New Stars In This Sequel

The Eagles and Packers will meet again Sunday at 4:25 p.m. for their wild card playoff matchup, only this time the game will be held at Lincoln Financial Field, not in another country.

The stakes will also be a touch higher.

As Eagles coaches have noted throughout the week, the Packers have evolved since the Week 1 meeting at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a 34-29 Eagles win.

So have the Eagles. Players have grown into roles, coaches have adapted to their personnel, and identities have been formed, so their isn’t much correlation from the season opener.

Here are some players on both teams who will be especially critical Sunday afternoon:

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles NB Cooper DeJean was barely playing in the season opener between the Eagles and Packers.

Eagles

WR DeVonta Smith

Aside from eclipsing 100 receiving yards in two out of his final three regular-season games, Smith has had a relatively quiet fourth season. But Smith, who will see Packers backups Carrington Valentine or Keisean Nixon, should thrive when the Eagles take to the air due to his razor-sharp route running and knack for finding soft spots in zone.

Smith also becomes a safety valve of sorts for quarterback Jalen Hurts, who returns to the lineup after missing the season finale from a concussion. All signs point to Smith, who recorded 84 yards on seven catches (8 targets) in the opener, to having a strong showing.

DB Cooper DeJean

DeJean wasn’t yet inserted as the Eagles’ nickelback when Packers slot receiver Jayden Reed went off for 138 yards and a touchdown on four receptions in Week 1. That assignment went to veteran Avonte Maddox, who played 60 snaps, accounting for 90 percent of the total. While the Corinthians Arena field resembled an ice rink, it was apparent early that Maddox didn’t have the recovery or foot speed to match the suddenness and open-field explosiveness of Reed. DeJean, who has length, athleticism, instincts and the tackling prowess to wrap up in space, is far better equipped to minimize the damage this time.

LB Nakobe Dean

Dean, for all intents and purposes, is the Eagles’ defensive heartbeat. The cerebral linebacker, who spoke into existence his vision of the team’s rugged defensive identity and grown into his role as a tone-setter, thrives attacking downhill and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Dean, who tallied a pair of tackles for loss in the first matchup, has been a force against the run. With the Packers having since adopted a run-first approach, Dean, versed in reading, anticipating and block destruction, will be key in neutralizing running back Josh Jacobs.

Packers WR Donatyvion Wicks will see a larger role with Christian Watson sidelined by a knee injury.

Packers

WR Dontayvion Wicks

The Packers are known to spread the ball around in the passing game, and while Reed is the closest entity to a household name, their most underrated offensive player might be Wicks, who led the Packers in targets in the regular season (76) and was fourth in receptions. He also finished third on the team in receiving touchdowns (5). Wicks is a trusted option for Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Wicks, who typically aligns to the right, doesn’t figure to see much of rookies Quinyon Mitchell or Cooper DeJean and should see the most favorable matchup compared to that of Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Wicks is very good at slipping past defenders and high-pointing passes, and given the trust that Love has in him, one can expect Love to look Wicks’ way often.

CB Keisean Nixon

Much like my belief that Wicks is the Packers’ most underrated offensive player, I’m equally bullish on Nixon, a prolific return specialist who is rarely recognized outside of Green Bay for his growth as a defender. Nixon, predominantly a nickel defender, led all Packers corners in snaps this year (1,020) while showcasing his positional versatility.

The South Carolina product has also showcased a penchant for being around the football, notching 88 tackles, seven passes defended, three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Nixon, who picked up a sack, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits in the first meeting, will be kicked outside, where he’ll see plenty of Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Expect the Eagles to target him early to test his mettle.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.