3 takeaways from Packers’ victory vs. Eagles in Week 13

1. Packers pass rush comes up big

Going into the game, we knew that if the Packers’ pass rush could take control, it would be a huge step towards winning. Given the Eagles’ struggles to protect the quarterback this season, this was always going to be a matchup the defense needed to take advantage of.

And they did.

Za’Darius Smith continued his excellent season with 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hit, but it was Kingsley Keke who led the team with two sacks, the second time this season he’s had multiple sacks in a game.

The good news is that this wasn’t just a couple of players putting in strong performances. Everyone up front made an impact. Six different players had at least half a sack and the defense combined for 11 quarterback hits.

Preston Smith backed up his impressive performance last week with another good one here. While he only had 0.5 sacks, he also had a quarterback hit, a pass defense, and a tackle for loss. His pressure on Jalen Hurts led to Darnell Savage’s interception and it also looked like Smith got his hand on the football.

It wouldn’t be the Packers defense without giving up one long touchdown but, overall, this was a great performance, especially from the pass rush.