3 Matchups The Eagles Need To Win To Beat The Packers

The Eagles come out of the bye for what might be their most important game so far this season. The Packers are among the most serious contenders for the NFC crown. Monday Night's game may have major implications for seeding, and will decide the tiebreaker for the two teams if they finish with the same record.

They both enter the week atop their respective divisions, and with just 2 losses. But the Eagles have an extra win thanks to the Packers tying with the Cowboys.

The Packers are coming off their worst game of the season, a 16-13 loss to the Panthers. The Eagles meanwhile are coming out of their bye week, after their best game of the season, a 38-20 win over the Giants. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Nick Sirianni has never lost a regular-season game out of the bye week.

But will that trend continue? Can the Eagles gain a significant advantage over the Packers? The Eagles need to win these 3 matchups to leave Green Bay 7-2.

They say sequels are always worse than the original. That has certainly been the case so far for Saquon Barkley. After his 2000-yard season, it took Barkley 8 games to get his first 100-yard game this season. A feat he accomplished 14 times in 20 games last season. But his last game before the bye week looked much more like his 2024 campaign, reaching 150 yards on just 14 carries. Including this 65-yard TD, his first rush of over 20 yards this season.

Eagles need that to keep up. Not just to win this week, but to keep winning this season. They managed to go 5-2 while he struggled. But it is no coincidence that their best game came when he looked his best. Jalen Hurts has played like an MVP, but they need some balance.

The Packers' run D has mostly been fantastic this season. They allow only 89.4 rushing yards per game, the 5th fewest in the league. But they struggled badly against the run last week, and it was a big reason why they lost to the Panthers. Rico Dowdle ran for 130 yards and 25 carries, finding the End Zone twice. They actually held the Panthers to only 102 passing yards, but just could not stop the run.

If the Eagles get a similar performance from Barkley that the Panthers got from Dowdle, it will likely mean they leave Lambeau 7-2.

Likewise, the most important matchup on the other side of the ball also concerns the run game. Jacobs, like Barkley, has had a disappointing 2025 season. He has yet to have a 100-yard game. But one place where he has consistently made an impact is in the End Zone. Jacobs has 10 TDs and scored in all except 1 game so far this season. If the Packers can get to the red Zone, Jacobs excels at finishing the job.

The Eagles' Run D has been inconsistent so far this season. They allow the 19th most rushing yards per game, but have also allowed fewer than 4 yards per carry in 5 out of their 8 games. They also have the 3rd best Red Zone Defense in the league, allowing TDs on 46% of trips. The Eagles defense has given up a lot of yards this season. But what has helped them win so much is not letting teams in the End Zone.

The Packers have somewhat struggled to score through the air. If the Eagles keep Josh Jacobs out of the end Zone, they likely keep the Packers out of it

What helps, they added Jaelan Phillips, who is one of the better Edge Rushers against the run, and Nolan Smith should be back, also very good against the run.

Between Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, it is hard to find a more dangerous duo of Edge Rushers in NFl than you will in Green Bay. They have a combined 14 sacks this season; the Eagles only have 16 as a team. Parsons and Gary also have 72 combined Pressures.

Luckily for the Eagles, they also have perhaps the best duo of Offensive Tackles in the league. Lane Johnson is one of the few players in the league who has managed to stymie Parsons. Parsons has managed just 1 sack when lined up against Johnson. But, with the Packers, Parsons has seen much more time rushing against the Left Side of the O-Line. Either way, both Mailata and Johnson will face tough tests on Monday night. Winning those battles will go a long way in deciding who wins the game.

Johnson has mostly been his usual self all season. Mailata however has talked about still feeling the strain of last season. But his performance vs the Giants was his best of the season. Both in the run game, and against the pass rush.

Maialta and Johnson winning their matchups will, more than anything, decide if the Eagles offense has success. If they keep Hurts protected, the Eagles offense will likely have a very good day. That is of course much easier said than done.