Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Lombardi Ave predictions
Sitting three games out of the division lead, the Green Bay Packers’ season rides on their visit of the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
A loss would end the Packers’ hopes of a playoff run, all but mathematically. Fall three games behind the Detroit Lions with just five games to go, riding on the back of a five-game losing streak, and there’s no hope.
Win and the picture changes. Closing within two games, with a Week 17 matchup with Detroit still to come, and the Packers can consider themselves back in the hunt. The Lions still have to play on the road at New Orleans, NY Giants and Dallas.
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Win, and the story is far from over. Will the Packers save their season on Monday night?
Freddie Boston: Given the way the Packers have played in recent weeks, paired with the sobering reminder of their 9-13 record over their past 22 games, it would seemingly be impossible to pick them to win.
In fact, I picked Philadelphia to win in my weekly NFL picks column. But I’m making a full U-turn. Maybe it’s simply pregame optimism, maybe it’s false hope. But maybe it’s the fact the Packers’ season is on the line and they find a way to stay alive.
One thing is for sure: I’m taking the Packers.
Packers 34, Philadelphia 28
Brad Miller: Which team is reeling the most in this game? The Eagles have their new coaching staff, rookie starting QB and a roster of guys learning a new offense and getting used to each other. North Dakota State product Carson Wentz started off on fire but has come back to reality lately. Former Charger RB Ryan Matthews has been up and down this season and has been known for being injury-prone. Their other RB is the well-travelled and faltering Darren Sproles.
The Packers have been a mess of late losing their last four games. Granted, injuries have depleted the roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which was quite evident against the Redskins in what was a winnable game.
Good news is that the Packers, like last week, might be getting more of their starters back on the field. LB Jake Ryan has a chance to play, as does CB Damarious Randall.
I have been awfully critical on many facets of the Packer team of late and justifiably so. Saying that, there might be hope peaking through all this. Green Bay may be getting enough players back to play more competitively on defense which will relieve the pressure on their offense. Will it be enough to turn around the current losing mindset? Will the injured players be close enough to normal playing form?
I believe that they are due and they will find a way to pull this one out. Look for Rodgers to play well and use TE Jared Cook a lot and his mainstay WR Jordy Nelson.
Packers 27, Eagles 24
Ralph Mancini: What is the perfect cure for a hemorrhaging defense that can’t stop getting lit up on a weekly basis? How about a young team led by a struggling rookie quarterback surrounded by an inept collection of wide receivers?
What can also help the Packers in this game is a banged-up Eagles’ offensive line that should allow our fading pass rushers to wreak havoc in the opposing backfield.
That said, our boys won’t have any easy time of it in one of the most raucous and uninviting venues in the NFL.
I expect this to be a competitive back-and-forth battle of desperate teams whose respective playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
Rodgers, Nelson, Adams, Cobb and company compose a more proven offense than their counterparts and they will make the key plays when it counts.
Packers win by the slimmest of margins.
Packers 28, Eagles 27
Colten Steele: Whenever Aaron Rodgers says that he thinks the Packers can still “run the table” he may be right. Rodgers still has confidence in his team, and with Jake Ryan and Damarious Randall returning, the Packers could have an added spark.
The unknown is how many carries Christine Michael will get, but the Packers will not stop trying to fix whatever problem is going on. Jordy Nelson has a huge game, and the Packers defense shuts down everyone besides Darren Sproles. Sproles will have a big game, but that doesn’t mean he can beat the Packers by himself.
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Still believe the Packers can get hot and finish the season strong.
Packers 28, Eagles 23