- The Green Bay Packers are heading into their NFC wild-card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles with some injury problems.
- Quarterback Jordan Love was limited in practice with a “sore” elbow.
- Receiver Christian Watson is out for the season with a torn ACL.
The Green Bay Packers reached the playoffs with an 11-6 record, good for third in the loaded NFC North. That earned the Packers a spot in the NFC wild-card round, where they’ll head to Philadelphia to face the 14–3 Eagles, who won the NFC East.
But the Packers are banged up heading into the game as quarterback Jordan Love was limited in practice this week. The Packers have also lost, arguably, their best receiver in Christian Watson.
Week 18 was Tough on the Packers in Terms of Injuries
The Packers faced Chicago in Week 18, and it went all bad for Green Bay at home. They lost to the Bears 24-22 for the first time in 11 games, and for the first time since 2015 at Lambeau Field. That loss dropped the Packers to seventh in the playoff seeding, sending them to Philadelphia.
Love left in the second quarter of the Bears’ loss after hitting his elbow on the helmet of his offensive lineman, and didn’t return. On Wednesday, January 8, Love was listed as limited in practice, and said that his elbow was “sore”. However, Love will likely be under center when the Packers take the field against the Eagles.
Watson wasn’t as lucky as he tore his ACL, also in the second quarter, and had to be carted off the field. The third-year receiver out of North Dakota State had 29 catches for 620 yards and two touchdowns this season, and his 21.4 yards per catch was second in the NFL. He is a deep-ball threat, and definitely the most athletic receiver on the Packers’ roster.
The Packers could now move up the list in the Tyreek Hill next team odds as Hill would fulfill that need. Watson is likely out for part of next season as he recovers from his knee injury.
How Much Does This Hurt the Packers’ Chances Against the Eagles?
NFL betting sites have the Packers as underdogs for their trip to Philadelphia. They lost to the Eagles 34-29 in Week 1, in a game that took place in São Paulo, Brazil. We can throw much of that game out the window when making our NFC wild-card weekend picks.
Obviously, it’s not ideal that Love has a bad elbow, and the Packers have lost their best deep threat. That means they might have to lean on running back Josh Jacobs. The former Las Vegas Raider ran 301 times for 1,329 yards and a career-high 15 touchdowns this season, and could have a heavy workload against the Eagles.
But everyone has injury issues heading into the playoffs, so that’s no excuse. It won’t be an easy task, but the Packers have a fighting chance heading into Philly for Sunday’s game.
