The Detroit Lions (8-7) fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-24 in Week 16, a game that delivered a massive blow to the Lions’ chances of making the postseason. Despite being touchdown favorites, the Lions were never able to gain control of the game and once again failed to live up to their potential. Let’s take […] The Detroit Lions (8-7) fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-24 in Week 16, a game that delivered a massive blow to the Lions’ chances of making the postseason. Despite being touchdown favorites, the Lions were never able to gain control of the game and once again failed to live up to their potential. Let’s take a look at how things shook out in this week’s power rankings. Sports Illustrated: 12 (Previous rank: 13) From Conor Orr: Forget about the ridiculous nine-minute long, strangely narrativized explanation for the offensive pass interference at the end of this game. This was the call that officials should be hiding from on Monday morning. The one that actually cost the Lions a postseason berth. The Ringer: 14 (Previous rank: 7) From Diante Lee: The good news is Detroit should be fine in 2026 and beyond. Detroit’s playoff chances were effectively washed away in Sunday’s wild loss to Pittsburgh. The Lions haven’t had a bad season, but the team regressed just enough on offense to reveal what should be the priorities for that unit: finding a new play caller and a little more talent on the offensive line. The good thing for the Lions is that the team as a whole is still in a healthy enough place to make those tweaks. The upcoming draft should be deep with guards, and coaching movement elsewhere in the league might free up an opportunity to upgrade its offensive coordinator. With a strong offseason, we’ll look back at 2025 as just a blip in the Dan Campbell era. ESPN: 14 (Previous rank: 12) From ESPN Staff, excerpt from Eric Woodyard: Rookie of the year: Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa Although TeSlaa has received limited action, the rookie receiver has been a star in his role. Five of his 12 receptions have gone for touchdowns. He has also produced several jaw-dropping plays, including a ridiculous one-handed grab for his first career touchdown in Week 1 against the Packers. TeSlaa is the fourth rookie wide receiver in franchise history to log at least five touchdown receptions, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021), Titus Young (2011) and Roy Williams (2004). USA Today: 14 (Previous rank: 13) Their first losing streak since 2022 could also lead to their first playoff absence since 2022. Sporting News: 14 (Previous rank: 13) The Lions have been struggling to run the ball at will like they did last season and taking that element away, as the Steelers did. That and an injury-depleted defense have been the downfall for Detroit as a playoff contender. The Athletic: 15 (Previous rank: 13) One concern: How do they fix the defense? For all the concern about how Detroit would fare after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, it has been the defense that has fallen apart this season. The offense remains one of the game’s best, but the defense ranks 26th in EPA per play since Week 8. Yahoo Sports: 15 (Previous rank: 13) There has been angst about the officiating, but what were the Lions doing making it that close against the Steelers at home? And, to go a step further, how did the Lions get themselves in a position to need to beat Pittsburgh to realistically stay alive for the playoffs? This season has been an utter disappointment. They’re 4-6 since Week 5. And with many massive contracts on the books with more big extensions to come, it’s possible we’ve already seen the peak for this Lions core. NFL.com: 15 (Previous rank: 14) From Eric Edholm: The Lions’ season, for all intents and purposes, might have come to an end on a failed fourth-and-goal play — one of the wilder ones you’ll see — and it was somewhat fitting for a frustrating season in Detroit. Their playoff chances aren’t completely gone, but it’s going to take something miraculous to get them in now. Two more road games remain, and the Lions need to win one just to avoid finishing below .500. They just never caught fire after the bye, and on Sunday, they lost back-to-back games for the first time in more than three years. Detroit’s run game has stalled, and a beat-up offensive line had something to do with that. The Steelers also had their way with the Lions defense, which has been competitive but unable to stop the bleeding. It’s a tough finish for a team that had taken the league by storm the past two seasons. It doesn’t appear to be in the cards this time around. CBS Sports: 17 (Previous rank: 18) From Pete Prisco: They face long odds to make the playoffs now, which has to be a major disappointment for a team with high expectations coming into this year. The defense is bad. See More: Detroit Lions Analysis

The NFL officially announced the 2026 Pro Bowl Games rosters on Tuesday morning. As it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles have five players who made the NFC team. The list: The NFL also announced five Eagles alternates: Some notes and thoughts: The NFL officially announced the 2026 Pro Bowl Games rosters on Tuesday morning. As it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles have five players who made the NFC team. The list: DT Jalen Carter — 2nd Pro Bowl (2024, 2025) LB Zack Baun — 2nd Pro Bowl (2024, 2025) C Cam Jurgens — 2nd Pro Bowl (2024, 2025) CB Quinyon Mitchell — 1st Pro Bowl (2025) CB Cooper DeJean — 1st Pro Bowl (2025) The NFL also announced five Eagles alternates: EDGE Jaelan Phillips (2nd alternate) RB Saquon Barkley (3rd alternate) TE Dallas Goedert (3rd alternate) ST Kelee Ringo (4th alternate) QB Jalen Hurts (5th alternate) Some notes and thoughts: Carter is the Eagles’ sole Pro Bowl “starter.” Carter is undoubtedly a special player at his best but he hasn’t really had a great season, in no small part due to the massive workload he played in 2024. Carter has been plagued by injury issues this season and he’s only just set to return from a “procedure” on both of his shoulders. Jordan Davis, who somehow isn’t even an alternate, has a stronger case to be a Pro Bowler than Carter this season. Speaking of undeserved Pro Bowl honors, it’s bizarre to see that Jurgens made the cut. He has not passed the eye test this year as the Eagles’ running game has struggled. He ranks 21st out of 41 centers graded by Pro Football Focus. And it’s not like he made the Pro Bowl based on a strong track record of production in previous years. In this specific respect, it would’ve made more sense if Landon Dickerson made the Pro Bowl this season. Strange. Baun is definitely deserving. He’s allowed an even lower passer rating this year (66.9) than he did last year (80.5) as he’s already doubled his 2024 interception total with two games still yet to play. Cool to see Mitchell and DeJean properly recognized for being two of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL. They’ve followed up awesome rookie seasons with strong sophomore showings. DeJean is allowing a 72.6 passer rating when targeted. Mitchell is allowing just a 61.7 passer rating when targeted. Dumb to see that Lane Johnson isn’t a Pro Bowler. He continues to be disrespected. Repeating what I said last year: DeVonta Smith has yet to make a Pro Bowl. Which feels so weird because he’s so obviously that kind of caliber player. The Eagles’ offensive ineptitude this season obviously hasn’t done him any favors. Former Eagles players who made the Pro Bowl include: K Cameron Dicker and S Kevin Byard. See More: Philadelphia Eagles News

This felt like one of those defensive performances where you finish the film thinking this Philadelphia Eagles defense is just getting better. The Washington Commanders don’t have a great offense, and after Marcus Mariota went out, it became a bit of a silly game, but that almost doesn’t matter. The Eagles played with a clarity […] This felt like one of those defensive performances where you finish the film thinking this Philadelphia Eagles defense is just getting better. The Washington Commanders don’t have a great offense, and after Marcus Mariota went out, it became a bit of a silly game, but that almost doesn’t matter. The Eagles played with a clarity and confidence that wasn’t there earlier in the season. This was another defensive performance that looked organised, physical, and increasingly comfortable in Vic Fangio’s structure. Defense Early on, the run defense set the tone, and it started on the edges. I’ve spoken a lot about the under center run game, and I thought I’d include this as an example of why the simple shotgun read-option style run isn’t as effective as it once was. Nolan Smith showed how modern edge play isn’t about reckless crashing and flying upfield anymore, but it’s about forcing the handoff, staying square, and then still having the explosiveness to close. When you combine that with Jordan Davis collapsing the interior, Washington had little margin for error. This type of run game isn’t as dominant as it was a few years ago, which is why it’s important to have variety. What really jumps off the film, though, is how clean everything looks on the back end. Andrew Mukuba is obviously more talented than Marcus Epps and has a higher ceiling, but I think Epps understands this scheme better right now. Should he start in the playoffs if Mukuba is healthy? It’s an interesting debate to have. The communication in the secondary right now is outstanding. You see it snap after snap. The same thing is happening on multiple snaps. Quinyon Mitchell is essentially erasing the boundary, routes are being passed off seamlessly, and the coverage is rotating post-snap without panic. When Cover 6 (quarter-quarter-half) is executed this well, quarterbacks simply run out of answers. The margins to complete passes are just so small. That communication showed up again in match 3 here, where it’s just perfect. Quinyon understands where his help is, so he lets the receiver go inside. Zack Baun knows when he can sit inside and leave the #3 to the safety, and there is nowhere to go with the football. When everyone is on the same page, pass rushers don’t need to win instantly, and Brandon Graham was the beneficiary here, arriving late for another sack because the quarterback had nowhere clean to go with the football. The communication is so clean! That said, the film isn’t perfect, and Washington did show something that better offenses will absolutely try to copy. So, it’s worth highlighting here. By keeping Quinyon fixed as the boundary corner and using 3×1 formations, they forced Adoree’ Jackson into isolated situations against Terry McLaurin with no safety help. That’s a tough ask. Fangio’s trust in his corners is admirable, but there may be moments where a change-up, such as asking Quinyon to travel, becomes necessary against elite receivers. We saw this early on in the season, but lately he has stayed as a boundary corner, and I’ve explained why in the past. Good teams will try to attack this. As often in the NFL, you can’t do the same thing for too long, or teams will catch on. That’s why we love the game! An injury to Nakobe Dean forced some rotation at linebacker, and Jihaad Campbell’s snaps were quietly encouraging. He was asked to do a bit of everything, and while it wasn’t spectacular, it was competent and pretty good overall. Considering how little work he’s had recently, not looking like a liability is a win, and there were flashes of why the Eagles value his versatility. I still enjoy him in coverage. As the game wore on, Jordan Davis just kept making play after play. This wasn’t a two-series burst or a situational role; this was sustained dominance. He anchored against double teams, stayed light enough on his feet to close cutbacks, and didn’t fade as the snap count climbed. The past month has been the best football of his career, and it’s no longer just about “potential” with him; he’s actively controlling and dominating games. He’s going to get paid, hopefully by us, and he deserves it. Washington also tried to manipulate Quinyon out of the action with motion, creating overloads away from him and essentially daring the Eagles to adjust. It worked occasionally, as you can see here. It’s another reminder that smart offenses will try to take advantage of what the Eagles are doing on defense, and the Eagles will need answers when opponents start scrutinizing what the Eagles are doing with Quinyon. Even when things weren’t perfectly aligned, Quinyon Mitchell still made plays that defy logic. He’s outrageously good. The best cornerback I’ve seen since I’ve been properly writing about this team. There were reps where his leverage wasn’t ideal, where he expected help that didn’t materialise, and he still arrived on time to disrupt the catch. His timing at the catch point is absurd, and the way he recovers mid-route speaks to both elite athleticism and processing speed. Watching him and Cooper DeJean every week is a joy. This is a cool rep. Late motion forced him to adjust from press to off coverage in real time as Washington went from a 3×1 to a 2×2. Some lesser corners would panic in those moments. Quinyon is not one of those. He gained depth, stayed patient, and still exploded downhill to break up the pass. Awareness plus physical gifts is how elite corners separate themselves. He’s as good as it gets. Both of the safeties deserve credit, too. Blankenship and Epps

The Eagles beat Washington to secure their first back-to-back division title in 21 years. The score makes it seem like it was a closer game than it was, as the Eagles dominated on both sides of the ball, putting back-ups in for a good chunk of the fourth quarter. After a few weeks where the […] The Eagles beat Washington to secure their first back-to-back division title in 21 years. The score makes it seem like it was a closer game than it was, as the Eagles dominated on both sides of the ball, putting back-ups in for a good chunk of the fourth quarter. After a few weeks where the rookies were shut out of meaningful participation, the first-year players made an impact this week. Jihaad Campbell’s role was reduced quite heavily over the last two months with the return of Nakobe Dean and the Eagles trading for Jaelan Phillips. An unfortunate hamstring injury forced Dean out of the game on Saturday, meaning Campbell had to come in and fill Dean’s very big shoes on defense. And that he did! Campbell looked comfortable at inside linebacker, making big time tackles in the run and passing game. He flowed easily in coverage to prevent big plays and even had a good rep as a pass rusher. It’s not surprising, but Campbell looks a lot better as a featured defensive player who gets 30+ snaps a game instead of someone who gets half that. Hopefully the Dean injury isn’t serious, but the Eagles can sleep well knowing Campbell can play great football if they need him to start. The Rest Ty Robinson got a few snaps on defense at defensive tackle. After looking rough during preseason, he held his own in limited time. Smael Mondon Jr. also saw some time on defense at the end of the game. Darius Cooper continues to see snaps at WR4 while doing most of his work as a run blocker. Notably was a catalyst in the Eagles late-game scuffle. Starters going out early meant Drew Kendall saw a few snaps at center, where he looked solid. See More: Philadelphia Eagles analysis

Eagles Question of the Day: Who is the 2025 NFL MVP at this point? Head over to The Feed and weigh in with your answer and explanation! Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … 2026 Pro Bowl roster snubs: Who should be an NFL all-star? – ESPNLane Johnson, OT, Philadelphia Eagles. Who […] Eagles Question of the Day: Who is the 2025 NFL MVP at this point? Head over to The Feed and weigh in with your answer and explanation! Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … 2026 Pro Bowl roster snubs: Who should be an NFL all-star? – ESPN Lane Johnson, OT, Philadelphia Eagles. Who he should replace: Trent Williams, OT, San Francisco 49ers. Why he should be in: If Joe Alt can make the Pro Bowl despite playing only six games, I don’t particularly understand how the best tackle in football didn’t make the Pro Bowl with 10 games played. Johnson is an unparalleled talent at right tackle who should have been in over all three NFC tackles so long as his health absence was not disqualifying. The Eagles should put the pedal to the metal against the Bills – BGN Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas. Flying high thanks to a badly-needed two-game winning streak on the heels of three straight deflating defeats, the Eagles find themselves in a solid position entering the final two weeks of the season. With their second straight division title locked up, the Birds have looked a lot more like their 2024 selves of late, just in time for another Super Bowl run. They will most likely enter the postseason tournament as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, although there is an outside shot at No. 2. NFC East Mixtape Vol. 181: The Eagles Broke The NFC East Curse – BGN YouTube It finally happened. A team actually repeated as NFC East winners as the Philadelphia Eagles locked up the NFL’s most storied division last week. They are headed back to the playoffs and as they are the Dallas Cowboys joined both the Washington Commanders and New York Giants as teams officially eliminated from playoff contention. What do we make of all four teams as we enter the final two weeks of the regular season? RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton discuss on the latest edition of the NFC East Mixtape. NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Week 17 edition – PhillyVoice 5) Eagles (10-5): The Eagles’ defense has been on fire of late, the offense has been better, and they’ll be getting Lane Johnson and Jalen Carter back from injuries. Nobody is talking about the Eagles as Super Bowl favorites anymore, and for good reason since their offense went into hibernation for a month-plus, but they can beat anyone. Getting Better – Iggles Blitz I’m sure Fangio would credit DL coach Clint Hurtt and the players, but I think the old man deserves credit for knowing how/when to use his guys. He has done a good job of building their confidence while also being tough on them. Jordan Davis has gone from underachiever to possible Pro Bowl player. Davis doesn’t get there without tough love from Uncle Vic. Fangio is special because he understands players and schemes. Think about the vision he had for Zack Baun. He took a role player edge rusher and turned him into an All Pro LB. Cooper DeJean was an outside CB at Iowa. Some thought he might be best at safety. Fangio put Coop in the slot and he’s become an elite player. As for scheme, he’s brilliant at taking simple ideas and getting his players to execute them at a high level. No suspension coming for Tyler Steen after fight in Washington – NBCSP The Eagles will have right guard Tyler Steen when they play the Bills on the road Sunday in Week 17. There will be no suspensions handed out from the fight between the Eagles and Commanders in the fourth quarter on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. While Steen will obviously be fined for his role in the fracas, he will not have to miss a game and give up a game check. The fight between the Eagles and Commanders came with just over 4 minutes remaining in the Eagles’ 29-18 win. It broke out after the Eagles’ successful two-point conversion attempt, which put them up 29-10. The incident began with some pushing and shoving before Steen found himself in the middle of a bunch of burgundy jerseys throwing punches. Steen was tossed from the game along with two Washington players: Javon Kinlaw and Quan Martin, who were also involved. “It’s chippy out there,” said running back Saquon Barkley, who was also involved in some pushing. “We have a lot of history with this team, especially since I’ve been here and have it in the past. This team don’t like us. That’s just the truth. We don’t like them either. But we gotta keep it football.” Struggling Eagles player opens up about benching: ‘I’m not perfect’ – NJ.com “I’m a 21-year-old linebacker in the NFL, so damn sure got a bright future ahead of me,” Campbell told NJ Advance Media on Saturday after the team’s victory over the Washington Commanders. Fourth-year linebacker Nakobe Dean missed the first five weeks of this season recovering from last year’s knee injury and was not given a full workload until after the Week 9 bye. Once he replaced Campbell as the starter last month, the Eagles’ defense improved against the run and with its blitzing, two facets of the game that remain unpolished for Campbell. He has great long-term upside because of his coverage skills, but he will need to grow as a run defender to reach his full potential. According to Pro Football Focus metrics, he ranks 45th out of 85 linebackers in run defense. “I’m not perfect,” Campbell said. “Just learning from the greats, right? Even from the linebackers we got (on our team).