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Football is a complicated game, but sometimes it can be so simple.
You’re simply not going to win a road game against a Super Bowl contender while giving up an astounding 363 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Green Bay Packers found that out the hard way during Sunday’s 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. In a game that saw Aaron Rodgers exit with an injury and Jordan Love throw a touchdown, the deciding factor for the visitors was still their inability to stop Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders from gashing them on the ground.
Social media certainly noticed:
๐ฝ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ด๐ถ๐พ ๐ง @BigMack_4
Packers defense every time the Eagles run a play pic.twitter.com/KUW0E9feEz
Lily Zhao @LilySZhao
#Packers run defense: swiss cheese
Bovada @BovadaOfficial
Packers run defense tonight ๐ pic.twitter.com/gvlUXwh8Xv
Arrick Upton @ArrickUptonGB
This #Packers run defense is absolutely PATHETIC
Brandon Carwile @PackerScribe
Between the coaches and the players, this #Packers defense has zero leadership.
The frustrating thing from Green Bay’s perspective is there were a lot of things that went right offensively. AJ Dillon scored on a bruising 20-yard run, Aaron Jones impressed as a receiver and caught a contested pass for a touchdown, and Rodgers worked through his progressions and fired multiple strikes through tight windows like he was in his prime.
That kept them within striking distance even though Rodgers threw two interceptions in the first half and exited in the third quarter.
Love kept it close as well by hitting Christian Watson for a slant before the receiver did the rest during a 63-yard touchdown. Fittingly, though, Philadelphia kept it on the ground on its last two possessions to set up a Jake Elliott field goal and then run out the clock to preserve the win.
Green Bay had no answers for Hurts’ legs in particular, as the MVP candidate’s combination of quick cuts in the open field and power in short-yardage set the tone. Throw in Sanders’ two touchdowns, and the story was clear.
The Packers are now 4-8 overall and 1-7 in their last eight games. They are essentially playing out the string at this point and will look to turn things around in the upcoming game against the Chicago Bears.
