The Green Bay Packers play their second primetime game of the season this Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- The Packers have won five of the last six against the Eagles in the regular and postseason, including two of three in Green Bay.
- It is the first time the Packers have played Philadelphia in a Thursday night game.
- It is also the first time Green Bay has played two Thursday games in the month of September.
- This will be the second 2018 playoff team the Packers have faced this season, having previously defeated the Chicago Bears, 10-3, in a Thursday night matchup to open the season.
- Green Bay is looking to win four games in the month of September for the first time since 2007 when they went 4-0. It was just the third time since 1970 that Green Bay had won four games in September (4-0 in 1998 and 4-1 in 1996).
- It will be the end of a three-game stretch of home contests, the first time the Packers have played three straight at home in September since 1990 (Weeks 1-3). It is the conclusion of three home games in 12 days for the Packers, only the second time in team history (2016) that the team has had three home contests over a 12-day period.
- Green Bay is also in the midst of a stretch of five home games in six weeks.
- This is the third straight year that the Packers have had three home games in the month of September.
ON A THURSDAY
- The Packers have won four of the last five games they have played on aThursday night.
- In the last four games he has played on Thursday night, QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 10 TDs and zero INTs with a passer rating of
- 112.4.
- Rodgers has started 12 Thursday games in his career (10 night games and two day games) and has registered 26 passing TDs, four INTs and a passer rating of 106.2.
- Dating back to 1948, Rodgers' passer rating of 106.2 as a starter in Thursday games ranks No. 4 in the NFL (min. 100 pass att.) while his 26 passing TDs rank No. 3 in the league.
- Rodgers has recorded a passer rating of 100-plus in seven games played on Thursday, the most in the NFL (min. 15 pass att.) since 2008 (according to pro-football-reference.com). Green Bay has won six of the seven Thursday games in which Rodgers' passer rating has eclipsed 100.0.
- In seven Thursday games, WR Davante Adams has registered five receiving TDs, including four in the last five contests. Adams' five TD receptions in Thursday games are tied for No. 2 among active players since 2014 (Sportradar).
- TE Jimmy Graham has six receiving TDs in Thursday games, the most among NFL tight ends since 1948 (Sportradar).
- CB Tramon Williams has four interceptions in Thursday games, which is tied for No. 2 in the NFL since 2007.
WITH THE CALL
- Thursday night's game will be televised to a national audience on FOX and NFL Network with play-by-play man Joe Buck and analyst Troy Aikman handling the call from the broadcast booth and Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink reporting from the sidelines. The game is also available through Amazon Prime Video with your choice of announcers: Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer, or Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 21st season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
- Westwood One Sports will air the game across the country. Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Mike Holmgren (analyst) will call the action and Scott Graham will host pregame and halftime shows.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Packers vs. Eagles:
- All-time, regular season: 26-14-0
- All-time, postseason: 1-2
- All-time, at Lambeau Field: 9-5
- Streaks: The Packers have won four of the past five regular-season meetings.
- Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 28, 2016; Packers won, 27-13, Lincoln Financial Field
COACHES CAPSULES
Matt LaFleur: 3-0-0, 1.000; 1st NFL season
Doug Pederson: 33-20-0, .623 (incl. 4-1 in postseason) ; 4th NFL season
Head to Head: 0-0
vs. Opponent: Pederson 0-1 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his first season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 11th season in the NFL, having served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistat for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
- Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
- Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press.
- Coached rookie QB Robert Griffin III with the Redskins in 2012, who became the first QB in team history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
DOUG PEDERSON…Enters his fourth season as the Eagles' 19th head coach.
- Has led the Eagles to back-to-back playoff berths, including a 13-3 regular- season record in 2017 en route to a 41-33 victory over New England in Super Bowl LII.
- Mentored the No.2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, QB Carson Wentz, who set an NFL rookie record in completions (379), and franchise rookie records in passing yards (3,782), passing touchdowns (16) and completion percentage (62.4 pecent).
- In Kansas City, coached Chiefs QB Alex Smith to the most wins by a starting quarterback in his first three years as the starter (30) in team history.
- Played quarterback in the NFL for 12 years with Green Bay, Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland.
THE PACKERS-EAGLES SERIES
- The Packers swept the first nine contests in the series and won 16 of 18 from 1933-70.
- En route to winning Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay beat the Eagles in Philadelphia twice with a 27-20 victory to open the season in Week 1 and a 21-16 win in the NFC Wild Card playoffs.
- The Packers also defeated Philadelphia in Week 2 of the 1996 season, 39-13, as part of a 13-3 season that led to a Super Bowl XXXI victory.
- The Eagles handed Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi his only postseason defeat in the 1960 NFL Championship, 17-13.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson played quarterback for eight seasons in Green Bay (1995-98, 2001-04), serving as backup quarterback on Packers teams that won Super Bowl XXXI and two NFC championships… Eagles G Brandon Brooks attended Riverside University HS in Milwaukee… Packers CB Ka'dar Hollman attended Burlington Township High School in nearby Burlington, N.J. ...Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and tight ends coach Justin Outten are both from Doylestown, Pa. ...Packers S Darnell Savage attended Caravel Academy in Bear, Del. ...Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti is from Wilmington, Del. ...Eagles RB Corey Clement and LB T.J. Edwards played collegiately at Wisconsin…Packers S Adrian Amos played collegiately at Penn State…Eagles LS Rick Lovato spent the end of the 2015 season on the Green Bay roster…Eagles assistant tight ends coach Mike Bartrum played in four games for the Packers at tight end in 1995...Eagles safeties coach Tim Hauck played safety for the Packers from 1991-94, appearing in 58 games over that span...Packers head coach Matt LaFleur worked with Eagles defensive line coach Philip Daniels in Washington when Daniels served as director of player development. Additionally, LaFleur and Olivadotti were on the Washington coaching staff during Daniels' final playing season (2010)…Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett worked with Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for one season with the Buffalo Bills…Eagles linebackers coach Ken Flajole spent two seasons on Pettine's staff in Cleveland…Flajole served as a defensive assistant/quality control for the Packers in 1998...Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh was on the Chicago coaching staff when Amos was a rookie (2015)… Amos also played with Eagles RB Jordan Howard (2016-18) and WR Alshon Jeffery (2015-16) in Chicago…Eagles director of team development Joe Pannunzio was on the staff at Alabama when Tony Brown and JK Scott played collegiately…Eagles LB Nigel Bradham played for Buffalo when Hackett (2013-14) and Pettine (2013) were on the staff…Packers linebacker Preston Smith and Eagles linebacker Zach Brown were teammates for two seasons in Washington (2017-18) Additionally, Brown was coached by Olivadotti during that time…Eagles S Johnathan Cyprien was on the Tennessee roster where LaFleur was offensive coordinator. Additionally, Cyprien (2013-16) and Eagle DT Malik Jackson (2016-17) were teammates with Marcedes Lewis in Jacksonville…Eagles DE Kasim Edebali spent time in 2017 with the L.A. Rams where LaFleur was the offensive coordinator…Packers CB Tramon Williams and Eagles QB Josh McCown played in Cleveland together in 2016. Additionally, Pettine was head coach and special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga was the special teams assistant of the Browns during McCown's time in Cleveland…Williams also played with Eagles S Rudy Ford in Arizonain 2017…Eagles S Andrew Sendejo spent time on the N.Y. Jets' roster in 2011 when Pettine held the same position…Packers TE Jimmy Graham, Eagles RB Darren Sproles (2011-13) and S Malcolm Jenkins (2010-13) were teammates in New Orleans…Graham was also teammates with Eagles LB L.J. Fort in Seattle in 2014…Former college teammates include: Packers LB Preston Smith and Eagles DT Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State); Packers T/G Billy Turner, WR Darrius Shepherd and Eagles QB Carson Wentz (North Dakota State); Packers LB Blake Martinez and Eagles TE Zach Ertz (Stanford); Packers LB Ty Summers, Eagles G/T Matt Pryor and T Halapoulivaati Vaitai (TCU); Packers DL Kingsley Keke and Eagles DE Daeshon Hall (Texas A&M); Packers CB Kevin King, Eagles CB Sidney Jones and TE Joshua Perkins (Washington).
