Nov 10, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni on the sidelines in the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Well, that was awful.
After watching that game, you probably don't want to read more about it. Honestly, I don't really know if I want to write about it. But let's get it out of the way and talk about it now so we never have to speak about it again.
The Philadelphia Eagles came out on top of a defensive showdown against the Green Bay Packers, winning by a final score of 10-7. Here are a few takeaways from Monday's ugly win:
In his first three years as an Eagle, A.J. Brown has been an All-Pro and has put up 1,000-yard seasons every year.
Inexplicably, Brown was targeted just three times in Monday night's win.
He caught two passes for 13 yards during the Eagles' first drive of the game, but didn't catch another pass all game. He did have some great downfield blocking on Saquon Barkley's 41-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter:
Saquon breaks free for 41 yards!
PHIvsGB on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/Niq7lrJXYr
And, of course, DeVonta Smith (who has been balling recently) hauled in the Birds' only touchdown of the night on the very next play:
DeVonta Smith got 🆙 for the touchdown! pic.twitter.com/gCBbsbldLM
Brown's third and final target came on the Eagles' final offensive play of the game, which was an ill-advised shot to the end zone on 4th and 6. The pass fell incomplete, and the Eagles hand-delivered the remaining 27 seconds of the game to the Packers offense. More on that later.
Brown is a top-five wide receiver in the NFL. He is among the best in the world at his position. Good things happen when he touches the football. A top-five wide receiver seeing three targets in a game is a criminal offense. Much has been made of Brown's rumored discontent this season; after Monday's game, he has every right to be upset at his usage (or lack thereof).
At what point should the absolute refusal to utilize a star player be considered coaching malpractice by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo?
Jaelan Phillips had himself a night to remember. Howie Roseman's latest trade acquisition made a splash in his Eagles debut. He routinely disrupted plays, racking up six total tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
Phillips helped force a crucial fumble on 4th and 1 with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. If the Eagles offense had showed any sense of competency, the Packers offense wouldn't have seen the football again:
Welcome to Philadelphia, Jaelan Phillips! pic.twitter.com/m3cnuYQhbe
Phillips said Friday that being traded to Philadelphia was "the greatest thing that's happened" to him. He sure played like it against the Packers.
The rest of the defensive line kept Jordan Love under pressure all night long, sacking him three times and totaling eight quarterback hits. Jalyx Hunt's first-quarter sack pushed the Packers into a 3rd and 20 on their first drive of the game:
Jalyx Hunt got the party STARTED🥳 pic.twitter.com/MiBZM6OISC
Nolan Smith also got a sack in his return from injured reserve, and Nakobe Dean picked up his first sack of the season. Although his impact didn't show up in the box score, Brandon Graham made some noise while on a snap count in his first game back from retirement.
Overall, the defense picked up the offense's slack and kept the Birds in the game. They shut out the Packers' prolific offense until 5:49 left in the fourth quarter. That's quite a feat. Vic Fangio can hang his hat on this one.
That being said, the Eagles had absolutely no right winning this game.
The defense showed up, but apart from the two chunk plays by Barkley and Smith in the fourth quarter, the offense never made it off the tarmac in Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts, who finished with just 183 passing yards, couldn't get anything going all night. Barkley managed a paltry 2.7 yards per carry.
It just felt like the Birds (cough, cough, Patullo) were giving up all night long, especially when the offense needed more than 10 yards.
The Eagles were 7-for-16 on third down. Six of those third downs were 10 yards or longer; they converted two and failed to convert four. For some unknown reason, third-string running back Will Shipley was involved in four of those six attempts. All in all, on those six plays, the Birds elected to pass to Shipley twice, run the ball with Shipley twice, run the ball with Hurts once, and (successfully) pass to Smith once.
That makes absolutely zero sense. Where on God's green earth is A.J. Brown? Why is Will Shipley the go-to option? Why does Patullo effectively roll over and say "oh well, we'll get 'em next time" every time the Eagles face a third and long?
Additionally, the Eagles elected to try to throw the ball to the end zone on 4th and 6 with 27 seconds left in the game, and they ended up handing the ball back to Jordan Love on Green Bay's 36-yard line. Sure, Brandon McManus eventually missed the 64-yard field goal attempt as time expired, but he should have never had that chance. Nick Sirianni will surely have some explaining to do there.
The Birds are 7-2. They own the best record in the NFC East by far. They technically share the top seed in the NFC with the Seattle Seahawks.
But the Eagles team who played Monday night sure didn't play like a team that could square off against the top teams in football come January. Instead, they played like a team that would probably get squashed.
The Eagles will square off against one of the top teams in football in the Detroit Lions. Sunday Night Football comes to South Philadelphia next weekend. The Birds have many things to fix, and they're quickly running out of time to do it.
