The Eagles' playoff hopes remain alive — if they win out.
That quest begins Monday night against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles have not lost a game this season.
It's time for our (cough) expert predictions for the Week 12 matchup.
Reuben Frank (5-4)
Any time every trend favors the Eagles, it scares me. The Packers' defense has been awful and you would think the Eagles could score more than 24 points for the first time since Week 3. The Packers' offense has been fairly productive even during Green Bay's losing streak, but the Eagles have allowed only three touchdowns in four home games and the home-field advantage has been a powerful weapon this year for the Eagles. If the Eagles go into this game after seven straight matchups against teams with winning records thinking, "Hey, we finally get a break here," they will lose. But if they take care of business and don't make stupid mental mistakes and protect the football, I don't see them losing. I really think this is the week the offense takes off, Carson Wentz puts up big numbers and Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner pile up the rushing yards in Ryan Mathews' absence. So I've got the Eagles getting back over .500 at 6-5 with their fifth straight home win.
Eagles 36, Packers 24
Dave Zangaro (3-7)
This is a battle of two pretty desperate teams. The Eagles at 5-5 still have a decent shot at making the playoffs, but need to go on a little run. The Packers at 4-6 pretty much need to win out.
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Monday night should be a pretty good spot for the Eagles, going against a Green Bay team that has lost four in a row and is really banged up. Sure, they still have Aaron Rodgers, but he can't win games on his own.
The Eagles will have the opportunity to put up some points Monday and since they're home, I expect Jim Schwartz's unit to show up. If the Eagles can't win this game, they don't deserve to make the playoffs.
Eagles 27, Packers 17
Derrick Gunn (4-6)
The Eagles have now hit that critical juncture in the road where every win and loss becomes even more magnified. They are back on their home turf, where they play much differently than they do on the road, giving up less than 10 points per outing at the Linc.
So here comes the walking-wounded Green Bay Packers, whose defense has has been decimated by injuries. The Packers have given up an average of 38.3 points per game during their four-game losing streak. The Packers' pass defense has been putrid, and opponents throwing the deep ball against them has come way too easy.
I don't know if the Eagles' receivers can get deep, but they can do enough to get the job done. Eagles fly at high at home.
Eagles 30, Packers 24
Ray Didinger (5-5)
The last three teams to visit the Linc — Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Atlanta — had combined records of 13-3 and led their respective divisions. The Eagles defeated all three by an average of 17 points per game. On Monday night, the Green Bay Packers come reeling into town having lost four games in a row, the last two by lopsided margins to Tennessee (47-25) and Washington (42-24). All the math favors the Eagles here.
The Eagles haven't exactly been red hot themselves — they are 2-5 in their last seven games and they were smacked around last week in Seattle — but they are perfect at home and they are catching the Packers at the right time. The Green Bay defense has allowed 31 or more points in their last four losses and the secondary, which is crippled by injuries, was torched for seven touchdown passes by Marcus Mariota and Kirk Cousins.
The Eagles don't have a lot of firepower on offense, especially with Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles hurting, but they have enough to put away the Packers and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Eagles 31, Packers 21
Andrew Kulp (6-4)
The Eagles are an imperfect team, but the Packers have two fatal flaws. They don't protect their quarterback and they can't cover anybody, probably not even Nelson Agholor.
Also, this group has been a menace at home. The Eagles jump out to an early lead by crushing Aaron Rodgers and forcing key mistakes. Carson Wentz and Wendell Smallwood can get the job done from there, and the D survives a late rally to keep from falling below .500.
Eagles 34, Packers 27
Corey Seidman (4-6)
The best way for the Eagles to win this game would be following the formula against Atlanta of running a lot and controlling the ball. Problem is, Ryan Mathews (out, knee) and Darren Sproles (rib) are banged up, so that responsibility could fall on Wendell Smallwood, who has had some nice games in his rookie year.
Because the Packers have more offense than the Eagles but no defense, this should be a well-contested shootout. The Eagles' highest-scoring game of the year was the 29-23 overtime loss in Dallas and this should be an even higher total.
My instinct here is to take Green Bay. When a team hits rock bottom the way the Packers apparently have on defense, it usually does everything in its power during the week of practice to correct that issue. Rarely in the NFL do teams fail to adjust and get burnt the same exact way every week.
Many analysts locally and nationally see Green Bay in a free fall and are taking the Eagles. But the Packers are every bit as desperate for a win as are the Eagles, and more importantly have an offense that can pile up points and win a game by itself.
I know the Eagles' defense has been much better at home and generated a lot of pressure on quarterbacks, but I foresee No. 12 working his magic on Monday night, even if doesn't lead to a season revival for the Pack.
Packers 34, Eagles 27
Andy Schwartz (5-5)
After facing the Seahawks’ juggernaut defense, this is exactly what Carson Wentz, Nelson Agholor and the banged-up Eagles’ offense needs.
With a depleted defense, the Packers enter the game allowing 27.6 points per game, 27th in the league.
Ryan Mathews (knee) and Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) are out. Darren Sproles (rib) and Nelson Agholor (psyche) are hurting.
But twice this season the Eagles have returned home after losses and won. They beat the Vikings and their impressive defense. They beat the Falcons and their impressive offense.
In comes another one-sided team. The Packers are 20th in the league in rushing, but 25.9 of their 100.6 rushing yards per game come from Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay recently signed Christine Michael, who led the Seahawks in rushing this season when he was cut two weeks ago.
If the Eagles lose this one, it’ll be because Rodgers picked them apart and the offense failed to keep the ball away him (as they kept it from Matt Ryan). The Eagles will rely on Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner to keep control the clock and keep the Packers’ offense off the field.
That said, the Eagles’ D has been great at home, and the Packers have allowed two-thirds of their sacks (16 of 24) on the road.
Eagles 31, Packers 23
