Why Eagles have most to lose during Wild Card Weekend

Sometimes, science is more important than math. Exhibit A is the Philadelphia Eagles, who got encouraging news on Wednesday when quarterback Jalen Hurts returned to practice after missing the last two-plus games with a concussion.

The question now becomes how much rust Hurts will show when the Eagles (14-3) face off with the Packers (11-6) on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX). The quarterback has thrown only four passes in three weeks.

What Philadelphia can’t afford is to lose the chemistry Hurts has built with his top two receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Take out the Week 16 loss at Washington, where Hurts played the first 12 snaps before leaving with the concussion, and Philadelphia was 9-0 when Hurts, Brown and Smith start this season. It’s also why the Eagles have the most on the line this week, along with the fact that Green Bay lost its deep threat, wide receiver Christian Watson, to a season-ending knee injury.

“Philadelphia has a lot to lose after a great regular season, dominating most teams that they played,” said FS1’s Craig Carton on Wednesday’s Breakfast Ball. “They lost out on the No. 1 seed. There’s a lot riding on Philadelphia making a run deep into the playoffs here. … You win 14 games, and you tried to lose the last game but the Giants stopped you from doing that, and you lose at home to a team you’ve already beaten – without their biggest offensive threat, due to the torn ACL to Watson – this would be an unacceptable loss in Philadelphia.”

Green Bay knows it, too. So, keep an eye on how the Packers defend Brown, who has touchdown receptions in each of his past three games. Safety Xavier McKinney finished second in the league with eight interceptions. The Packers also allowed the NFL’s sixth-fewest points per game, 19.9.

And don’t be surprised if the Packers begin the game with eight defenders in the box to try to take away Saquon Barkley, who finished 101 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record. Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, whose unit ranked seventh in the NFL with 99.4 rushing yards allowed per game, might dare Hurts to throw the ball.

Last season, Green Bay also was the seventh seed and went into Dallas to stun the Cowboys in the wild-card round, 48-32. In 2010, the Packers began their road to a Super Bowl championship with a wild-card win at Lincoln Financial Field.

For more information on the Eagles and Packers, visit the Philadelphia and Green Bay team pages at ProFootballPost.com.