An underperforming Green Bay Packers defense with loads of talent – at least on paper – is going to be challenged in all aspects Sunday night as they face one of the NFL’s most complete offenses in the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles enter Week 12 averaging the third most points per game and really have very few weaknesses.
Philadelphia leans heavily on the run game, as they average just under 33 rush attempts per game. These carries either come from running back Miles Sanders, who has the eighth most rush attempts in the NFL and averages 4.9 yards per carry, or on both off-schedule and designed runs by quarterback Jalen Hurts. This season, Hurts has totaled 438 rushing yards and has four games of at least 55 yards on the ground.
“They do a really good job with him, and he does a great job, whether it’s called or not, of extending plays when it’s not called and executing them when they are called,” said Matt LaFleur on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that doesn’t look at the first slight of another color, an opponent jersey, that he’s going to slide. He’s either going to make you miss, or I’ve seen him lower his shoulder. It’s a fine line because that’s always an obstacle when playing a guy like that, that could slide down late, or he hits the gas and goes down the sidelines. You just got to be super disciplined in your approach with that and never assume and be able to pull off when he does slide. He presents a ton of challenges for any defense, both in the pocket and out of the pocket.”
Although the Green Bay run defense has often been porous this season, as their main priority often centers around eliminating the big passing play, they showed against Tennessee that with some adjustments, this group can slow even a dominant player like Derek Henry. In that game, we saw Barry utilize four defensive linemen along with two edge rushers on the defensive front. Quay Walker also took 17 snaps at edge rusher, according to PFF, and Barry blitzed as well to help fill running lanes.
However, with that approach, the secondary – both due to scheme along with poor play – was picked apart by Ryan Tannehill and a wide receiving core that doesn’t bring the same playmaking ability as the Eagles do. There is also the added element that Hurts brings with his mobility, something that could very much give the Packers fits, considering that this group has been bad at setting edges and tackling this season.
LaFleur would call the Philly offense one of the most explosive in the NFL. Compared to his quarterback counterparts, Hurts doesn’t push the ball downfield a ton, ranking 25th in attempts, but he’s been efficient when he does, ranking in the top 10 in completion rate on passes of 20-plus yards. Overall, Hurts is completing 68% of his passes at an impressive 8.3 yards per attempt, which ranks third.
AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are Hurts’ primary targets at wide receiver, combining for 143 targets, while tight end Dallas Goedert has 51 of his own. Out of the Eagles’ 2,425 passing yards, this trio accounts for 1,897 of them, with Brown and Goedert ranking in the top 10 in receiving yards among their respective position groups. Both are also some of the best in yards per catch.
Given the Eagles’ big play abilities in the passing game along with what we’ve regularly seen from Barry this season, a zone-heavy approach feels like the formula the Packers will utilize for Sunday’s game, although that will provide YAC opportunities for Philadelphia, who, you guessed it, has been one of the best at picking up extra yards. Basically, it’s a ‘pick your poison’ approach for Green Bay and continued miscommunications in the secondary will end poorly.
“This is one of the top offensive lines in the NFL. They’ve got three stud receivers,” said LaFleur. “The backs are really productive, so it is a complete unit. They did a good job of presenting some run-pass conflicts from an offensive standpoint.”
Unlike last week, where the Packers clearly felt that if they could limit the run game, they could limit the Titans’ offense – which ended up not being true – Green Bay can’t take that approach against Philadelphia. This offense simply has too many ways to burn you.
Try to take away the run, and the Packers become susceptible to the pass. Attempt to take away the big passing plays, and the Eagles will have no problem running the ball all night. There is also no guarantee that if the Packers attempt to take away either the run or passing games that it will amount to anything.
Without Rashan Gary, I have very little confidence that Green Bay can generate regular pressure against an offensive line that has allowed the fifth-fewest pressures in the NFL. So if they have to blitz, what avenues will that open up for the Eagles? On top of that, pressuring Hurts is only the beginning; actually bringing him down can be just as challenging, and a big play could ensue if the Packers don’t.
So how does Green Bay attack this Eagles’ offense? Well, that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? And one that really no NFL team has been able to crack this season, but it’s going to take a complete performance from this defense to do so and some creativity from Barry.
“I think that they’ve got a great scheme on both sides of the ball, really in all three phases,” said LaFleur. “They’ve added some pieces this year, and it’s really helped them. I think that all of their great players are playing at a really great level. You look no further, they’re led by Jalen Hurts, and he’s playing at an MVP-type level.”
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