Notable matches: Green Bay's downfield passing vs. Philadelphia's downfield defense
Both teams come into this game with injuries and I'm a little worried. packersWe have more injuries than Philadelphia. Yes, QB Jordan Love hurt his elbow, but all reports seem to be leading to him playing. However, WR Christian Watson is out for the year with a torn ACL. Although his hands were inconsistent, his field-tilting speed not only gave the Packers a threat downfield, but also pried holes for other receivers. Watson's average target depth of 17.1 is second in the NFL among pass catchers with at least 50 targets, and even if he's not targeted, his speed opens a digging window for Love to go after. He's the most explosive outside receiver and the guy Packers head coach Matt LaFleur calls when he needs a big play downfield. While teammates Jaden Reed and Romeo Dubbs are more active in the middle areas, Watson is more of a field stretcher, and his lack of ability to go out and do this is a problem.
This is a problem for an Eagles defense that wants to lock you down and force you to play the game underneath. Interestingly, this particular matchup is philosophically quite fun. The Packers' offense is flat-throttle when it comes to throwing the ball, no braking, and uses the run game effectively against an Eagles defense that forces players to be patient and wait downfield for the right moment to take a shot. Whoever blinks first could end up behind the 8-ball. That's why soccer is so much fun.
The Eagles' secondary takes advantage of aggressive throws over the middle, with safeties Reed Blankenship and CJ Gardner-Johnson going hard on any dig routes. It is expected that a lot of Blankenship will try to “steal” entry routes from his other safe spots, and jumping digs and overs are basically his specialty. This “pull out” technique by Gardner-Johnson allowed Blankenship to get an interception against the Commanders in quarters coverage.
It's questionable how the Packers will create an outside vertical threat without Watson on the field, which in theory should open up passing lanes, but this is Vic Fangio's defense, so who knows what will happen. Both of these teams are vastly different from their Week 1 matchup in Brazil, both in terms of personnel and playing style. Their rematch should be a very entertaining chess match.
Featured individual matches: Packers RB Josh Jacobs vs. Eagles LB Zach Baun and Nakobe Dean
