It wasn’t pretty but it was a win. The Eagles went into Lambeau Field and dealt the Green Bay Packers a 10-7 defeat in a defensive battle Monday night. Here are five things we learned:
1. Sirianni continues to join rare company
Under coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles are now 4-0 against the Packers and 10-0 against the NFC North, including the postseason.
Sirianni improved to 7-2 or better through nine games for the fourth straight season, the longest stretch in franchise history. According to Elias Sports, he is the first head coach in the Super Bowl era to start 7-2 or better in four of his first five seasons, joining Paul Brown, Guy Chamberlin, George Halas and Don Shula.
Sirianni now owns a .714 winning percentage (55-22), the second-best in the Super Bowl era behind John Madden (.759). Including playoffs, his 61 victories move him past Dick Vermeil (60) into third all-time among Eagles coaches, trailing only Andy Reid and Greasy Neale.
2. The defense dictated the game — and Jaelan Phillips said hello
The Eagles didn’t just hold Green Bay to seven points — their lowest home scoring output since 2018 — they forced the Packers out of rhythm and off schedule all night.
The tone-setter came early: Jalyx Hunt sacked Jordan Love for an 11-yard loss on the game’s opening drive, a play created in part by pressure from newly acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. That was just the beginning of Phillips’ night.
On a second-quarter sequence, Nolan Smith notched a sack on first down, and Nakobe Dean followed with his first career strip sack, recovered by Phillips at the Philadelphia 35. That turnover erased a drive that was trending toward points.
Later, with the Birds protecting a 10-0 lead in the fourth, Phillips combined with safety Reed Blankenship to make a decisive play in the game — forcing a fumble on running back Josh Jacobs on fourth-and-1, recovered by Blankenship at the Green Bay 40. That takeaway effectively sealed momentum.
Phillips now has two fumble recoveries this season and is impacting games with consistency and leverage, not just flashes. His arrival has given the front seven a closing element that travels — including into cold, ugly NFC playoff environments. He finished Monday night’s game with six tackles, one for loss, and two QB hits.
Meanwhile, Brandon Graham, now 37 years, 221 days, became the oldest defensive player in team history to appear in a game. He had three sacks and eight QB hits against Green Bay, and Phillips said he was invaluable in helping him acclimate to the Eagles.
3. The offense didn’t dominate, but executed when it mattered
Style points were virtually nonexistent, but the Eagles delivered when the game tightened.
The first scoring drive — 10 plays, 55 yards to open the second half — ended in a 39-yard Jake Elliott field goal. Dallas Goedert keyed the possession with three catches for 35 yards, including a third-down conversion.
The touchdown drive was pure situational execution. On third-and-7, QB Jalen Hurts hit Saquon Barkley for 41 yards. Four plays later, Hurts dropped a 36-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith down the right sideline.
That was all the offense needed.
4. Braden Mann continues to be a field-position weapon
Braden Mann’s 66-yard punt in the second quarter was his ninth of 60-plus yards this season, already a career high. He had just six such punts total across 2023-24.
In a game where both defenses were landing punches, and despite an uncharacteristic shank, Mann helped control the landscape.
5. The post-bye formula remains undefeated
Philadelphia is now 5-0 after bye weeks under Sirianni. The Eagles also improved to 4-1 on the road this season and have the best road winning percentage in the NFL (.718, 28-11) since 2021.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates.
