There was another edge rusher new to the Eagles Monday night.

Newly acquired Jaelan Phillips was the story of the day in the Eagles’ 10-7 win over the Packers, but Nolan Smith was another notable addition, and he made a big impact in his first game since mid-September.

Smith, the Eagles’ 2024 postseason sack machine, played Monday for the first time since the Rams game in Week 3 and although he only played 19 snaps – the Eagles always bring guys along slowly after long layoffs – he had a big impact on the game with his first sack of the season, two quarterback hits and two tackles.

“Man, it feels good,” Smith said postgame. “We just all working together as a group to affect the quarterback. And that’s one thing we did today. A lot of us trying to affect the quarterback and just get to him.

“I’m excited to be back with my guys. It was fun. And you know, I bring the energy and effort and just fly around, man, and boost the guys up always.”

Just think. In their last game before the bye – the Week 8 win over the Giants -the edge rushers in addition to Jalyx Hunt were Josh Uche and Patrick Johnson with a smattering of Jihaad Campbell.

With Phillips, Smith and Brandon Graham all in the mix in Green Bay in addition to Hunt, this was an almost entirely new group. Uche didn’t play, Johnson didn’t play any defensive snaps as a practice-squad call-up and Campbell’s edge snaps were reduced.

The result was a monster performance against Jordan Love, who was under siege much of the game.

With Smith and Hunt both recording sacks, this was the first time two different Eagles edge rushers have recorded sacks in the same game since the Steelers game last year, when Josh Sweat and Smith both sacked Russell Wilson in a 27-13 win.

“I’ll just say we play together,” Smith said. “And that’s one thing. We always play together. Then we are unstoppable. Just be on one page and just keep hunting and keep going.”

With Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo inside and Hunt, Smith, Phillips and B.G. outside, this is one heck of a formidable defensive line. And they’re young and going to keep getting better.

What we saw Monday night – the Packers managed 261 yards, 157 passing yards, 3.9 yards per rushing attempt – is the template for what this defense can look like the second half of the season.

“Yeah, man, team defense,” said Smith, who had 10 ½ sacks in his last 16 games last year. “All 11 playing as one and being on the same page, as long as we fly around and hit. Everybody was worried about the weather, but we were mostly worried about having fun with each other.”

This was the first time the defense has been at full strength all year and it showed.

With the offense sputtering and stumbling throughout the night and managing just 10 points of their own, the Eagles needed this kind of performance from the defense to get out of Wisconsin with a win.

“They got our back and we got their back, always,” Smith said. “And as long as we play like that, complimentary football, we’ll be all right.”