Sure, it took place several months ago -- and in a different country -- but there's still some knowledge to be gleaned from the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-29 Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers. After all, the teams are largely the same.
Adjustments will be made, but we learned what might work well for Philadelphia in the upcoming Wild Card matchup between the two teams. Here's a look at three promising stats from Philadelphia's Week 1 win that the Birds might be able to replicate.
Saquon Barkley had his first 100-yard game of the season
Saquon Barkley started his historic, record-setting season with a big Week 1 performance against the Packers. In fact, his production against Green Bay set the tone for his entire campaign.
Barkley ran 24 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. It was the first of 11 100-plus yard games on the season for him. He also added an 18-yard reception in the end zone, bringing his touchdown total to three for the contest.
Barkley's production was one of the main reasons the Birds bested the Packers the first time. They should look to ride him again in the playoffs. He should be fresh after resting in Week 18 and poised to do serious damage.
Green Bay was good against the run all season, as they allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game league-wide. But, Barkley is a different animal. He's completely capable of recreating his Week 1 success.
A.J. Brown had a season-high 119 receiving yards
Like Barkley, star wide receiver A.J. Brown had a huge game against Green Bay in Week 1. In fact, he had his best game of the season against the Packers, yardage-wise. He caught five passes for 119 yards and scored a TD in Brazil.
Brown could be in line for another big game in the NFL Playoffs. Packers top cornerback Jaire Alexander will be sidelined for the game with a knee injury, which should make things easier for Brown and Philadelphia's other receivers. Plus, if Green Bay is ultra-focused on slowing Barkley and the ground game, that could work to open things up in the passing game.
Brown was targeted 10 times in that Week 1 matchup. He should absolutely match -- or surpass -- that mark in the Wild Card game.
Eagles won the ball control battle, barely
A great indicator of success in any given game is time of possession. Typically, if a team is able to dominate the clock, they're also often able to dominate the scoreboard. In Week 1, the Eagles held on to the ball longer than Green Bay, but barely. Philly had the ball for 32 minutes and 47 seconds, while Green Bay controlled it for 27 minutes and 13 seconds. The Eagles also converted more first downs (25 to 19). Those two stats often go hand-in-hand.
Remember this was before the Eagles had fully established their identity as a dominant running team, so they should be even better-suited to control the clock this time around. Controlling the clock and keeping the chains moving will be central to success for the Eagles in the playoff opener, and the fact that they were able to do that in the first meeting between the teams is a solid sign.