quote:The Packers' 10-3 win means the Eagles, with one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, an unsettled situation at right cornerback, and a rookie seventh-round pick starting at safety, will begin the playoffs against a potent passing attack led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so we've got our work cut out for us," Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said Sunday. McDermott had already been scouting the Packers, who controlled their destiny and punched their ticket to Philadelphia despite playing the Bears' starters for the entire game
SNIP-
Instead of facing the mistake-prone Giants or inexperienced Buccaneers, the Eagles will play a team with a ferocious pass rush and excellent quarterback. Rodgers finished the regular season with 28 passing touchdowns (sixth most before the Sunday night game) against 11 interceptions. He had a 101.2 passer rating, third-best in the NFL.
"He's elusive. He's accurate. He throws the ball on time. He knows where everyone is," said linebacker Stewart Bradley, who is expected to be back Sunday, matching wits with Rodgers as the defensive signal-caller. "He's obviously a cerebral guy. He's definitely a tough quarterback to play against."
Facing any talented quarterback, the Eagles have the same approach: Get in his face and knock him down. But there are two problems with that philosophy against Rodgers. The Eagles' pass rush slowed down late in the season, and Rodgers, according to McDermott, has fared even better against the blitz than not.
Packers quarterbacks have been sacked 38 times, tied for 11th in the NFL. That includes 17 sacks in the last five games. The Eagles, though, have not recorded more than two sacks in a game since facing the Bears Nov. 28. Their best pass rusher, Trent Cole, has just one sack in the last four games he's played, and the defensive-line rotation is thinner with Brandon Graham out for the year.
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On Bradley, the Eagles chief signal caller, Reid calls it "a strech" he'll be able to play on Sunday.
Also from ESPNs Mosley (who covers the Eagles):
3 things to watch against the Packers
quote:
3.
The Eagles' secondary is about to encounter perhaps the best group of receivers in the league.
The Packers' receivers do a tremendous job of running after the catch, as the Giants learned last week. If Rodgers gets in a groove early, the Eagles could be in trouble. The Eagles have given up 31 passing touchdowns this season, which ranks them right behind the Cowboys in terms of worst in the NFC. Rodgers thrives on finding his receivers on crossing routes and watching them add 20 or 30 yards to the play. The Eagles' defensive backs must do a much better job tackling against this group. The Eagles have the offensive firepower to keep up in a shootout, but Reid doesn't want it to come to that. Philadelphia's biggest flaw is its defense, and the Packers have the weapons to expose it. Fortunately for the Eagles, the Packers' offensive tackles have struggled at times. This is the type game when defensive end Trent Cole's ability to get leverage will help in a big way. And the Eagles must figure out a way to keep defensive end Juqua Parker from playing too many snaps. D-end Darryl Tapp made some nice plays against the Cowboys on Sunday and the Eagles need him to continue his strong play. But I can't imagine a better first-round matchup than this. If you can think of the last No. 6 seed that looked this scary, let me know.
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Always interesting to see how the opposing teams media outlets see GB.
