For the first time in his career really, Aaron Rodgers finally has a defense that is capable of carrying him to where the Packers are desperate to go at least one more time before the Rodgers era ends.
On Thursday night, that Packers defense, which enters Week 4 ranked third in DVOA and second in points allowed, is tasked with its biggest challenge of the season: stymieing Carson Wentz and the Eagles’ offense — a unit that remains explosive, but banged up. The Eagles should put up a tougher fight than the Bears, Vikings, and Broncos, all of whom struggled against Green Bay’s ascending defense. Philadelphia is 1-2, but it is averaging just over 25 points per game.
Below, we’ll be bringing you live updates and analysis from the game with our live blog. After, this post will turn into a takeaways style recap, so be sure to check back later.
It’s only Week 4, but “Thursday Night Football” between two teams that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations has the feel of a playoff type of game — at least for one side, anyway.
For a second straight week, the Philadelphia Eagles will be tasked with taking down an undefeated foe from the NFC North. They’ll be hoping their second foray against the NFC North goes better than their first. A week ago, a very shorthanded Eagles team welcomed the Lions into Philadelphia and proceeded to drop a very winnable game. As a result, the Eagles have fallen to 1-2, which wouldn’t be that big of a deal given just how early it still is in the season, but with the Cowboys racing out to a 3-0 start, suddenly Thursday night has the feel of a must-win game. If they lose, the Eagles could be three games back of the Cowboys by the end of the week.
As for the Packers, they’ve also raced out to a 3-0 start with their defense — not Aaron Rodgers — carrying the load, but they can’t afford to drop off. Trailing behind them are the 2-1 Vikings, 2-1 Bears, and oh yeah, the 2-0-1 Lions. The Packers might be the best team in the NFC North, but only just barely. Their rivals are in pursuit.
