Preview: Packers have chance to enact revenge on Eagles

Even after losing each of the last three weeks to fall four games below .500, the Philadelphia Eagles somehow still have a legitimate shot to win the NFC East.

But they’re running out of time to turn things around.

The Eagles (3-7-1) trail the New York Giants and Washington by half a game in the division as they head to Green Bay for a Sunday matchup with the NFC North-leading Packers (8-3).

“Probably every team in the NFC East is going right now, ‘Hey, we control our own destiny,’“ Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “We’re just trying to win another game. We’re trying to, at the end, be in first place in the NFC East. As crazy as that sounds, we’re right there in the mix.”

While the Eagles are fighting for their playoff lives, the Packers are breezing toward a second straight division title. They own a three-game lead over Chicago and Minnesota in the NFC North and are coming off a 41-25 victory over the Bears.

Philadelphia still has cause for optimism. The Eagles won 34-27 at Green Bay last year, which marked the Packers’ only home loss during a season in which they went 13-3 and reached the NFC championship game.

That makes the Packers wary, regardless of the Eagles’ record.

“It’s our home,” Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith said. “You never want nobody to come into your home and beat you and have their way.”

This isn’t the same Eagles team that won at Green Bay last year, though.

Quarterback Carson Wentz is struggling behind an offensive line that has gone through several different combinations this season. Even so, the Eagles still have a reliable defense and plenty of incentive.

“This team, it’s a resilient group,” Pederson said. “They’ve battled. They play hard. We just have to eliminate mistakes – penalties, turnovers, try to keep guys healthy. It’s kind of what you want, right? It doesn’t matter how it looks, as long as you’re there in the end with an opportunity to win your division.”

ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SLAY

The Eagles acquired three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay to shut down the opposition’s No. 1 receiver. In a 23-17 loss to Seattle, Slay allowed DK Metcalf 10 catches for 177 yards. Slay blamed himself for the loss and vowed to do better.

Now he has to face Davante Adams.

“I am looking forward to going to work this week and getting better for the team,” Slay said. “They deserve it, I deserve it, and this organization does.”

Adams has caught a touchdown pass in six straight games. He’s tied for second in the NFL with 11 touchdown catches this season. Adams said he has plenty of respect for Slay, who he has faced when Slay was with the Lions.

“He’s one of the better guys that I’ve seen on the film in the past and this year,” Adams said.

RODGERS LOVES DECEMBERS AT HOME

Green Bay has gone 19-3 in quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ 22 December home starts. Rodgers has a 111.9 passer rating in December home games.

The Packers went 5-0 in December last year and outscored opponents by an average of 9.4 points.

EAGLES’ QB SHUFFLE

Rookie Jalen Hurts took his first snap with Wentz on the sideline against Seattle on Monday night and completed a 6-yard pass. He handed off on his only other snap with Wentz split wide.

Hurts has played 33 snaps. He’s completed all three of his passes for 33 yards, caught one pass for 3 yards and run 12 times for 56 yards.

“My philosophy is we do whatever it takes to spark the offense, whatever it takes to win a football game and be successful,” Pederson said. “People may think it’s different and you can’t get a guy into a rhythm or whatever, but when you struggle as an offense you’re looking for ways to create some plays.”

RUNYAN FACES DAD’S OLD TEAM

Packers rookie guard Jon Runyan’s father, also named Jon Runyan, played offensive tackle for the Eagles from 2000-08.

“He’s always texting me something before and after the games, just something I should remember or something I need to keep in mind,” said Runyan, a sixth-round pick from Michigan.

Runyan might make his first career start against his dad’s old team. Runyan’s chances depend on the status of usual starting center Corey Linsley and guard Lucas Patrick, who were knocked out of the Bears game with injuries.

FULGHAM RETURNS TO GREEN BAY

Travis Fulgham was released by the Packers in August but has found a home in Philadelphia, where he now has 33 catches for a team-high 467 yards and four touchdowns.

He’s caught the attention of Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who notes that Fulgham has shown an ability to make contested catches throughout the season.

“I’m happy for Travis,” LaFleur said. “I just hope he doesn’t take his revenge out on us on Sunday.”

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PHILADELPHIA (3-7-1) at GREEN BAY (8-3)

Sunday, 3:25 p.m. CT, CBS

OPENING LINE – Packers by 6 ½

RECORD VS. SPREAD – Eagles 4-7, Packers 7-4

SERIES RECORD – Packers lead 27-17

LAST MEETING – Eagles beat Packers 34-27 on Sept. 26, 2019, in Green Bay

LAST WEEK – Eagles lost 23-17 to Seahawks; Packers beat Bears 41-25

AP PRO32 RANKING – Eagles No. 27, Packers No. 4

EAGLES OFFENSE – OVERALL (28), RUSH (13), PASS (27)

PACKERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (4), RUSH (10), PASS (6)

EAGLES DEFENSE – OVERALL (9), RUSH (23-T), PASS (8)

PACKERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (13-T), RUSH (14), PASS (15)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: Eagles rank among the lower-third of NFL teams in points per game (25th), third-down efficiency (27th) and fourth-down efficiency (29th). … Eagles QB Carson Wentz leads the NFL with 19 turnovers, including a career-high 15 interceptions. … Philadelphia RB Miles Sanders has 600 yards rushing in eight games and averages 5.6 yards per carry. … Eagles WR Travis Fulgham has four catches on 14 targets in the past three games after he had 28 catches for 427 yards and four TDs in his first four. The Packers cut Fulgham on Aug. 19. … Philly C Jason Kelce has started 100 straight games. … Eagles TEs Dallas Goedert and Richard Rodgers have both caught TD passes in consecutive games. … DE Brandon Graham leads the team with seven sacks, three shy of his career-best. Graham will play in his 155th game, tying Trent Cole for the most by a defensive end in franchise history. … Eagles DT Fletcher Cox has a sack in four straight games. DE Derek Barnett had a sack and two tackles for loss vs. Seattle. … Philly’s defense has just three interceptions. … The Eagles are minus-10 in turnover differential.… Packers QB Aaron Rodgers owns a 19-3 record in December home games and owns a 111.9 passer rating in those contests. … Rodgers went over 50,000 career yards passing in Green Bay’s win over Chicago on Sunday. Rodgers and John Elway are the only QBs in NFL history with at least 50,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. … Packers WR Davante Adams put himself in a tie for second league-wide, behind Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill (13), with 11 touchdown catches —the most by a Packer through 11 games since Billy Howton had 12 in 1956. … Packers TE Marcedes Lewis had his 400th career catch Sunday. He’s one of only seven tight ends to play in at least 200 games and catch at least 400 passes. … The Packers lead the NFL in scoring (31.7) and time of possession (32:56). … Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith has a sack in three of his last four games. … Packers S Darnell Savage is coming off a two-interception game against the Bears. … Green Bay went 5-0 in December last season. The Eagles are 11-4 in December since 2017. … The Packers have over 1,000 combined yards rushing from Aaron Jones (624) and Jamaal Williams (409). … Packers rookie OG Jon Runyan’s father, also named Jon Runyan, played offensive tackle for the Eagles from 2000-08. … Eagles coach Doug Pederson was a Packers quarterback from 1995-98 and 2001-04. … Fantasy tip: After going five straight games without a touchdown, Packers TE Robert Tonyan is heating up again and has five catches and a touchdown in each of his last two contests. Tonyan now has seven touchdown catches this season and is worth starting against the Eagles.