PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles secured a victory on Sunday, but they’re not in a celebratory mood.

“No Victory Monday for us,” remarked head coach Nick Sirianni after the NFC East champions won their playoff opener with a score of 22-10, primarily outlasting a Green Bay Packers team beleaguered by injuries, both self-inflicted and otherwise.

“We’re going to get back to work because we have a lot of areas to improve.”

This was Philadelphia’s first wild-card victory at Lincoln Financial Field in 11 years, but it was far from a polished performance. The team had previously rested most of its key players during Week 18, and quarterback Jalen Hurts returned to play for the first time since December 22, when he sustained a concussion against Washington.

The Eagles managed only 290 yards of offense, their third-lowest of the season, and were just two-for-11 on third downs. They incurred seven penalties and scored a touchdown on just one of their four trips to the red zone.

“At the end of the day, stats don’t mean much. The only figure that counts is the number of wins,” stated All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley, who achieved a playoff career-high with 119 rushing yards on 25 carries. “If you don’t win this one, you’re done.

“We did what was necessary to win – even though I don’t like to merely say, ‘we got the job done.’ We survived out there and won a game against a really solid team. Ultimately, we performed the tasks we needed to.”

Hurts threw for two touchdowns during his comeback, amassing 131 passing yards, but more importantly, both he and the team avoided turnovers. Meanwhile, the injury-ridden Packers, who faced their own penalty troubles (eight for 85 yards), gave the Eagles four turnovers and missed a field goal. The Eagles converted only seven points from these mishaps, yet they held a 10-0 lead despite a dominating first half.

“We need to fix this tape; there are areas we must improve upon,” expressed Sirianni, who intends for the Eagles to practice on Monday – unless they’re scheduled to play next Saturday, which would require a day off.

“But if we play on Sunday, we’re practicing. We’ll get in our workout. Our coaching and player errors must be addressed, and we’ll work on fixing those. What’s most important is the next game, and we need to learn from this game to replicate our successes.”

There were positives amid the challenges; beyond Barkley’s strong game, the defense recorded four takeaways in a postseason game for the first time in 23 years. Philadelphia limited the Packers to a season-low point total. Linebacker Oren Burks created a critical fumble on the opening kickoff, a play his teammates noted set a crucial tone, leading to Hurts’ first touchdown pass just three plays later.

Sirianni highlighted a “dog mentality,” mentioning kicker Jake Elliott’s two field goals in the fourth quarter following a missed extra point. The play of rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was also essential, including a game-clinching interception after the two-minute warning, despite a pass interference penalty leading to a Packers field goal in the second half.

“The defense got us great field positions throughout the night. The defense played an outstanding game today; they deserve all the credit,” said Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, noting that the offense needs to improve its execution, communication, and procedures.

“There’s a lot to learn from this. I know our coaches want to focus on the details in the coming days to enhance our performance.”

The team may also need to adapt without starting linebacker Nakobe Dean, who was carted off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury and left the stadium on crutches.

While the Eagles can’t control injuries, they shouldn’t focus on style points at this stage. The NFC East champions will need to step up their game for their next matchup, knowing that Barkley and his teammates were relieved to secure another home game in the divisional round, likely against a team that won’t be as severely impacted by injuries as the Packers, who seemed to lose players every other snap. Surviving the divisional round may lead to a challenging match against the strong Lions, allowing little room for error.

“I dislike this saying, but ‘practice makes perfect.’ You’ll never achieve perfection. Ultimately, despite having numerous stars and talents, what’s essential is winning,” Barkley stated. “I’ll keep reiterating this. I genuinely believe it. Stats don’t matter. What happened in the regular season is irrelevant now. The only stat that holds weight is wins, and that’s our focus.

“Play good defense and run the ball – historically, that keeps you in a favorable position to win games. I know this principle has been overlooked in recent years, but it’s the truth. We’re poised for a run of success, and we possess that capability.”

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Follow YSL News Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.