When the Green Bay Packers fumbled away the opening kickoff, the Philadelphia Eagles cashed in the turnover for a touchdown and led the rest of the way in a 22-10 victory in a first-round game in the NFC playoffs on Sunday.
Green Bay outgained Philadelphia by 12 yards and converted 7-of-13 third-down snaps (while the Eagles went 2-of-11). But the Packers’ average starting field position was the Green Bay 23-yard line, and the Eagles picked off Jordan Love three times.
On his first pass since missing the final two regular-season games because of a concussion, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts hit wide receiver Jahan Dotson for an 11-yard touchdown 90 seconds into the game.
Hurts also had a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert as the Eagles took a 16-3 lead with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
The Packers had to go 78 yards for their only touchdown, with running back Josh Jacobs’ 31-yard run setting up his 1-yard scoring plunge that cut Philadelphia’s lead to 16-10 with 14:56 to play.
The Eagles answered by eating 7:33 off the clock to get a field goal and added another field goal after stopping Green Bay on fourth down in Philadelphia’s half of the field.
NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley ran for 119 yards on 25 carries for the Eagles. It could have been more: He slid down after breaking into the clear to allow Philadelphia to kneel out the victory rather than complete a 76-yard touchdown run.
Eleven players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Green Bay-Philadelphia game:
- Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship led Philadelphia with 11 tackles and forced one fumble, which was recovered by Green Bay.
- Eagles fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) did not record any stats. Philadelphia elevated Blasingame from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
- Eagles defensive back James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Landon Dickerson (Alabama) started at left guard for the Eagles.
- Eagles offensive lineman Jack Driscoll (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) did not record any stats.
- Jalen Hurts (Alabama) started at quarterback for the Eagles. Hurts completed 13-of-21 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran six times for 36 yards.
- Josh Jacobs (Alabama) started at running back for the Packers. Jacobs ran for 81 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries and caught three passes for 40 yards. Jacobs’ touchdown on the first snap of the fourth quarter extended his streak with a rushing touchdown to nine games. It’s the 10th rushing-touchdown streak of at least nine games contained within a single regular season/postseason year during the NFL’s AFC-NFC era.
- Xavier McKinney (Alabama) started at safety for the Packers. McKinney made five tackles.
- Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
- DeVonta Smith (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Eagles. Smith had four receptions for 55 yards.
- Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen (Alabama) did not record any stats.
- Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) spent much of the game at left guard. After starter Elgton Jenkins got hurt, rookie Travis Glover struggled as his replacement, bringing Telfort onto the field.
- Eagles tight end C.J. Uzomah (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Packers quarterback Malik Willis (Auburn) dressed for the game but did not play.
- Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden (Auburn) made two tackles, shared a sack and registered two quarterback hits. Wooden did not have a sack during the regular season.
- Eagles defensive tackle Byron Young (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
After a 14-3 regular season that landed the second seed in the NFC playoffs, Philadelphia advanced to the Divisional Round. It will play a home game next weekend against the highest seed emerging from the remaining two NFC first-round games.
Green Bay had gone 11-6 in the regular season.
