In a tightly contested Monday night showdown, the Philadelphia Eagles edged out the Green Bay Packers 10-7 in a game defined by staunch defenses and limited offensive fireworks. The victory bolstered the Eagles’ record to 7-2 while dropping the Packers to 5-3-1, pushing Green Bay down to third place in the NFC North division behind the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. The Packers, who had previously held the best record in the NFC early in the season, now find themselves fighting to maintain a playoff position, currently holding the seventh and final seed in the conference.
The game was characterized by a grinding defensive battle, with neither team managing to score in the first half—a rarity in today’s NFL. This marked the first scoreless halftime since December 2023, recalling similarly defensive contests such as the Minnesota Vikings’ 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets’ 30-6 victory against the Houston Texans. Both offenses struggled to gain traction early, with key plays repeatedly thwarted by aggressive defensive efforts.
Philadelphia finally broke the deadlock early in the second half when kicker Jake Elliott converted a 39-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a slim 3-0 lead. Despite this, the game remained tight and tense, with both teams’ offenses continuing to struggle to generate big plays or sustained drives. Both quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts for Philadelphia and Jordan Love for Green Bay, had costly moments in the first half, each fumbling away promising scoring opportunities. Hurts lost a fumble at the end of an 11-yard run that would have positioned the Eagles deep in Packers territory, with Edgerrin Cooper of Green Bay forcing the turnover and Keisean Nixon returning the ball 22 yards. Green Bay’s Love also coughed up the ball late in the second quarter while under pressure from Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean. This fumble was recovered by Jaelan Phillips, who was making his Eagles debut after being acquired in a recent trade from Miami.
The second half saw Philadelphia’s defense continue to stifle Green Bay’s offense, setting the stage for a decisive sequence early in the fourth quarter. With the Eagles leading 3-0 and facing a third-and-seven from their own 23-yard line, running back Saquon Barkley made a pivotal play. Barkley caught a short pass behind the line of scrimmage, executed a sharp spin move to evade cornerback Carrington Valentine, and then sprinted 41 yards upfield. This explosive play shifted momentum decisively in Philadelphia’s favor. On the very next snap, wide receiver DeVonta Smith made a spectacular leaping catch in the end zone over safety Evan Williams, giving the Eagles their only touchdown of the game and a 10-0 lead with 10:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Green Bay responded with urgency, narrowing the gap to 10-7 on a six-yard touchdown run by running back Josh Jacobs with just under six minutes left. The Packers then had multiple opportunities to seize the lead in the closing minutes. After regaining possession at their own 10-yard line with over two minutes remaining and two timeouts, the Packers mounted a promising drive. However, their hopes were dashed when Jacobs fumbled during a fourth-and-one attempt from the Green Bay 44-yard line, ending the drive and squandering their chance to take the lead.
The Packers were not finished yet. Following a risky call by the Eagles, who elected to throw a long incomplete pass on fourth-and-six rather than punt, Green Bay got the ball back with only 27 seconds left from their own 36-yard line. Quarterback Jordan Love connected with Bo Melton on an 18-yard completion that pushed the Packers beyond midfield, setting up a potential game-winning field goal attempt. Unfortunately for Green Bay, kicker Brandon McManus’s 64-yard field goal try as time expired fell several yards short, sealing the Packers’ defeat.
This loss was particularly disappointing for Green Bay, as it prevented them from exacting revenge against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Eagles had already beaten the Packers twice in the previous season — first in a thrilling 34-29 opener in Brazil, and later with a 22-10 victory in the NFC wild-card round. Philadelphia’s defensive tenacity and timely offensive execution once again proved to be the difference.
The game also featured an interesting subplot involving the controversial “tush push” quarterback sneak technique,