Philadelphia advances with a dominant defensive performance and some memorable touchdown moments.
Dallas Goedert delivered a playoff highlight for the ages with an epic touchdown catch, and Jalen Hurts made a strong return from injury as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10 in Sunday night’s NFC wild-card matchup. The win sends the Eagles to the divisional round, where they will host the winner of Monday’s Vikings-Rams game.
Goedert’s spectacular third-quarter touchdown gave the Eagles crucial momentum. “That was a really fun play. It might be my favorite touchdown of my career,” Goedert said. “I’m not ready to go home, and I was going to do whatever it took to help the team get the ‘W.’”
Jalen Hurts, in his first game back after a late-season concussion, threw two touchdown passes, including Goedert’s unforgettable 24-yarder. Despite modest stats, Hurts showed no hesitation in his return, completing his first six passes and maintaining control of the game. “Being back and just getting into that rhythm and leaving it all out there right now, that’s what it’s about,” Hurts said.
The Eagles’ defense, the NFL’s top-ranked unit, dominated the Packers, forcing three turnovers and limiting Green Bay to just 10 points. Jordan Love, playing through a sore elbow, threw for 212 yards but was intercepted three times, including a game-sealing pick by Quinyon Mitchell late in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia capitalized early, turning a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff into an 11-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Jahan Dotson. The defense added two first-half interceptions, courtesy of Darius Slay and All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun. “They played better than us, bottom line,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.
Running back Josh Jacobs provided Green Bay’s lone highlight, dragging multiple defenders on a 31-yard run to set up a third-quarter touchdown. Packers injuries mounted throughout the game, with key players like Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Elgton Jenkins exiting early.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni praised his team’s resilience and Hurts’ leadership. “Jalen is a winner. He wins. No one can argue that,” Sirianni said. With this victory, the Eagles move closer to their championship aspirations and will prepare for a divisional-round matchup at Lincoln Financial Field next Sunday.