Pride of Detroit
Last week, my bold prediction was considered “mild” by some, and it came up six points short. The Detroit Lions offense was explosive and scored 44 points against the Washington Commanders, but couldn’t hit the big 50 like I thought they could. This week, I am shifting my focus from the offense to the defense.
The Lions’ defense is coming off an average performance, allowing 22 points from the Commanders’ offense that was without its starting quarterback and top wide receiver. This week, the challenge will be a lot tougher with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles’ offense isn’t as explosive as it was last year, but they are doing well in limiting turnovers, having four this season so far.
The Lions’ defense has created 12 turnovers this season, and in a game against the Eagles, a simple mistake by each team can be a turning point. In the Eagles’ last game against the Green Bay Packers, they won the turnover battle, which ultimately led to a victory. If Detroit can beat Philadelphia, it must give its offense extra chances to take down a difficult defense.
There are two challenges for the Lions to achieve my prediction: the health of the defense and creating turnovers against this Eagles offense. The Lions’ defense is starting to stack up injuries, and the players dealing with those injuries are the ones who’ve generated the turnovers. Of the 12 turnovers, four came from players currently not dealing with an injury or on IR. The good news is that none of the injured players are out for long, as reinforcements are on the way.
Cornerback D.J. Reed started his clock on his return from IR, and he’s been limited in practice this week. I don’t expect him to play, though. Safety Kerby Joseph, who leads the team with three interceptions, has missed the last three games, and cornerbacks Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold each have one interception but are dealing with injuries that could knock them out this week.
The Lions’ defense needs all the help it can get in this matchup. The last time the secondary was banged up and missing starters, the “legion of whom” held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to 226 yards, cornerback Arthur Maulet came away with an interception, and EDGE Aidan Hutchinson recovered a fumble. The offense for Detroit was explosive on the ground by running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who got 218 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, but it was the defense that came up big in the end.
The Eagles’ roster is a level up from the Buccaneers. Last year, they seemed unstoppable as running back Saquon Barkley ran for 2,005 yards, the eighth most ever by a running back, and quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 2,903 yards with a 1,000-yard receiver in A.J. Brown and a great number two option in DeVonta Smith, who had 833 yards....
