The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will kick off their 2024 seasons with the first ever NFL games played in the country of Brazil. Both teams are coming off of successful 2023 campaigns that saw both of them make the NFL Playoffs as Wild Card teams. The Packers won their opening matchup with the Dallas Cowboys while the Eagles lost theirs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay was eliminated in the divisional round by the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers are entering their 104th season in the NFL while the Eagles are entering their 92nd. In the decades that both teams have been in existence, they have shared some interesting moments of history and significant personnel crossovers.
Here are 10 of the most interesting.
1. The Philadelphia Eagles Handed Legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi His Only Postseason Loss
Legendary Packers head coach Vince Lombardi took over the team in 1959. In his first season, Green Bay improved from 1-10-1 in 1958 to 7-5. The next year, he guided the Pacers to the 1960 NFL Championship Game against the Eagles.
On what would have been the game-winning drive, Green Bay was stopped short of the goal line and lost 17-13. Paul Hornung made two field goals in the game for the Packers while Max McGhee caught a touchdown pass from Bart Starr.
The Eagles were led by quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, who threw a touchdown pass to Tommy McDonald, and Ted Dean who added a rushing touchdown. Bobby Walston added a field goal for Philadelphia.
In 10 official NFL Playoff games, it was Lombardi’s only defeat. Ironically, it was also his first playoff game. The Packers went on to win nine consecutive postseason games under Lombardi, a record that stood until Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots won 10 consecutive playoff games from 2002-2006.
2. Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White Played for Both the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles
Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White spent 14 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Eagles and the Packers. In his first eight seasons, spent with Philadelphia, he recorded 124 sacks while making seven Pro Bowls and was named First Team All-Pro six times. White also won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987.
Perhaps the greatest free agent signing in Packers franchise history, White accumulated 68.5 sacks in six seasons while making six Pro Bowls and was named First Team All-Pro twice. He had a record three sacks in Green Bay’s victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.
3. 4th and 26
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One of the worst collapses in Packers history is also one of the best comebacks in Eagles history. In the 2004 NFC Divisional Round, Brett Favre and the Packers jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. However, the Eagles tied the game in the fourth quarter.
After regaining the lead with a field goal, the Green Bay defense had the Philadelphia offense backed up to 4th and 26 thanks to an offensive penalty and a sack. With 1:12 left to go in the game, Donovan McNabb connected with Freddie Mitchell on a 28-yard pass for a first day.
David Akers kicked the game-tying field goal, and the Eagles won the game in overtime.
4. Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Has Ties to Both the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles
Now a three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid had two previous stops as an NFL coach: Green Bay and Philadelphia.
Reid served as an assistant coach on Mike Holmgren’s Packers staff from 1992-1998. He was the assistant offensive line and tight ends coach when Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI. He became the quarterbacks coach in 1997, helping Favre win his third consecutive NFL MVP Award.
In 1999, Reid was hired as the head coach of the Eagles. He led the team to a record of 130-93-1 in 14 seasons. Philadelphia made the NFL Playoffs eight times and won the NFC East six times, including four-consecutive titles from 2001-2004.
