'MNF' takeaways: Defenses steal the show in Eagles win

The Philadelphia Eagles outlasted the Green Bay Packers in a defensive "Monday Night Football" battle between NFC heavyweights.

Here are our initial takeaways from the 10-7 Eagles win.

Key takeaway: Eagles, Packers defenses are lightyears ahead of offenses

Green Bay and Philadelphia have Super Bowl-caliber defenses. The offenses are already planning mid-January vacations.

Before an 80-yard Eagles touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, neither team had 100 passing yards. The Packers sorely missed tight end Tucker Kraft (torn ACL), who they lost for the season in Week 9, and their receiving depth was further depleted when wideout Romeo Doubs left Monday's game with a chest injury. Before the game, Green Bay also ruled rookie Matthew Golden (shoulder) inactive.

They still had opportunities to make plays but squandered them with miscues. A false start forced the Packers to punt instead of attempting a 4th-and-1 conversion on an early possession, and an illegal formation penalty wiped out a 22-yard completion on another drive that stalled at the Eagles' 41-yard line. Cornerback Bo Melton, taking snaps at wide receiver, also had a key drop on a 4th-and-9.

Philadelphia has its own problems. The run game hasn't been nearly as explosive as last season, with Green Bay holding the Eagles to 3.3 yards per carry. Saquon Barkley finished with 22 rush attempts for 60 yards. The passing attack continues to struggle to consistently feature A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, with the dynamic duo combining for eight targets against the Packers.

If either team finds consistency on offense, they could challenge the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks as the NFC's best. But until then, the defenses will do the heavy lifting.

Game MVP: Eagles outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips

How about that for an instant impact? A week after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick, Phillips had his fingerprints all over the Eagles win. Per Pro Football Focus, he had eight total pressures and a 19.4% pressure rate.