On Sunday night, the Detroit Lions have one of their biggest games remaining on the schedule. A trip to the East Coast to face off against the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles awaits. If the Eagles win, they’ll have commanding control of the conference, especially with head-to-head wins over the Rams, Buccaneers, Packers (and Lions). If Detroit wins, they’ll notch a huge tiebreaker over Philly and could start eyeing the first overall seed.
Without a doubt, the biggest challenge the Eagles pose is their interior defensive line. The combination of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo poses a huge threat both in the run game and when it comes to their pass rush. And if we look at the teams that have been able to slow the Lions down, it’s been teams who have caused a lot of trouble for Detroit’s interior offensive line.
Combined with a decent linebacking corps, it may be hard for the Lions to replicate the success they found in the running game last week against the Commanders. Then again, the Eagles surprisingly rank 19th in rushing yards allowed, 19th in yards per carry allowed, 21st in rush defense DVOA, and 18th in EPA/rush allowed.
So on this week’s Midweek Mailbag, we discuss how the Lions may respond to a strong defensive front. We also break down whether an aggressive mindset on defense is the right way to attack Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense.
Other topics this week include:
- Game planning vs. play calling? What’s the difference, and how much planning carries over into play calling?
- Will Dan Campbell ever give up play-calling again?
- Does Campbell’s move to play-caller suggest immense trust in Kelvin Sheppard?
- Brian Daboll, future Lions OC?
- What’s with the special teams struggles?
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: Punch? Slap? Shove? Suspension???
- Is the Lions’ defensive line struggling with gap integrity in the run game?
- Where do the Lions need to improve in order to make a Super Bowl run?
Catch the show on your favorite podcasting platform or using the embedded Spotify player below.
If you’re more of a video person, you can catch the show—with bonus content—over on our Twitch and YouTube pages.
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