Saucon Eagles Fan Report: Jan. 18, 2025

With all the attention given to AJ Brown’s reading material, you may have forgotten that your Philadelphia Eagles are advancing to the Divisional Round after a 22-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday! The game was not the dominant performance many Philly fans were expecting, but the Eagles still won decisively. Once more, it was the defense that took center stage, as they made up for the Eagles issues on offense by dominating a Packers team that struggled to put together consistent drives. Defensive play, Jalen Hurts, and the turnover battle were key takeaways from the Eagles’ first playoff victory, and they will again play significant roles when Philadelphia takes on the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.

Philly’s young defensive core is to credit for the Packers’ disastrous offensive outing, which included three interceptions thrown by quarterback Jordan Love. Eagles defensive end Nolan Smith, a 2023 first round pick who has taken advantage of his increased playing time, was everywhere at once. On Green Bay’s second drive of the game, Smith showcased his speed to chase down and sack Love well short of the first-down marker, forcing a punt. It was a sign of things to come for Smith, who finished the night as the youngest player in franchise history to have two sacks in a playoff game. Another “first” for this defense came on a desperate, fourth quarter heave to the endzone from Love, when Quinyon Mitchell finally snagged the interception he’s been hunting all season. The phenomenal defensive performance made up for Philly’s lackluster passing game, which appeared out of sync.

The criticism of Jalen Hurts is often excessive; though he didn’t look very sharp against Green Bay, it’s important to note that Hurts was coming off a concussion and three weeks of rest. That being said, the Eagles’ sixth-year quarterback needs to play better if Philly wants to continue advancing in the playoffs. Hurts started the game efficiently, going 6/6 on his throws and floating a nice ball to Jahan Dotson for the team’s first touchdown. Unfortunately, he proceeded to bottom out and spent the 2nd and 3rd quarters struggling with indecisiveness and inaccuracy. When Kellen Moore dialed up a deep shot to AJ Brown on a fake Brotherly Shove attempt, Hurts’ throw didn’t even give Brown a chance to fight for the ball. It was emblematic of Hurts’ mid-game slump, and his inability to get anything going with Brown. It wasn’t all bad for Hurts—he avoided the cardinal sin of turning the ball over, and he checked into a great touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert later in the game. Overall, however, Hurts must play with more quickness and precision against the Rams’ energetic defense on Sunday.  

The Eagles’ defense has generated a turnover in every game since Dec. 8, and it’s been key to their success. On the opening kickoff against the Packers, linebacker Oren Burks completely leveled kick returner Keisean Nixon and forced a fumble, which led to an Eagles touchdown just a few snaps later. During the matchup against an up-and-coming Rams team this weekend, it will be crucial for the Eagles defense to generate stops and turnovers to create favorable field position for their offense. Hurts and the offense tend to start slow; they’re averaging only four points in the first quarter. Their struggles were on display against the Packers this past Sunday, where they didn’t score a second touchdown until shortly before the fourth quarter. Though you would like to see more efficiency from the offense, their shortcomings are made up for by the defense forcing turnovers. Against the Rams on Sunday, Hurts and the offense must capitalize on any turnovers their defense forces. 

While taking a walk in Hellertown after the game, I was fortunate to find local fan Bob sporting some of his Eagles gear. When I asked about his confidence in the team, Bob echoed a sentiment expressed by many fans in the past few days: “I feel good! They played good defense. The offense has to pick it up a little, that’s all. Jalen Hurts has to play a bit better.” The defense has defined this season’s Eagles team, but the offense is more than capable of exceptional play. Hopefully, both sides of the ball will show up to play a strong game against Los Angeles. “I feel confident,” Bob said when asked about the matchup on Sunday. “We’re playing at home, which is always important. The Rams have a couple good receivers, but if we shut them down and play good–we’ve got a real shot.” Though Philadelphia has two games to win before they’re in the Super Bowl, Bob would see a win over Los Angeles as a good omen: “Only time will tell how things will go, but we beat the Rams the last time we won the Super Bowl!” 

Tune in at 3 p.m. EST this Sunday to cheer on the Eagles as they battle the Rams for a spot in the NFC Championship!

Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read Helen’s Then & Now series featuring local history-related topics here.