By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Philadelphia Eagles are currently four-point favorites as they look to improve to 5-0 at “The Linc” against Mike McCarthy’s 4-6 Packers on Monday Night Football. 61 percent of wagers have been cast on Philadelphia thus far, per Vegas Insider.
Although primetime games are traditionally difficult to predict, let’s examine the Eagles upcoming matchup with the struggling Packers.
Packers Offense vs. Eagles Defense
Green Bay gunslinger Aaron Rodgers is completing 63 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions this season. If history is any indication, those numbers will improve against an Eagles’ defense that the Cal product has dismantled over the course of his career. Rodgers has won all three career starts against Philadelphia, throwing eight touchdowns against just two interceptions in those games.
Incredibly, wide receivers Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson enter the Monday night matchup with nearly identical stats: 53 catches for 663 yards a piece. The only difference being that Nelson has nine touchdown receptions compared to Adams’ six.
Eagles’ cornerback Jalen Mills seems to have emerged as the No. 1 cornerback for Jim Schwartz’s defense after his superb performance against Julio Jones, the league’s most outstanding wideout. In all likelihood, the former LSU Tiger will be matched up against Nelson, Rodgers’ most trusted target. This battle will go a long way in determining the outcome of the nationally-televised bout.
Rodgers is no stranger to overcoming adversity. In high school, he was spurned by FBS coaches who considered him too small to play quarterback at the FBS level, despite rewriting the record book at Pleasant Valley High School in California. The Chino, California native began his college career at Butte Community College before Cal-Berkley coaches stumbled upon him while recruiting his tight end. After accepting Cal’s scholarship offer, Rodgers went on to lead Cal to a 10-1 regular season in 2004, with their only blemish coming at the hands of the Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart-led USC Trojans, among the best college teams ever assembled.
Now, the former first-round pick looks to rally the 4-6 Packers in order to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Despite having great success against Philadelphia in the past, Rodgers knows the difficulty of winning a road game Lincoln Financial Field, home to arguably the greatest fans in sports.
“Philly has some of the best sports fans in the country,” Rodgers said. “We need to start a little quicker on offense to help our defense out. It’s a tough environment. They are great football fans. You have to try and take them out of it early if you can. That’s our focus this week.”
At times, Rodgers has tried to be a little too innovative this year, holding onto the ball and scrambling recklessly as defenders close in on him. But he’s also hurt defenses with his legs, and is Green Bay’s second-leading rusher on the season. Against Tennessee, Rodgers stepped up in the pocket as the Titans’ stunt left a gaping void in the A-gaps, then dashed 20 yards into the end zone while the unrecognizing defenders stayed glued to their assignment.
If Schwartz’s defense can keep the former Cal Bear contained, the Eagles will have much better success defending against Green Bay’s dangerous passing attack.
Eagles Offense vs. Packers Defense
Currently, the Packers’ defense is the worst in the National Football League.
They’ve allowed a whopping 120 points in three November games, and have yielded at least 30 points in five of the last six games. In the last two weeks, both road contests, it’s gone from bad to worse for Dom Capers’ unit. First, Marcus Mariota accounted for four touchdowns as the Titans racked up 47 points against Green Bay. Then, Washington posted 42 points behind the ferocious running of Robert Kelley, who had 137 yards and three scores in a convincing victory at FedEx Field.
Though the unit’s cohesion is dissipating, Green Bay does have a few playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle Mike Daniels possesses freakish, Fletcher Cox-like strength in the trenches. Daniels uses his gargantuan thighs to accumulate tremendous leverage, driving opposing guards backwards before discarding the blocker and gobbling up the often surrendering signal-caller.
With the Eagles' versatile hog-mollie Allen Barbre shifting over to right tackle, Penn State product Stefen Wisniewski has been promoted to the starting left guard spot. Wisniewski will likely be tested early and often by Daniels, as Capers looks to make rookie Carson Wentz uncomfortable in the pocket.
Doug Pederson has remained steadfast in his commitment to pounding the football with multiple running backs at Lincoln Financial Field. This strategy is unlikely to change, and why should it? Including preseason, the Eagles are 6-0 at home.
Quite frankly, this Packers’ defense has quit on the coaching staff, which is particularly surprising considering Capers is among the most revered defensive coordinators in the NFL. The best way to eradicate the will of a submissive defense is to continuously run the ball downhill, directly through the core of the unit.
Scatback Darren Sproles is likely to suit up despite a rib injury sustained against Seattle last week, while Ryan Mathews’ status will likely be decided in pregame warmups. If either running back sits, promising rookie Wendell Smallwood could receive a substantial workload in what is bound to be an old school game-plan from Pederson.
Matchup to watch: Jordy Nelson vs. Jalen Mills
Player of the Game: Wendell Smallwood
Prediction: Eagles win 26-17
