Eagles vs. Lions Semi-Coherent Preview

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions Battle is previewed.

Did you enjoy that game on Sunday? Wasn’t it fun to watch Doug Martin and Jameis Winston steamroll the Eagles defense? Wasn’t it awesome to see Mark Sanchez repeatedly throw the ball to the other team? Wasn’t it inspiring to see Sanchez and Darren Sproles involved in a heated argument? (At least somebody showed some fire, which is more than can be said about most of the defense.)

If you liked all of that, I have some good news for you: You only have to wait four days for a chance to see them do it again! And this time, they have a chance to ruin a holiday while they’re at it!

In all seriousness, I have a good feeling about this week’s game. As you’ll read, the Eagles have been historically successful on Thanksgiving, so maybe the holiday will help them to turn things around.

Detroit Lions

Record: 3-7

Head Coach: Jim Caldwell

Last Week: Defeated Raiders 18-13

The Last Time They Met

The last meeting between the Eagles and Lions was one of the most memorable games in team history. When Chip Kelly’s tenure as head coach comes to an end (and that day can’t come soon enough for a growing number of fans), the game on December 8, 2013 will likely be remembered as one of the highlights. The weather report called for a light dusting of snow. Therefore, the players were quite surprised to come out of the locker room and be greeted by blizzard-like conditions.

Visibility was limited, and traction was even worse. Players couldn’t hold onto the ball, and after the first quarter, neither coach even bothered to attempt a field goal or extra point. The Eagles started slowly, but once the coaches realized that defenders were unable to keep up with the skill position players, their offense took off.

The best performance was delivered by LeSean McCoy. McCoy was tough to bring down in perfect conditions; on a snow-covered field, the Lions defense had no chance. McCoy rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles scored 28 fourth quarter points.

What’s the Deal with the Lions

Since reaching their bye week with a 1-7 record, the Lions have won their last two games. The key to their resurgence? A defense which has suddenly become effective. They limited both the Packers and Raiders – two teams which had been pretty strong offensively – to under 20 points.

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Part of that defensive turnaround is thanks to the Lions’ offense no longer putting the defense in tough situations. After turning the ball over 20 times in the first eight games, the Lions have coughed it up only once in the past two weeks.

Heading into the season, the Lions had high hopes for the running back tandem of Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah, but those two have disappointed. Both men are averaging under four yards per carry, and the Lions rank last in the league in rushing yards. The Eagles have had their problems defending the run in recent weeks, but even they should be able to shut down the Lions ground attack.

The poor running game has made it easier for opponents to stop the Lions’ passing game. Calvin Johnson is still an elite receiver, but even he can’t do it all.

Featured Lions Player: Matthew Stafford

Many of the Eagles’ problems have been blamed on the uncertainty at the quarterback position. The thinking is that since the Eagles haven’t drafted high enough, they haven’t been able to select a quarterback who they could build around. As the Lions have proven, even if you get the top pick, you might not end up with a franchise centerpiece.

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Lions chose Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the top overall pick. Stafford’s first two seasons were uneven, but in year three, he threw 41 touchdown passes and carried the Lions to a playoff berth. Many people declared him to be the next big thing.

Unfortunately for the Lions, he hasn’t been able to build upon that season. Stafford hasn’t been bad, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to the immense expectations the team once had for him. As a result, there is talk that the Lions may be ready to move on after the season.

The 2015 season has been a typical one for Stafford. While he is completing a career high 64.2% of his passes, he continues to throw a lot of interceptions. He’s already been picked off 12 times, a figure that ranks second in the NFL.

The Eagles on Thanksgiving: A Brief History

This is the second straight year the Eagles will be playing on Turkey Day. (The local media was understandably a bit bitter about this. They weren’t happy about spending a second consecutive Thanksgiving away from their families, and they were even less enthused about spending the holiday in Detroit.) Historically, this is a good thing, as the Eagles are undefeated on Thanksgiving. (Unless they aren’t?)

Here’s a look at the Eagles’ Thanksgiving victories:

1939 – Before the Lions and Cowboys had an exclusive claim to the holiday, other teams would actually host the holiday game. In 1939, the Eagles took on the Steelers and won 17-14. Sadly, since this was before World War II, the announcers would have been unlikely to mention to the “Steagles,” which is a highlight of every Eagles vs. Steelers game.

1968 – The Eagles shut out the Lions 12-0. (Must have been a thrilling offensive contest.) That means that the next points the Lions score against the Eagles on Thanksgiving will be their first.

1989 – The Bounty Bowl! Eagles coach Buddy Ryan was rumored to have offered a reward to any Eagles player who delivered a big hit on Cowboys (and former Eagles) kicker Luis Zendejas. Linebacker Jessie Small complied, and leveled Zendejas.

The controversy obscured the fact that the Eagles crushed the Cowboys 27-0.

2008 – Coming off a shellacking at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens that saw quarterback Donovan McNabb get benched, the Eagles responded by delivering a beat down of their own to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals looked like they had no interest in playing an East Coast road game on Thanksgiving, and basically rolled over.

Sadly, when the teams met two months later in the NFC Championship Game, the result was different.

2014 – Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had an injured back, and once the Eagles started hitting him, he basically gave up. Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez had one of his best games as a pro, and led the Eagles to a surprisingly easy win.

It looked like the Eagles were in the driver’s seat in the NFC East, but they’d go on to lose their next three games, including a rematch to the Cowboys.

A Tribute to Barry Sanders

Through most of my early years as a football fan, I looked forward to the Lions game on Thanksgiving. That anticipation was almost entirely due to one man: Barry Sanders.

Sanders was the electric running back who starred for the Lions through most of the 90’s. The Lions had sporadic success over the years, but Sanders could usually be counted on to make at least one electrifying run each game. For fans who are too young to have seen him, think an even more elusive version of LeSean McCoy.

Here are some of his highlights:

Honestly, the real highlight of that video might be the sweater than Wayne Fontes is wearing at the beginning.

Once Sanders unexpectedly retired before the 1999 season, the Lions game no longer became a source of anticipation, Instead, it became an annual tradition of “Which team gets to slaughter the Lions in the early game this year?” The Lions lost ten straight on Thanksgiving, and the nadir may have come in 2008 when the Titans beat them 47-10, and the Lions went on to finish 0-16.

Key Eagles Storyline: Has Chip Lost the Team?

There have been some whispers that coach Chip Kelly is losing the team. Reportedly, his “sports science” techniques are wearing thin, and some players are unhappy that the high priced free agents the team brought in don’t seem to be giving full effort.

I think it’s premature for that kind of talk. No NFL team is happy (or at least they shouldn’t be) after getting beaten the way the Eagles were on Sunday. There’s always going to be some discontent after a loss like that.

Let’s see how the team responds. If they roll over again this week, it might be a sign that the team has either tuned out Kelly or given up on the season. But win or lose, if they deliver a solid effort, then that’s evidence that the team hasn’t quit.

Nick vs. Sam

Since they were traded for each other, it’s only natural that fans would want to compare how Nick Foles and Sam Bradford are faring on their new teams. I’ll take a weekly look at the two quarterbacks and decide who holds the edge.

Mark Sanchez’s poor performance last week may have made Eagles fans appreciate Sam Bradford a little more. Bradford might not have been playing that well, but he was definitely doing better than what we saw last week.

Meanwhile, it isn’t a good sign for Nick Foles that the team chose to keep a clearly concussed Case Keenum in the game and not sub in Foles.

Seriously, how could anyone watch that play and not at least consider the possibility that he might have suffered a concussion?

Thanks to that play, there’s a good chance Foles returns to action this week. As for Sam Bradford, it seems likely that he’ll still be out for another week.

Mocking the East

Part of the fun of being a football fan is taking pleasure in the misfortune of your favorite team’s rivals. Each week, I’ll find a reason to make fun of one of the other teams in the NFC East.

The Eagles keep losing…and somehow they aren’t falling behind in the standings!

I thought all those Cowboys fans who kept saying, “We’ve got a chance with a healthy Romo” were delusional. But the way things are going, they might be right! Can anyone say with certainty that the Cowboys won’t end the season as NFC East champs?

Super Bowl Year Song of the Week

The Eagles have not made many appearances in the Super Bowl (Two, to be exact). I’m hopeful that this season will mark their third appearance in the “big game,” so each week I’m going to take a song from one of the franchise’s Super Bowl seasons (1980 and 2004) that somehow relates to this week’s game.

Tired of Toein’ the Line – Rocky Burnette, 1980

If the rumors are to be believed, several Eagles players are growing weary of the Chip Kelly way.

Prediction

The Eagles may be disappointing this season, but for the most part they’ve been competitive. Last week was the first time they were really blown out. Hopefully that means it was just an aberration, and they aren’t truly as bad as they looked.

The Lions have played better the last two weeks. Is this a sign that they’ve turned their season around, or has it been just a small blip of competence?

Next: Eagles to Wear White, Non-Color Rush, Jerseys vs. Lions

It’s tough to know what to expect from either of these teams, so I’ll err on the side of history. While the Lions have won their past two Thanksgiving Day games, traditionally they haven’t done too well. On the other hand, the Eagles always seem to play well on the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Eagles 27 – Lions 20

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Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions Semi-Coherent Preview

By Mike Lacy | Nov 25, 2015