Eagles Already Have Clear Mental Edge Over Lions Players Before Playoffs

It isn't a secret that Week 16 didn't come close to going the way that the Philadelphia Eagles had envisioned.

Not only did they fall 36-33 to the rival Washington Commanders on the road, but the Eagles also lost starting quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion early in the game. It's far from the performance Philadelphia wanted to have with just two weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season.

The Eagles have been one of the NFL's best teams this season, so it isn't a shock that opposing teams love to see them fail. In fact, one fellow NFC Championship contender was relishing in Philadelphia's latest defeat, proving that Nick Sirianni & Co. are living in their head rent-free.

Eagles News: Lions Celebrate Philadelphia's Week 16 Loss

On Sunday night, Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett reported that the Detroit Lions could be heard audibly celebrating the Eagles loss.

"Huge cheer from Lions locker room through the walls on Washington's go-ahead TD vs. the Eagles just now," Birkett wrote. The post came moments after Commanders wideout Jamison Crowder's nine-yard touchdown grab gave his team a one-point lead with six seconds remaining.

On one hand, the Lions' excitement is somewhat understandable, especially after a one-sided 34-17 win against the Chicago Bears. Philadelphia and Detroit have been going back and forth as the NFC's top team this season and the Lions' odds to lock up the conference increased now that their record sits at 13-2 whereas the Eagles fell to 12-3.

On the other hand, the Lions' celebration proves the Eagles have the mental advantage ahead of the playoffs.

After all, the fact that the Lions were out-of-town score-watching shows that their attention is more on the Eagles than themselves. Dan Campbell's players' egos are likely bigger than ever before, which could come back to bite them if they meet up with and underestimate Philadelphia in the postseason.

If the Lions lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed in the coming weeks, the pressure could be too much for them to handle. Meanwhile, the Eagles can focus on playing pressure-free football down the stretch while using the Lions' disrespectful gesture as motivation for a deep playoff run.

A lack of recent success against Philadelphia is another reason why Detroit's roster should keep the former's name out of its mouth. The Eagles are a resounding 13-6-1 across 20 encounters with the Lions since 1968, which most recently picked up a 38-35 victory at Ford Field during Week 1 of the 2022 season.

With two of the NFL's most stacked roster this season, an Eagles vs. Lions postseason showdown would be a battle to remember. There's a good chance that these juggernauts will clash in this year's NFC Championship game considering how Detroit owns the best conference title odds (+185) on FanDuel Sportsbook while Philadelphia is close behind in second place (+290).

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