Week 10 of the NFL season is already here and fans will be treated to another fantastic Monday Night Football showdown, this time atop the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) will visit Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers (5-2-1) in a can't miss game as Philly looks for their third-straight win, while the Packers look to bounce back following a tough loss to Carolina.
The Packers will be dealing with a lengthy injury report heading into Week 10 with DE Lukas Van Ness (foot), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), and WR Savion Williams (foot) all missing practice on Thursday. Key players like LB Edgerrin Cooper (foot), RB Josh Jacobs (rest), DE Micah Parsons (pectoral), LB Quay Walker (calf), and both WR Matthew Golden (shoulder) and Christian Watson (knee) practiced in a limited capacity.
The Eagles' side looks much healthier heading into the latter part of the week, but both teams will undoubtedly benefit from an added day of rest for Monday night kickoff. Here are some bold predictions for the Green Bay Packers as they look to avenge their NFC Wild Card loss from a season ago.
Packers Bold Predictions – Week 10 vs. Eagles
The Green Bay Packers take a significant leap forward
For fans watching the Packers all season, there's no hiding the fact that Green Bay has largely played up, or down, to the level of their competition. In Weeks 1 and 2, they shut down the Detroit Lions and stifled the Washington Commanders with a healthy Jayden Daniels. Then, they dropped a terrible 13-10 loss to Cleveland before going 3-0-1 with dominant wins over the Bengals, Cardinals, and Steelers. However, in Week 9, the Packers looked lost once again as they seemingly overlooked a sneaky 4-4 Carolina Panthers team.
Following the ugly loss, head coach Matt LaFleur will be all the more motivated to have his guys ready given the added day of rest. The Packers have surely had this game circled on their calendar since last season and it's clear their taking every precaution in keeping players healthy and fresh ahead of this game.
I expect Green Bay, particularly quarterback Jordan Love, to have a much better game this time around. The Packers defense has taken a massive leap forward in stopping the run and we should have a much more competitive game in terms of the offenses moving the ball downfield. Look for the Packers to have a serious edge at home, looking to make a statement in front of their fans.
Packers' Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley figures out how to stop the “Tush Push”
There's no denying that Packers' Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley has taken this defense to new heights from what they were during the late Aaron Rodgers era. With all the pieces in the defensive interior, namely DEs Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, Hafley has the tools to scheme a plan to stop the inevitable “Tush Push,” which Green Bay notably tried to veto this offseason.
While they weren't able to take the play out of football, Hafley will have had all season to figure out a way to stop the play given all of his capable players on defense. LB Edgerrin Cooper and DE Kingsley Enagbare have also emerged as go-to playmakers in stopping the run, so expect something new from this Packers' defense as they try to get creative in stopping the “Tush Push.”
TE Luke Musgrave rises to challenge in replacing Tucker Kraft
Perhaps the biggest obstacle of the Packers' season thus far will be losing tight end Tucker Kraft to a season-ending knee injury in Week 9. Kraft had emerged within the Packers' offense as Jordan Love's most reliable option and slowly looking like the best tight end in the league following 143 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 8 versus Pittsburgh.
Now, second-year TE Luke Musgrave, who the Packers drafted in the second round, will have to fill the shoes of their star pass catcher. We've often seen Musgrave employed alongside Kraft in blocking situations, but Musgrave will effectively fill the TE1 shoes with backup John FitzPatrick filling his previous role.
The bright side is that Musgrave has had the opportunity to learn from Kraft and the pairing has elevated both of their play on the field. Musgrave is an extremely willing blocker and can hold his own in the run game for Josh Jacobs. He's also shown flashes of speed and is reliable with his hands, so expect Musgrave to make an immediate impact as his usage within this offense skyrockets.
