The Green Bay Packers will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff from Philadelphia is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. FOX will have the broadcast.
To help preview Packers-Eagles, we’ll be answering a question a day about the two teams until kickoff on Sunday.
The question today: Who could be an underrated difference maker for both teams on Sunday?
Star players need to play at their best in big games, but under-the-radar players help decide playoff games every January.
Here are the picks, from Packers Wire and Eagles Wire:
Packers DL Devonte Wyatt
Packers Wire: The Packers need defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt to be a game-wrecker. It’s going to be tough sledding on the edge against the Eagles’ dominant tackle duo, and the Packers will likely rush cautiously on the edge to contain Jalen Hurts in the pocket, so Wyatt has to consistently win 1-on-1 opportunities inside, especially in obvious passing situations. He’ll also need to survive against the Eagles’ big guards in the run game or Saquon Barkley will have easy access to the second level. Can Wyatt hold up on early downs and create a few disruptive plays as a pass-rusher? The 2022 first-round pick might be the best pure pass-rusher from a 4-3 alignment on the Packers defensive front, and he must be a game-changer against an elite Eagles offensive line on Sunday. He’s talented enough to create a breakout performance.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert
Eagles Wire: He’s not necessarily an under-the-radar player, but Dallas Goedert has never had a 1,000-yard season and missed four or more games for the third straight season. Before Week 18, Goedert had been out since Week 13, when he posted this stat line: three receptions, 35 yards, and one touchdown. This season, Goedert hauled in 38 passes on 46 targets for 441 yards and two scores, averaging 49.0 yards per game. More importantly, Goedert has been dominant against man coverage. According to Doug Farrar, Goedert’s EPA per target of +1.12 is the highest for any target, regardless of position. That means with Green Bay likely to focus on Stopping Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith, Goedert’s potential matchups with Xavier McKinney will be critical for both teams.
