Philadelphia’s Super Bowl Dominance Highlights That the Packers Are Close

Comparing the end of the 2023-24 campaign to the end of this season may have made Green Bay Packers fans wonder if the team had taken a step back. After bursting onto the scene in Jordan Love's first year as a starter, the Packers offense sputtered toward the finish line this year with three consecutive losses, including their swift exit from the playoffs in a 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

But after witnessing Philly’s dominance in their 40-22 Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay faithful should take heart in knowing their team is closer than they thought to reaching the mountaintop.

Green Bay rarely enters the offseason feeling better about its defense than its offense. Sure, there are probably more holes to fill in on the defensive side of the ball, but there is also more certainty with that group.

For years during the Aaron Rodgers era, the Packers typically entered the offseason knowing that they always had a chance with No. 12 at the helm. The problems often resided on the other side of the ball. Go back and look at some of the playoff losses for reference.

Enough of the bad memories that may send Packers fans searching for the cheapest straitjacket on Amazon. Here's the point: Philadelphia proved on Sunday that a ferocious defense can not only beat the best of the best but embarrass them.

Green Bay is on the path to having an excellent defense. That's not to suggest that Philadelphia’s offense isn't stout; they're spearheaded by running back Saquon Barkley, who had a legitimate MVP case this year. However, the defense drove winning for the Eagles.

The Eagles beat the Chiefs on Sunday for many reasons, but perhaps none more so than their relentless defensive front, which harassed Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes all evening.

According to Next Gen Stats, Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had his unit blitz exactly zero times on 42 Mahomes dropbacks. Despite rushing just four, the Eagles generated 16 quarterback pressures and sacked Mahomes six times, a career worst for him in the playoffs or the regular season.

Green Bay's offense, outside of Josh Jacobs, looked pretty putrid for long stretches against the Eagles in the playoffs. If there's one thing head coach Matt LaFleur and Co. can hang their hats on, it's that, despite some consistent pressure in the postseason matchup, the Eagles only sacked Love three times in two games this season. If not for an injury to left guard Elgton Jenkins early in the playoff loss, those numbers may have looked even better.

Philadelphia has invested heavily in the trenches via the draft and a little in free agency. The Eagles lean on their big boys up front to tilt games in their favor.

The Packers have constantly funneled resources into those same spots, including high draft picks. General manager Brian Gutekunst has had more success hitting on the offensive line than the defensive front in that regard. Green Bay's 22-10 loss to the Eagles was a deflating way to end the season. Watching that same team bully the Chiefs, who were going for the ever-elusive three-peat, revealed that the Packers aren't too far away.

For as jaw-droppingly great as the defense was for Philadelphia, the offense also played the role of a well-oiled machine. In their final two playoff games, the Eagles put up 55 points against the Washington Commanders and 40 against Kansas City. Suddenly, giving up 22 to that group like the Packers did looks like a crowning achievement.

Against Washington in the NFC Championship, the Eagles piled up 459 yards of offense and had seven rushing touchdowns. Against Kansas City, Jalen Hurts and the offense racked up 345 total yards despite Barkley having 25 carries for 57 yards.

Let's compare that to what Green Bay's defense did against the Eagles in the playoffs.

Philadelphia only mustered 290 yards of offense against Jeff Hafley's defense and was 2 for 11 on third down. This was not a one-off for Hafley's group. The defense drastically improved across the board in Year 1 under Hafley compared to what the Packers looked like under former defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

There are legitimate questions about Green Bay's offense as the offseason begins. What happened to the passing game down the stretch run of the season? Why weren't wide receivers getting separation as easily? Do the Packers need a true No. 1 wide receiver?

All these questions are valid. However, given that the questions usually circulate around the defense in Green Bay when the calendar turns to February, and with an offensive-minded guru in LaFleur at the controls, it's fine to feel confident that the Packers will solve those riddles before next season begins.

Philadelphia’s flex against Kansas City showed the league many things. For the Packers, it revealed that they aren't too far away.