The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night by rushing for 363 yards while Aaron Rodgers, who was injured, was replaced. WISCONSIN, GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers are eliminated, and Aaron Rodgers is hurt.
Aaron Rodgers was forced from the game due to an oblique injury as the Philadelphia Eagles ran all over the Packers’ weak defence and pulled away in the second half to secure a 40-33 victory.
Packers record is 4-8. They are still in the running for the NFC playoffs mathematically. Of course, reality is rather different. When Green Bay’s defence is this awful, no important game should be played in January.
When he was sacked on a third-down play to start the third quarter, Rodgers suffered an injury. The Packers’ lead was reduced to 34-23 in the following series thanks to a field goal by Rodgers, who also played. Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur shook hands as they exited the field. Rodgers ran to the locker room following Mason Crosby’s chip-shot field goal. About ten minutes later, he reemerged, but without his uniform.
It’s reasonable to question whether Rodgers will play again this year without knowing the extent of the injury. And it’s reasonable to wonder if Rodgers will complete another pass in his illustrious career given that his 39th birthday is less than a week away. If so, Rodgers’ final pass to AJ Dillon will be a careless flick into the flat.
Game Ball
Jalen Hurts, the quarterback for the Eagles, had 295 yards through three quarters—152 via the air and 145 on the ground—as opposed to Green Bay’s 229 yards. Hurts has a shot to succeed Aaron Rodgers as NFL MVP for a reason. It’s because an offensive line completely broke the defense’s will in Green Bay. Although the Packers did a poor job of tackling, the offensive line consistently filled large gaps.
Questionable Call
What causes Green Bay’s poor run defence? Brian Gutekunst, the general manager, has invested a lot of money on it. One of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive lineman is Kenny Clark. Dean Lowry was renewed, while Jarran Reed was also signed. A talented second-year athlete, T.J. Slaton. The first-round selection this year was Devonte Wyatt. That squad has been referred to as “exceptional” by defensive coordinator Joe Barry on several occasions. The Packers are unable to stop anyone, though. Is it Barry’s plan or the call of the play? Jerry Montgomery’s coaching as the defensive line coach? Six games with 150+ running yards allowed by the Packers prior to the game were a league-worst. That was far in front of halftime, and the Eagles reached 300 yards early in the fourth.
The Big Moment
Aaron Rodgers was sacked on the first third down of the third quarter and hurt his oblique. After the Packers settled for a field goal in the following series, he ran to the locker room. His evening was done. Who knows whether he will return to the field this year or in a Packers uniform.
The Big Number
In the NFL, the Packers were third with just 112 running yards allowed to quarterbacks going into the week. Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia had 126 running yards alone in the first half. With 130 running yards in 2010, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Michael Vick, broke the Eagles record. Hurts’ final total of 157 yards fell short of the NFL record.
The most yards ever rushed in a regular-season game were 178 by Chicago’s Justin Fields three weeks prior. Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco ran for 181 yards against Green Bay during the 2012 playoffs. Green Bay avoided that past, at least.
What’s Next
On Sunday at noon, the Packers will play in Chicago. The Jets thrashed the Bears 31-10. Justin Fields, a rising second-year quarterback, was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Mike White of New York was 22-of-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a matchup of backup quarterbacks. Next week, there may also be a backup struggle.