Week 4 of the NFL gets underway as the Philadelphia Eagles head to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. The NFC foes have started the season off going in opposite directions. The Packers have gotten off to an undefeated start thanks in part to a stifling defense. Green Bay is allowing 23 points per game through three weeks, which is the second-fewest in the league. Matt LaFleur was brought in to liven up the offense that had grown stale after a decade and a half of Mike McCarthy, however, it has yet to yield the results that many projected due to LaFleur coming from the Sean McVay coaching tree. Regardless, at 3-0 winning is the ultimate goal and that’s what the team has done so far. In Philadelphia, the Eagles have yet to find the groove that helped lead them to their lone Super Bowl victory in 2017. Carson Wentz is back and healthy and the team has a variety of weapons on offense in Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffrey, Jordan Howard, DeSean Jackson, Dallas Goedert, and rookie running back Miles Sanders. Defensively, they have a fair amount of talent too and possibly the best defensive lineman not named Aaron Donald in Fletcher Cox. They limp into this primetime tilt with a 1-2 record after late losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions in back-to-back weeks. The last time these two teams met was November 2016 and Green Bay won 27-13 on the road, but the Eagles would go on to win the Super Bowl.

QB Matchup – Carson Wentz vs Aaron Rodgers

This game features two marquee names in the NFC. Aaron Rodgers was once perceived as the best player to ever play the quarterback position. Carson Wentz was the number two overall pick out of North Dakota State and has blossomed into one of the top players at the position. For Wentz, he has become one of the beloved sports figures in Philadelphia, which is no easy feat. Yet, injuries have kept him from finishing seasons in two of his first three years in the NFL. When he plays, he has shown that he has the tools and skills to turn the Eagles into one of the better offenses in the league. Not only is he capable of slinging the ball around the field but he also has the requisite athleticism to be a threat with his legs. With the influx of toys, this season the belief was that we could see Wentz return to his 2017 version when he helped the team go 11-2 in the 13 games he played. In the first three weeks, he’s accumulated a QBR of 72.7 which is second only to the 77.2 rating he posted in 2017.

The word on Rodgers has been ingrained as fact since he took over for Brett Favre in Green Bay. Like Wentz, he has the arm to make every possible throw and also can tuck the ball and make plays with his legs. Prior to guys like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray entering (and excelling in) the league, Rodgers was the rare dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. Yet, the Rodgers that we know and love has been absent to begin this season. The Packers have become more of a run-first team under LaFleur. He set his season-high in passing yards last week when he totaled 235 yards on 29 attempts against the Minnesota Vikings. At some point, we believe that we’ll see classic Rodgers and having that breakout game with most of the football world watching on primetime would be a great narrative for him to try and add another MVP trophy to his mantle. Whatever the outcome of tonight’s game we’ll have a quarter of the season already passed by.

RB Matchup – Jordan Howard/Miles Sanders vs Aaron Jones/Jamaal Williams

As the league has transitioned to more of a pass-happy league a lot of teams have gone to running back duos instead of relying on just one primary ball carrier. Both of these teams playing tonight have adopted this approach. Before this season, Philadelphia had trouble finding any back to take the bulk of their carries. This season they added Jordan Howard from the Chicago Bears and drafted Miles Sanders out of Penn State with the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It was a real investment by this team to try and shore up what was considered their main weakness. As both try to adjust and find their footing with their new teams it’ll be interesting to see if Doug Pederson shifts towards giving the bulk of the work to one player in particular. Howard is a great runner in between the tackles and is a forceful and powerful runner whenever he gets his hands on the ball. Sanders is more of an all-around back. In college, he backed up Saquon Barkley for two seasons before finally getting his shot to be the man. Although he didn’t replicate what Barkley did–rarely does anyone have that type of career–he was a very good running back for the Nittany Lions.

On the other side, the Packers basically abandoned the run by the end of McCarthy’s tenure. With LaFleur it not only has been emphasized but it is the basis of their entire system. If they are able to establish the run it opens up all sorts of tricks and gadgets in their new coaches playbook. So far, both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams have had steady careers with Green Bay. It was Jones who had a breakout game this year. Against the Vikings, he rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown and also caught four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown as well. If they can find a way to get one (or both) running backs going early tonight then they will have the Eagles eating out of the palm of their hands not before long. It will also be intriguing to see whether or not teams make the switch to defending this team more for the run than the pass. The numbers show that the Packers are running a lot more but Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers. Flooding the box with seven or eight defenders could spell doom on the outside as long as Green Bay gives him time to survey the field.

WR Matchup – Alshon Jeffery vs Davante Adams

This is a battle of two number one receivers who happen to both wear number 17. Right now, Davante Adams is the bigger star. Coming out of Fresno State, Adams wasn’t thought of as a future star but since he entered the league in 2014 he has gotten better season-after-season and is currently one of the five best wide receivers in the entire NFL. His dedication to his craft and working tirelessly during the offseason has helped him become arguably the best route runner at his position. What Adams and Rodgers have developed on back-shoulder throws made them nearly impossible to stop. They just have such a connection that their timing and understanding of the defense is impeccable. It almost seems like they have mental telepathy at times. Also, if there is ever a pre-snap penalty by their opponent Rodgers is ready and willing to let one rip down the field and usually his target is Adams.

Alshon Jeffery’s health has kept him from becoming a household name that his talent shows. He’s already missed a game this season with a calf injury. Tonight he is expected o be back on the field and playing at 100 percent. In actuality, Jeffery had some of his best moments in Philadelphia when Nick Foles was replacing an injured Wentz. If those two could cement better chemistry then they could become one of the more dangerous pairings in the NFL. At 6’3″ and 218 pounds, he is a big target and not only is he great on jump ball throws but he also is deceptively fast making him a great deep threat. All it takes is for the opposing team to make one mistake and Jeffery could find himself walking into the endzone for an easy touchdown.

TE Matchup – Zach Ertz vs Jimmy Graham

Jimmy Graham was the original mismatch at the tight end position. The former basketball player at the University of Miami had the size and athleticism that made him too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties. He used to dominate the middle of the field in his prime. Sadly, since joining the Packers the glimpses of the former Pro Bowl player have been few and far between. With Green Bay emphasizing the run game it means there are more chances for tight ends to get onto the field. Graham has never been that great of a blocker and that flaw could keep him from having as big of an impact on the offense as some projected when he first came aboard. On the other end, Zach Ertz has taken the template that Graham laid out and brought it to another level. His 116 receptions last season were a record for the tight end position. He and Wentz have the same type of connection that I detailed Rodgers and Adams sharing. It seems like they just always know where the other is going to be. Ertz might not match his 100-plus receptions this season but if the Eagles are going to reach the heights many expected they will need to get the best out of their star tight end.

DEF Matchup – Eagles Defense vs Packers Defense

As mentioned above, the Packers have been led by their defense to start this season. That idea would have been inconceivable a few years ago. However, after investing on that side of the ball in the draft and free agency they have filled out their roster with young talent at all three levels. Jaire Alexander is the star of the show and he looks the part of a future lockdown corner. He’s played on the outside and in the slot in his first two seasons but it looks now like they’ll be using him to shadow the opponents best wide receiver. The biggest change comes in the pass rush as they have Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith (no relation) attacking off each edge. Combined they have totaled 7.5 sacks already and it looks like they won’t be slowing down anytime soon. It’s been a long time since Green Bay has been able to pair Rodgers with above-average defense. In fact, the last time might have been when they went on to win the Super Bowl in 2011.

The Eagles meanwhile have had one of the premier defensive units in the NFL over the last few seasons. Fletcher Cox is a one-man wrecking ball and even with the additional attention that teams throw his way he still has a way of making plays in the middle of the field. Whether that is in the run or passing game, Cox can do it all from the defensive tackle spot. Brandon Graham looks ageless coming off the edge and Derek Barnett is slowly rounding into shape as a player who can routinely affect the opposing team’s pocket. Their defensive backfield has been a weakness and it has yet to undergo a complete overhaul but Malcolm Jenkins and Ronald Darby are true ballhawks and if there is a ball up for grabs it is more likely than not that one of them will be able to get their hands on it. The hope is that they are able to right the ship quickly and a big game from the defense tonight can go a long way in making that happen.

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