NFL Scores: Eagles Smoke Packers, Impress Fans
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Philadelphia fans had a heartbreaking baseball season this year: the Phillies went all the way to the World Series but lost to the gargantuan Houston Astros. Now, all eyes are on the Eagles as players like Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders have started putting up some genuinely impressive numbers week in and week out.
With their win over the Packers on Sunday, the Eagles might be showing signs that they could make it deep into the playoffs this year. They’re currently leading the NFC east with a glimmering 10-1 record, their only loss coming earlier this season to the newly-ascendant Washington Commanders.
The Eagles have scarcely missed a beat this season. The team consistently puts up impressive offensive performances, powering them past nearly every opponent they’ve faced so far. Against the Packers on Sunday, they proved their power isn’t just in their passing: it can be found in their running game, too. In the first quarter alone, the team rushed for 153 yards across 18 attempts, only throwing the ball five times in that span.
In the fourth quarter, the team was similarly rush-dominant. They held the ball for an impressive 11-and-a-half minutes of the final 15 of the game and rushed for another 92 yards. The game devolved into a bit of a shootout, though, with the final score settling in at 40-33.
“I mean, you gotta give credit to the [offensive] line. I always do. We go as they go,” Sanders told reporters Sunday night following the game. “When you have guys like that, that love to run the ball and play smashmouth, it just gives you a lot of confidence. So that fourth quarter, we knew we had to just run the ball. We’re very capable of running the clock out with eight minutes left, too, so being able to do that—impose your will like that—it just gives me a lot of confidence.”
It’s important to note that the Eagles haven’t really had to stick to one offensive strategy this season. Like the best teams in football history, they’ve been quick to adapt to their opponent’s strengths and probe for meaningful weaknesses. When a team can’t hold back a strong rushing play, that’s what the Eagles deploy. With this kind of offensive flexibility on display, Philadelphia has a genuine shot of taking home a championship this season to wash the taste of the World Series out of their mouths.