Jeff Hafley's defense did everything possible to shut down an elite Philadelphia Eagles offense, but they received little help from the other two units.
Holding Philadelphia to 22 points — especially when seven came on a short field, thanks to a special teams error — can be considered a success. Saquon Barkley had his moments, but he had no rushes over 17 yards and finished with 119 on 25 carries. The Packers would've taken that before the game.
Unfortunately, outside of an outstanding defensive performance, the Packers looked unprepared and out of their depth. It's almost impossible to win road playoff games by scoring 10 points.
The Packers enter the offseason with several big questions. There's plenty of blame to go around, but these three players cost their team in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Biggest losers from Packers' NFC Wild Card loss to Eagles
Jordan Love, QB
The Packers made Jordan Love one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks for moments like this. Sure, he didn't get much help from his receivers or offensive line, especially after losing Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins, but the circumstances are rarely perfect.
Great quarterbacks overcome adversity or, at the very least, manage the situation. Love looked lost, finishing the game 20-of-33 for 212 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. It earned him a 41.5 passer rating, the second-lowest of his NFL career.
It's not all Love's fault, but the Packers' passing game declined in the final few weeks of the regular season, and those issues continued in the Wild Card Round.
Keisean Nixon, CB
Green Bay has made a frustrating habit of making unforced errors against elite teams this season. On the first play, Keisean Nixon made a game-changing blunder by fumbling the opening kickoff return.
Yes, the officials missed Nixon clearly recovering the ball, but he gave them a decision to make. One way to prevent that is to not fumble in the first place. The Packers had a chance to take the ball and march down the field to set the tone. Instead, they surrendered possession on the very first play. Philadelphia took the lead and never looked back.
Nixon later gave the Eagles a free 15 yards on a penalty for shoving Saquon Barkley while he was already out of bounds. It turned a 3rd-and-3 into a fresh set of downs and put Philly in field-goal range, where they would extend their lead.
Zach Tom, T
Zach Tom picked the worst moment to have a poor game. Despite providing All-Pro-level play at the right tackle position all season, the Eagles gave Tom all kinds of problems in this game.
His most glaring error came on a crucial 3rd-and-3 in the first quarter. The Packers trailed by seven and had a chance to regain momentum and tie the score. Eagles edge-rusher Nolan Smith faked an outside move before cutting inside, completely fooling Tom to make a sack. Love had no chance, and the Packers punted.
Green Bay could ill-afford a poor performance from the offensive line, especially after Elgton Jenkins left the game. Tom is the Packers' best lineman, but he saved his worst game for the postseason.