The Philadelphia Eagles had their bye in Week 9, but the Birds got enough help from across the NFC to qualify the weekend as a winning one. Particularly, during the 1 p.m. ET slate of games.
In particular, the Eagles got help in the form of two major upsets of the top two teams in the NFC North: the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Both teams were double-digit favorites heading into Sunday, but both lost in dramatic fashion.
Eagles Are Loving Sunday's Week 9 Results
Green Bay was stunned by the Carolina Panthers, who've now won four of their last five games following a tightly fought win at Lambeau Field. A 49-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Fitzgerald sealed the deal as time expired, but the Packers were playing from behind for most of the 16-13 loss. Certainly, Jordan Love outplayed Bryce Young under center, but Green Bay turned the ball over more and had more penalties.
The Packers played sloppily and lost a game they deserved to. The lack of focus was notable from one of the NFL's supposed top Super Bowl threats. To make matters worse, tight end Tucker Craft may be out for the year with a possible ACL tear. Receiver Matthew Golden also suffered a shoulder injury, and it's unclear yet what the severity is.
As for Detroit, the Lions were edged out in a major prove-it game for second-year QB J.J. McCarthy, who's experiencing his first actual season in the NFL. While Jared Goff was superior, Detroit didn't seem like they wanted to win what'd end up being a 27-24 upset at Ford Field, committing 10 penalties for 76 yards.
Eagles Must Take Advantage of Gifts from Packers, Lions
The sky is now falling for two of the Eagles' top roadblocks to a repeat NFC Championship. Head coach Nick Sirianni couldn't ask for a better bye week for the Birds, and it'll be interesting to see if his team can capitalize on this terrific gift.
In Green Bay, the big question is about Matt LaFleur's play-calling:
- How do you come away with 13 points against the Panthers?
- Are there enough weapons for Love to get this thing over the top?
In Detroit, there are questions on both sides of the ball:
- How did Kelvin Sheppard's team allow McCarthy to game-manage his way to a win on the road?
- Is John Morton's offense imaginative enough to move the needle in the playoffs?
In Philadelphia, there's nothing but hands rubbing together knowing there may be an eaiser path back to the Super Bowl than previously thought.