The Green Bay Packers (11-6) are going on the road to play the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
The playoff showdown will feature a big-time battle along the line of scrimmage, an arena where big games are so often won and lost.
Football is a complicated game, but finding the reasons for winning individual matchups between teams each week is often a straightforward exercise. What wins games? Excellent quarterback play, winning the line of scrimmage, taking care of the football and taking it away, controlling the important situations and overcoming or taking advantage of the injury situation.
So, who has the edge along the line of scrimmage entering Sunday’s showdown?
Let’s take a look at some important numbers on both sides:
Packers offense vs. Eagles defense
| GB offense | PHI defense | ||
| Yards per carry | 4.7 (6th) | Yards per carry | 4.3 (10th) |
| PFF run-block grade | 62.1 (22nd) | PFF run defense grade | 76.5 (2nd) |
| Run block win rate | 71% (23rd) | Run stop win rate | 33% (3rd) |
| Run success rate | 41.9% (11th) | Run success rate | 37.1% (6th) |
| Sacks allowed | 22 (2nd) | Sacks | 41 (13th) |
| Sack percentage | 4.4 (3rd) | Sack percentage | 7.0 (15th) |
| PFF pass block grade | 81.8 (3rd) | PFF pass rush grade | 86.3 (2nd) |
| Pass block win rate | 67% (7th) | Pass rush win rate | 43% (8th) |
Packers defense vs. Eagles offense
| GB defense | PHI offense | ||
| Yards per carry | 4.0 (3rd) | Yards per carry | 4.9 (5th) |
| PFF run defense grade | 62.0 (24th) | PFF run block grade | 75.2 (6th) |
| Run stop win rate | 33% (6th) | Run block win rate | 72% (9th) |
| Run success rate | 37.5% (9th) | Run success rate | 42.8% (9th) |
| Sacks | 45 (8th) | Sacks allowed | 45 (20th) |
| Sack percentage | 7.4 (9th) | Sack percentage | 9.1 (31st) |
| PFF pass rush grade | 68.8 (16th) | PFF pass block grade | 73.8 (6th) |
| Pass rush win rate | 35% (26th) | Pass block win rate | 67% (6th) |
While the line of scrimmage may look like a big advantage for the Eagles from the outside looking in, the numbers suggest the Packers are competitive on both sides of the football.
Offensively, the Packers are excellent in pass protection and Jordan Love has been excellent at avoiding sacks. While the Packers haven’t been a dominant run-blocking team, Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson were both effective down to down runners and the Packers were among the league leaders in yards per attempt. The offensive line is healthy and has played the majority of the season together as a starting five. Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom are both excellent pass protectors on the edge.
Defensively, the Packers were very good against the run and surprisingly good at creating sacks despite a lack of consistent wins beating blocks. In Year 1 under Jeff Hafley, Green Bay allowed under 100 rushing yards in six of the last eight games. And the Packers have been excellent at disrupting runs at or behind the line of scrimmage.
This will likely be where the game is won and lost. There’s no denying how good the Eagles are up front on both sides of the football — PFF ranked the Eagles as having the best offensive line in the NFL in 2024, while the defensive front has a staggering seven players with at least 20 pressures, including two (Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat) with 50 or more.
The Packers have big challenges ahead. Can they keep Jordan Love protected in big passing situations and open up enough running room for Josh Jacobs to stay two-dimensional on offense? And can the Packers defense contain AND disrupt Jalen Hurts in the pocket while also ensuring Saquon Barkley — who rushed for over 2,000 yards — doesn’t take over the game as a runner?
The Eagles have the edge up front. The Packers must find ways of negating the edge and winning enough battles along the scrimmage to win the game, but they are no slouches up front entering this battle on Sunday.
