The Detroit Lions are heading to Philadelphia to take on another powerhouse NFC contender.
The “Sunday Night Football” matchup, which has been deemed a must-win by both teams, between two physical teams is sure to raise some heart rates.
At Pride of Detroit, we’ve got Eagles’ offensive and defensive scheme breakdowns from Erik Schlitt, a bold prediction from Brandon Knapp, and seven takeaways from the Lions coordinators’ press conferences from Jeremy Reisman.
Once you’re done with that, I compiled some Week 11 predictions, thoughts, and score predictions from national NFL analysts and writers.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco: Eagles 31, Lions 27
“The Lions are playing consecutive road games, while the Eagles are playing on a short week. That kind of cancels them out. The Eagles have had trouble scoring, while the Lions rolled up big numbers last week. But at home, look for the Eagles defense to slow down the Lions, while the Eagles get their offense going for the win.”
Sporting News’ Bill Bender: Lions 28, Eagles 22
“Or are these the two best teams in the NFC? This is a potential NFC championship preview. Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties for the Lions last week – and they rushed for 226 yards. The Eagles have cleaned up the run defense. Both teams convert more than 70% of their attempts on fourth down. This game is a huge opportunity for the Lions – who have lost to the Packers and Chiefs in the national spotlight.”
Pro Football Talks’ Mike Florio: Lions 27, Eagles 23 and Chris Simms: Lions 20, Eagles 17
“One team has an offensive identity. The other does not (other than the tush push).”
NFL.com’s Brooke Cersosimo: Eagles 27, Lions 24
“The Eagles have found ways to move the sticks and stack wins. This unit isn’t playing to the level it was during last year’s Super Bowl run, but when your coach is confident enough to call a highly questionable, low-percentage shot on fourth-and-6 with the game hanging in the balance, it’s a good sign. Great teams find ways to win. Both of these clubs fall into that category. Yet, with Detroit dealing with a few too many injuries to its secondary and with this game being played in Philadelphia, the scales tilt the Eagles’ way.”
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan: Lions 27, Eagles 24
“Defensively, Philly was able to shut the Packers down. While I do think the addition of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips will be big for them down the stretch, I have questions about whether or not it’ll be enough in this matchup vs. Detroit. After all, the Packers were still finding their way without Tucker Kraft in the fold, and also didn’t have first-round rookie receiver Matthew Golden either. The Lions present far more players to account for at the skill positions, including Jahmyr Gibbs.”
Five members of USA Today’s sports staff backed the Lions, while one writer did not.
“Another huge game in the NFC. This is going to be a physical matchup between two contenders. The Eagles have the most talent in the NFC even though they haven’t really played up to their potential.” — Tyler Dragon, Eagles win
“Another fascinating game and a potential playoff preview, I like the Lions here because I think they’re more balanced and can force the Eagles to play out of their comfort zone, given the points that Detroit can put up. It should be tight, but I like the Lions on the moneyline either way.” — Lorenzo Reyes, Lions win
Finally, of the 11 NFL experts who were polled at ESPN, six think the Lions will pull off a win.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- This week’s “Sights and Sounds” features Jameson Williams mic’d up.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown attempts a “slippery glove” challenge where he has to catch a ball with different sticky or slippery things on his gloves, including syrup, lotion, oil, and butter. No part of me is surprised by the results.
- Love how Dan Campbell is becoming a standard for good coaches.
- HBD, Kerb!
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