Packers-Eagles Series History: Green Bay Leads 24-14

It is midweek, and that means that it is time for our next trip down memory lane. This week, we look at Green Bay's history against our next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. Currently, the Packers lead the regular season series 24-14, but the Eagles lead the playoff series 2-1.

The Eagles were one of the first teams to join the NFL after conference play began in 1933, and they were relegated to the Eastern Conference while the Packers were members of the Western Conference. Despite this fact, the Packers and Eagles did play nearly every year until 1942. The Packers won all of these early games, and took the 1946 game in Philadelphia as well.

In 1947, the Eagles defeated the Packers, but the Packers would defeat the Eagles several times in the 1950s as both teams were in the NFL's basement. This includes the 1958 Packers victory over the Eagles, the lone victory in the otherwise disastrous 1-10-1 season which still ranks as the worst season in Packers history (but which did help bring in new coach Vince Lombardi).

In 1960, the Eagles and Packers completed their ascents to the top of the NFL by playing in the NFL Championship in Philadelphia. The teams traded scores in a see-saw game, and then the Eagles took a 17-13 lead. The Packers drove down the field, and appeared to be in position for the game-winning score. Chuck Bednarik, one of the last NFL two-way players and one of the toughest men in NFL history, however, put an end to this march by stopping Jim Taylor short of the end zone as the Eagles held on for their third (and, to date, last) NFL Championship. After the game, Lombardi said losing a playoff game would never happen again to the Packers while he was coach; he was right, as the Packers won every playoff game under his tenure from then on.

While Lombardi was coach, the Packers visited Philadelphia in 1962. In what could be seen as a bit of payback for the 1960 NFL Championship, the Packers annihilated the Eagles 49-0. The Packers would also defeat the Eagles in 1968 and 1970 following Lombardi's departure, both times Packers home games.

The Eagles and Packers traded victories over the next few years, but in 1979, the Eagles finally registered their first victory over the Packers in the state of Wisconsin. Following this season, the series went on hold until the replacement teams of the 1987 season (used during the player's strike that year) went into overtime with the Packers winning at Lambeau Field.

The Eagles defeated the Packers in 1990 and 1991, and appeared poised to do so again in 1992. The new Packers' quarterback Brett Favre, however, had other plans. Despite suffering an injured shoulder on a hit by Reggie White, Favre led the Packers down the field on several late drives as the Packers upended the Eagles 27-24. After this season, White, impressed by the Packers, left the Eagles via free agency and joined Green Bay.

The Packers, however, would lose the first two games against the Eagles following the acquisition of White, in 1993 and 1994. In 1996, the Packers hosted a Monday Night Football game for the first time since the mid-1980s and demolished the Eagles, 39-13.

The following year, however, the Packers' losing streak in Philadelphia reached five games as rookie kicker Ryan Longwell missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. The Packers would defeat the Eagles in 1998 and Longwell atoned at least a little for his mistake as the Packers won the ugly 2000 game on a last-second field goal.

In 2003, the Packers, fresh off a road victory at the Metrodome, hosted the Eagles. Despite Ahman Green's then-Packers record of 192 rushing yards, the Eagles pulled off a late rally after the Packers had multiple opportunities to put the Eagles away. The Eagles won, 17-14, but this merely set up an even more gut-wrenching loss in the playoffs that year to Philadelphia. The Packers led throughout, but mistakes proved costly during the game. Late in the game, the Packers led, 17-14, and forced the Eagles to a 4th-and-26 situation. Inexplicably, the Eagles were able to convert the first down on a defensive lapse and got the tying field goal to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Favre chucked a ball off his back foot, which Brian Dawkins intercepted to set up the game-winning field goal.

The Eagles defeated the Packers three more times over the next few years, all in Philadelphia. In 2007, the Packers finally got some revenge on the Eagles by winning 16-13 at Lambeau Field in a game where the Eagles muffed two punt returns, both of which proved costly as they led directly to 10 Packers points.

In 2010, the Packers went into Philadelphia and finally defeated the Eagles on the road, snapping a losing streak in Philadelphia that had been growing since 1962 (it was also the Packers' first victory in Pennsylvania since 1970). This game featured a late rally by Green Bay's nemesis Michael Vick, after the Packers knocked out Kevin Kolb with a concussion. Vick led the Eagles throughout the season, and an amazing rally at the Meadowlands late in the season proved the catalyst the Packers needed in order to make the playoffs that season, as had the game ended in anything other than an Eagles victory, the Giants would have made the playoffs while the Packers were left out.

In the playoffs, the Packers again went into Philadelphia. With the Eagles selling out to stop the pass, previously unknown running back James Starks ran wild over Philadelphia's front, amassing 123 rushing yards. Despite Starks' efforts and three touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers, the Eagles mounted a late rally and appeared poised to score the game-winning touchdown late. Tramon Williams, however, put an end to this by intercepting a late Vick pass in the end zone, clinching the 21-16 Packers victory in Philadelphia. The Packers, of course would go on to win Super Bowl XLV a few weeks later.

In the most recent meeting, the Eagles came into Lambeau Field in week 10 of the 2013 season. The Packers were hurting due to the loss of Aaron Rodgers, and it showed. Backup Seneca Wallace, who was starting in Rodgers' place, was knocked out of the game early on. Despite the best efforts of Packers' third-string quarterback Scott Tolzien, it would be the Eagles' day as they defeated the Packers, 27-13.

What are your memories of the Packers playing the Eagles?