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ITB Postgame Live: Defense and Timely Touchdowns Help Eagles Advance
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 22-10 playoff win over the Green Bay Packers was a tale of two sides of the ball, with a struggling offensive performance and an elite defensive showing.
On the Wild Card edition of “Inside The Birds Postgame Live,” Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan reacted to the ups and downs of the Eagles victory.

GETTY IMAGES: Philadelphia Eagles DT Jalen Carter brought pressure on the Green Bay Packers in the team’s 22-10 Wild Card victory.
Nakobe Dean/Oren Burks
Geoff Mosher: “Nakobe Dean has been an excellent part of their defense, he was playing a good game. Oren Burks is a good veteran, they brought him in for moments like this. He had to come in and play in the Super Bowl last year when Dre Greenlaw got hurt, so his experience is there, his size and length is there. He doesn’t bring to the defense what Nakobe brings so that will be a little bit of a loss as they move forward.”
Adam Caplan: “The fact that they ruled [Dean] out immediately is not good. I would be surprised if he returns this season. These non-contact injuries, he stepped slightly awkwardly and it didn’t look bad, but when you saw the trainers and he wrapped their arms around his shoulders, they ruled him out. Burks doesn’t move as well as Dean. He’s much bigger physically and longer, he has also played a lot of big games before.”
Jake Elliott
Caplan: “Again, he pushed it left. (Nick) Sirianni passed on a 57-yard field goal with no wind. Answer, we got it. He just told you he doesn’t trust the kicker.”
Mosher: “There was no hesitation a year or two ago to bring him out to kick a long distance field goal.”
Jalen Hurts
Caplan: “He has to get off to a better start…they just couldn’t get Jalen into a rhythm. Their timing was off, Kellen (Moore) still has to help him.”
Mosher: “The Packers played it normally for the first two series, then they’re down 10-0. Then all of a sudden, you saw something that you really don’t see the Packers do a lot of, and that is bringing heavy pressure…they didn’t have a whole lot of short stuff designed to get the ball out of their hands. I don’t think they believed when they saw those guys at the line of scrimmage that they were all going to really come at Jalen Hurts.”
Dallas Goedert
Caplan: “Goedert was a he-man. He had a great game, he had the run and catch for the touchdown and then another catch. Also helped in the run game, do not underestimate that.”
Nolan Smith
Caplan: “Defensively, the story was Nolan Smith. It wasn’t just the two sacks…The two areas where Nolan has gotten better in season is speed-to-power and his pass rush moves…He’s getting better as an edge defender in terms of the run.”
Jalen Carter
Mosher: “Even though Carter didn’t have sacks, he did have two quarterback hits. I made a note of it where you may not have seen it, but he just ragdolled the guy in front of him and caused Jordan Love to either get moved off his mark or make a quick pass. On some runs, I saw him get to (Josh) Jacobs or open up the whole for a linebacker.”
– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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