Opponent Profile: Eagles And Packers Have Red Hot Offenses That Can Thaw Frozen Tundra
By Kevin McGuire
Two of the hottest offenses in the NFC will look to thaw out the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field with hot offenses. The Philadelphia Eagles, after earning high marks in a blowout of the Carolina Panthers, head to the land of brats, beer and cheese to take on the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are also coming off a primetime blowout victory and are looking to make a push for first place in the NFC North.
Record
The Green Bay Packers are 6-3 following a dominating Sunday night victory over NFC North rival Chicago. All three losses have come on the road, and the Packers are 4-0 at home with three straight wins by an average of 31.3 points per game. Green Bay sits one game behind the division-leading Detroit Lions.
As two of the oldest NFL franchises, the Eagles and Packers have a storied history that dates back to 1933, but Green Bay owns a decided edge in the all-time series with a record of 26-16 all-time against Philadelphia. Green Bay has won three of the last four meetings in the series, although the Eagles scored a 27-13 victory in Green Bay last November. Of course, Aaron Rodgers was injured and did not play for Green Bay that game.
Packers on Offense
Green Bay’s offense is firing on all cylinders right now. Entering this week the Packers are ranked 10th in the NFL in passing offense behind the leadership of the veteran Aaron Rodgers. The top two targets for Rodgers this year have been Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and both should give the Eagles secondary some problems unless the defensive backs can tighten up and make some plays the way they did against Carolina. Nelson and Cobb have combined for 18 touchdowns so far this season.
The running game may not be racking up big yardage, but it is a solid compliment to the passing game in Green Bay. Eddie Lacy brings a good physical back to the ground game and he can be difficult to bring down for most defenders, but he is not likely to turn in a big game in the box score. He has just one game with more than 63 rushing yards this season.
Packers on Defense
Playing a 3-4 defense, the Packers may be more content to defend the pass with an extra man in the open field instead of bringing heavy pressure on Mark Sanchez. Green Bay’s strength is at the linebacker position, with guys like Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk anchoring the left side and veteran Julius Peppers handling the right side. Clay Matthews is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and far superior to his brother Casey, who plays for Philadelphia.
The Packers are a little dinged in the secondary, but strong safety Morgan Burnett and cornerback Sam Shields are still expected to be ready to play Sunday afternoon. One of the newer faces in the secondary is Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at free safety. The rookie from Alabama has one interception this season and will hope to prevent big gains from the Eagles offense.
Packers Players To Watch
Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback: Green Bay’s franchise quarterback is still one of the best in the game at what he does. After being injured in 2013, Rodgers has come back strong this season. Rodgers has thrown for 2,407 yards and 25 touchdowns with just three interceptions. In two career starts against the Eagles, Rodgers is 1-1 with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
A.J. Hawk, Linebacker: Clay Matthews get all of the fame and attention, but A.J. Hawk is still a huge part of the success of Green Bay’s defense. The former Ohio State Buckeye leads the Packers in tackles with 65 total tackles, including 38 solo tackles. Getting by Hawk is no easy task; so picking up yards past Hawk is considered an achievement.
Red Hot Offenses Meet On Frozen Tundra
Green Bay and Philadelphia could not be entering this NFC bout on hotter streaks on offense. The Packers and Eagles combined to outscore their opponents (Chicago and Carolina) this past week by a combined score of 100-35. Could this be an offensive explosion at Lambeau Field this weekend? It could very well be just that. It could also be another potential playoff preview, which is something the Eagles need to perform better in. Twice this season the Eagles have lost nail biters coming down to the final plays on the road against potential NFC playoff teams (Arizona, San Francisco). The Eagles may be playing well at home and playing for home field advantage, but Chip Kelly’s team needs to prove it can beat a quality NFC opponent on the road to really start making a push for number one in the NFC.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.