In a playoff-like atmosphere, a game between NFC heavyweights in tough weather conditions, the reigning Super Bowl champions came out victorious.
The Eagles (8-2) held off the Lions (6-4) Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field for their fourth straight victory, winning 16-9. Detroit, which has now lost two of its last three games, drops to 0-3 against Philadelphia under coach Dan Campbell (2021-present).
Here are my takeaways:
1. Eagles have something special brewing on defense
We got our first taste of just how good Philadelphia’s revamped defensive line is last week, when Jaelan Phillips helped the Eagles wreak havoc up front in his debut with the team.
Philly took it to another level on Sunday night against one of the NFL’s most dominant offenses.
The Lions have arguably the NFL’s best offensive line, and the Eagles managed to make it look vulnerable. Even though the sack numbers weren’t there — Jared Goff was sacked just once — the Lions quarterback was under duress all night. He was uncomfortable in the pocket and hit seven times. The constant pressure led to hurried and inaccurate throws on the third and fourth downs that we’ve grown accustomed to the Lions converting. The Eagles managed to stonewall several Lions’ runs on third- and fourth-and-short, as well.
Jaelen Phillips has fit in perfectly on the Eagles defense through two games. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Detroit converted just 3-of-13 attempts on third down and went 0-for-5 on fourth down, a big reason why it scored just nine points.
When you add an ascending defensive line to what’s already a deep linebacker group and an impressive secondary, the Eagles all of a sudden are shaping to have an elite defense once again under coordinator Vic Fangio.
2. Philly’s offense improves, but it’s still a work in progress
After another week of questions about his involvement in the offense, the Eagles did more than get A.J. Brown the ball. It was obvious that he was a focal point of their game plan — he saw 11 targets, catching seven of them for 49 yards. And though it was a questionable call, the star receiver also drew a defensive pass interference penalty to extend Philly’s game-icing drive.
But the overall offensive product still left much to be desired. The Eagles had just 16 points to show for five trips into Lions’ territory, excluding their final possession.
Then there are the injuries up front that will have to be monitored. All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a foot injury in the first half and was ruled out for the game. Center Cam Jurgens went to the locker room in the fourth quarter and didn’t return either.
3. Lions’ defense held firm
Detroit’s defense was put in several unfavorable situations because of the offense’s fourth-down woes — four Eagles drives began at the Philadelphia 45-yard line or better, including three in Detroit territory. But Philadelphia mustered just one touchdown.
Part of that is the Eagles’ hurting themselves, but the Lions deserve a lot of credit. They stopped a fourth-and-inches tush push, something we’ve rarely seen anyone do. They held Philadelphia, which entered the week with the NFL’s top red-zone offense, to 1-for-3 inside the 20.
The Eagles had just a 27% conversion rate on third down (4-for-15). And Detroit’s secondary, playing without safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback Terrion Arnold, also gave up just one pass play of more than 20 yards.
4. Jahmyr Gibbs’ career night was not enough
As much as Goff struggled Sunday night, he was able to depend on throws to Jahmyr Gibbs in the flat and in the screen game for big plays. The star running back recorded a career-high 107 receiving yards on five catches, showcasing his elite speed on numerous occasions.
But Gibbs wasn’t able to do much in the run game, much like the Lions’ offense at large. He had just 39 yards on 13 carries.
4 ½. What’s next?
The Eagles travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys (3-5-1) next Sunday, looking for the season sweep. Philadelphia beat its division rival in the season opener.
The Lions will host the New York Giants (2-9) in Week 11, opening a three-game home stand.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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