happens overnight. Obviously, he missed a lot of time not only in the preseason but he’s missed time this season. I just think the more he plays, the better he’s going to get and the more big plays he’ll be able to make.”

The Eagles have a dynamic duo with Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. Baun, a Wisconsin native and former Badgers standout, signed a meager one-year, $3.5 million contract in free agency after starting 14 games in four seasons with the Saints.

Baun has been exceptional. He ranked among the league leaders with 150 tackles and five forced fumbles and added 11 tackles for losses. He finished No. 1 among off-the-ball linebackers in All-Pro voting.

“A guy that can do it all,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s a very disciplined player but he can rush, he can cover, he’s great in run support. I just think watching his progression, obviously, from New Orleans, where he didn’t play a ton until I think his last year there, to see what he’s done in Philly, it’s been pretty impressive. You can tell the guy’s a pro. He’s earned those accolades.”

Baun and Nakobe Dean (128 tackles, nine tackles for losses) anchor one of the top run defenses in the NFL. They will make it a challenge for the Packers to get the Josh Jacobs-fueled running game rolling.

“Nakobe has done a great job of playing right beside him,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday. “Can’t be great without the greatness of others. So, the defensive line has done a good job of allowing him to run and make plays.

“It takes everybody, but most of the credit goes to Zack because he’s gone out there and did it and played at a very high level for the entire year. I’m proud of him and proud of all the things that he’s accomplished this first year as an Eagle.”

Plenty to Love

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is in his 24th season as a head coach or coordinator. He’s seen plenty of quarterbacks and, by his standards, raved about Love in a conversation with Eagles beat reporters early this week.

“He’s got a big arm,” Fangio said. “He can throw it to all parts of the field with accuracy and touch. He’s got good movement in the pocket. He’s elusive. And he really fits their offense. That offense needs a guy that can throw it down the field. He can do that. They need a guy that can scramble a little bit and be elusive. He can do that. He’s a perfect fit for their offense.”

Love did not take the desired step forward in his second season as a starter. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes with a 96.7 passer rating, right about where he finished last season. His 7.95 yards per attempt, however, ranked fifth in the league, up notably from his 13th-ranked 7.18 average in 2023.

Did You Know?

- The 25 combined regular-season wins between Philadelphia (14-3) and Green Bay (11-6) are the most ever in a wild-card game.

- The Packers tied for third in the NFL at plus-12 in turnovers while the Eagles were sixth at plus-11. Philadelphia went 12-1 in its last 13 games by going plus-17.

- Over the last three years, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is 37-10 as a starter. His. 787 winning percentage trails only the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes (.796).

- Over the last three seasons, the Eagles are 23-5 at home, which trails only the Bills (24-5). After losing to Atlanta in Week 2, Philadelphia won its last seven at home.

- Green Bay is No. 1 all-time with 37 playoff appearances. It is second all-time with 37 playoff wins, one behind the 49ers, and first with 13 road playoff wins.

- The Packers led the league with three games of 175-plus rushing yards and zero sacks allowed.

- The Packers finished fifth in total defense and sixth in points allowed. This is the first time since the 2010 Super Bowl season in which they finished in the top 10 in both categories. 

“The stats are great because it usually means you’re playing pretty good defense,” first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said, “but the thing that was most important to me was the takeaways. That was really important because I do believe when you take the ball away, you’re going to win. And when you take the ball away, you’re going to have good stats. 

“I do believe we’ve kept the points down to give ourselves a chance to win games because, ultimately, it’s just about winning. So, if you told me we’d win and have a chance to be in the playoffs I’d be pretty happy, and if we helped along the way and help our team do that, then that’s our job. But the coolest thing for me is I do think we’ve gotten better.” 

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.