Defense Devours Detroit in Eagles Win
The Eagles beat the Lions, Jared Goff is in Witness Protection, and We're Not Talking About the Offense (okay maybe a little)
Black holes are an astronomical marvel. According to NASA, black holes are comprised of huge concentrations of matter packed into very tiny spaces that are so dense that not even light can escape their gravity. They are star crushers with a pull so strong that it can rip apart celestial bodies. And when that happens, according to Scientific American, they can release a large amount of light and energy that’s visible billions of light-years away.
By that definition, the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense is a black hole. They consume stars. They rip apart planets and shine for the whole world to see. This is a defense that completely dismantled a talented Lions offense that, until this point, averaged 31 points per game. They pulled Jared Goff, Amon St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and one of the league’s best offensive lines into their gravity and refused to let any light out.
Now I don’t condone bullying. But I do condone what the Eagles did to Jared Goff last night. It was the football equivalent of a swirly. The professional sports version of a wedgie. Goff was hit so much that he should be in witness protection. He was under more pressure than David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. The defense rendered star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ineffective. They forced him to celebrate Halloween late and dress up as the Invisible Man. They contained a strong Lions rushing attack, holding All-Galaxy Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs to only 39 yards (he had 107 yards receiving, but that’s not the poin,t ok). The defense played like that one kid that keeps throwing ice in a snowball fight.
The defensive line, especially, was on fire. Jaelan Phillips continues to set his watch to demon time. He followed up his 8-pressure performance against the Packers with 4 pressures and his first sack at the Linc against Detroit. Phillips collapses pockets at will. His sheer presence elevates an already talented Eagles defensive line that was in Jared Goff’s face (and head) all night.
The duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis had games as big as their stature. Anytime Goff went to throw, he first had to worry about being sacked and second had to worry about his pass being batted down, which happened five times. Peloton influencer and human mountain Jordan Davis knocked down Goff’s passes at the line of scrimmage 3 times, the most batted passes in a single game this year. Jalen Carter did his part by batting down two passes of his own and snatching the soul from every offensive lineman he stood across, creating mismatches for his teammates. Moro Ojomo joined the party with a few big plays, including a huge 4th down run stop on superhuman Jahmyr Gibbs.
The linebacking core was bolstered by Nakobe Dean, who had his best game of the season. Dean is a sledgehammer who crashes into opposing blockers for the love of the game. He was everywhere tonight and at one point had a series of plays where he defended a pass against Jahmyr Gibbs, covered Jameson Williams, and knocked David Montgomery to the shadow realm on his way to smacking down Jared Goff. That’s the kind of versatility only witnessed through Denzel Washington’s acting catalogue.
This was the best defensive performance I’ve seen from the Birds since the Super Bowl. An aggressive Detroit offense tried to pull momentum to their side by going for it on fourth down over and over again, only to be halted by the Eagles’ defense every time. According to Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation, they are the second team in the last 25 years to not allow an opponent conversion on 5+ fourth-down attempts. According to Sheil Kapadia, they’ve allowed just 2 touchdowns on the last 22 possessions.
The Eagles’ offense was uninspiring and sluggish, but we’ve talked about that enough this season. This game is a celebration of the defense. One that’s so talented, so well-coached, so physical that they could be the best in the league. They can rival any offense, collapse any star. This is a Super Bowl-level defense. The kind of defense you’ll tell your kids about one day (or maybe even today if you want). Vic Fangio’s unit is world-destroying. They level the playing field against any team they face before ripping the playing field up from the ground. They are ravenous. They will be the reason the Eagles go far this season. The Eagles now sit alone at #1 in the NFC. Go Birds baby.
(If you watched last night and are sleep-deprived like me, free to skip the game recap and jump to Trending Up/Trending Down)
GAME RECAP
This game started as a game of rock, paper, scissors, where every option is rock. It was a defensive battle that rendered both offenses useless. The Eagles came out running the “we read your tweets about A.J. Brown” offense, looking to get A.J. involved early and often. Kevin Patullo’s playcalling made an effort to attack a Lions secondary that was without starting safety Kerby Joseph and starting quarterback Terrion Arnold. Jalen Hurts threw the ball on 5 out of 6 offensive plays, but to no avail. The Eagles were forced to punt.
On the Lions’ first possession, Jordan Davis got his hands up to deflect a Jared Goff pass (his first of what would be three deflections on the evening) that tumbled through the air and landed in the hands of Cooper DeJean for Coop’s first regular-season interception of his career. With a short field, the Eagles’ offense stalled out after trying to hit A.J. Brown on a couple of passes, settling for a Jake Elliot 28-yard field goal to score the first points of the game. Jalen Hurts looked inaccurate throughout this one and wasn’t helped by early drops from Dallas Goedert, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley on catchable balls.
On the Lions’ second possession, Zack Baun shot out of a cannon through the offensive line to take down Jahmyr Gibbs. Later that drive, Jalen Carter absolutely destroyed an offensive lineman to free up Jaelan Phillips to sack Jared Goff for his first sack at the Linc. The Lions ended up going 3-and-out.
Both offenses stalled. The Eagles couldn’t help but find themselves in 3rd and longs due to key penalties and lack of efficiency on early downs. They overcommitted to the run, but the Lions’ defensive line played otherworldly run defense, stonewalling Barkley play after play. The Lions’ offense was limited by an Eagles defense that got relentless pressure on Jared Goff play after play. Goff was inaccurate and skittish.
To make matters worse for Philadelphia, Lane Johnson went to the locker room late in the first quarter with a foot injury and didn’t return.
On the Lions’ fourth drive, seeking some momentum, Dan Campbell decided to go for it on a fourth and short, but Burds of a Feather favorite Moro Ojomo tackled Jahmyr Gibbs short of the sticks for a big stop and turnover on downs. After holding the Eagles offense to a 3-and-out, the Lions tried a fourth-down fake punt on their next possession but were again stopped short by the Birds.
The Eagles got the ball in Detroit territory, but after a big conversion by Jalen Hurts on a QB run on 3rd and 11, the offense stalled. Jake Elliot kicked another field goal to bring the score to 6-0. At that point, the defense gifted the Eagles offense four possessions in Detroit territory, and the Eagles offense responded by scoring 6 points.
On the next possession, Dan Campbell briefly found the juice. The Lions drove 74 yards on three plays, culminating in a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams. Williams did a little too much on the touchdown celebration and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. That backed up the extra point attempt 15 yards, which the Lions then missed, tying the game at 6-6.
With 5 minutes left in the half, the Eagles’ offense put up their best drive of the game. They used tempo to work their way down the field. Backup running back (and man who runs like he’s trying to cause an earthquake) Tank Bigsby gave the offense a spark with a big 17-yard run. Jalen hit A.J. Brown on a slant route in the redzone to get the offense closer. Philly scored initially on a Saquon Barkley run that was overturned and ruled short. They followed that up by scoring on a Tush Push to bring the score to 13-6 before half. At halftime, Hurts had 9 completions, with 6 of them going to A.J. Brown.
The Lions’ first three drives of the second half ended with them getting stopped on fourth down attempts - one where pressure forced Goff to miss Jameson Williams, one on 4th and goal where Jalyx Hunt and Jaelan Phillips met at Jared Goff and seemingly sawed him in half, and one where Goff threw behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Meanwhile, the Eagles’ offense couldn’t capitalize. They found themselves in 3rd and 8 or longer 6 times so far.
After stalling out in Lions territory again, the Eagles settled for another Jake Elliot field goal to make the game 16-6. On the Lions’ fifth drive of the half, Jordan Davis deflected his third Jared Goff pass of the day. The Lions continued running play-action, and a fearless Eagles defense continued to tee off on Goff. Jalen Carter joined the block party by deflecting his second Jared Goff pass of the day, and Nakobe Dean had amazing coverage on a pass defensed against Jahmyr Gibbs.
Looking to close out the game with 2:09 remaining in the half, the Eagles ran two hand-offs to Barkley before being stuffed on back-to-back Tush Pushes to give the Lions the ball on Phily’s 29-yard line. The Lions were able to make a field goal to bring it to a one-score game. The Eagles offense got the ball back and, thanks to a few big Barkley runs, were able to run the clock out. Ball game Birds.
Trending Up:
The Eagles’ Defensive Line: Jared Goff couldn’t breathe tonight without getting hit. He must be shellshocked. He needs a support group. Led by Jaelan Phillips, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo and…well…everyone, this defensive line manhandled the Lions. The addition of Jaelan Phillips, the return of Nolan Smith, and the health of Jalen Carter have transformed this defensive line into a death star. The limited Jared Goff to a quarterback rating of 60.1 (which is very not great) and had 7 QB hits. Goff was completely out of sync and at one point was unable to even complete a screen pass without being bodyslammed. This line makes the Eagles’ defense into true game wreckers capable of winning anywhere against anyone.
Cooper DeJean: We don’t talk about Cooper enough because he’s so consistently amazing at what he does. But he recorded his first regular-season interception tonight on a heads-up play after a Jordan Davis deflection. Shout out to half of the Exciting Whites and the best slot corner in the league.
Adoree Jackson: I’m here to submit a semi-formal apology to Adoree Jackson. In the past, I’ve called him half of the “Terrible Two” which included him and Kelee Ringo. But recently, his play has significantly improved. He had a few big pass defenses here, including a 1-on-1 against All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He finally looks comfortable in Fangio’s defense. I promise not to make fun of him for a week, but no more than that.
Nakobe Dean: Eagles fans were rightfully excited when Howie Roseman drafted linebacker Jihaad Campbell out of Alabama. Campbell has a ton of potential, but Nakobe Dean politely said “f*** that”. Since returning from injury, Dean has been a supernova who’s given this defense an edge. He’s extremely physical for his size. His confidence, athleticism, and intelligence have solidified Vic Fangio’s unit. At one point in this game, he went from covering Jahmyr Gibbs to covering Jameson Williams to sacking Jared Goff in the span of like 5 minutes. He’s a chess piece capable of flipping the entire board. Dean is a special player having a special season.
A.J. Brown’s Targets: Kevin Patullo read your tweets. He also read A.J. Brown’s tweets. The ineffective Philly offense worked hard to get A.J. involved by funneling 11 targets his way. So…at least something is changing…maybe?
Pass Blocking: Although the offense was ineffective, the offensive line was not. Jeff Stoutland’s hungry dogs stonewalled a talented Lions pass rush. The Australian Handler Jordan Mailata stonewalled Lions star edge defender Aidan Hutchinson. Jalen Hurts had all day to throw the ball as the Lions only managed 1 sack on Hurts.
Eagles Special Teams: Over the past two weeks, the Eagles’ special teams unit has been balling. Their ability to get on top of returners and limit big yardage has been incredible. They’ve been sure tacklers and seemingly make game-changing plays week after week.
Trending Down:
Having Everything: The defense and special teams were cooking, while the offense struggled to turn on the stove. Apparently, you truly can’t have it all, and that includes a complete game from the Eagles where offense, defense, and special teams are playing well.
A.J. Brown’s Route Tree: A.J. Brown’s route tree (the different types of routes he runs) is less of a tree and more of a stick. For as much as the Eagles say they want to get Brown involved, they do it in very predictable ways. Brown seems to run three routes - a go-route, a comeback route, and a slant. Seeing how easily some teams in the league get the ball into their star players’ hands makes what the Eagles are doing mind-boggling. Brown has the potential to be one of the best yards-after-catch receivers in the game, but the Eagles never get him the ball on the move. Why not put A.J. in the slot to create a mismatch? Line him up in trips to get an easy release on a crossing route where you can get the ball in his hands on the move? I’ll even take a shallow cross. You can’t funnel targets to Brown in the same way you have been, because the issue isn’t forcing him the ball. It’s the lack of great opportunities.
Jalen Hurts’ Accuracy: This was a bad Hurts game. He looked off from the start and missed some big opportunities. Overall, this Lions defense limited Hurts to 135 yards and 4.8 yards per attempt.
Fourth Down Conversions: Specifically for the Detroit Lions. The Eagles forced the Lions to turn the ball over on downs 5 times.
Avoiding Negative Plays: Specifically for the Eagles. This offensive playcalling isn’t equipped to convert 3rd and longs (even though they have the personnel to do so). Due to penalties and lack of execution, the Eagles were in 3rd and 8+ SIX times. Two of those resulted in field goals in the redzone and the other 4 ended drives.
Hot Takes:
The Lions Know the Best Way to Get Rid of the Tush Push is to Stop It. The Lions notably did not vote to ban the Tush Push at the league meetings earlier this year. Leading up to this game, Dan Campbell said of the Eagles’ use of the Tush Push, “They’ve got a niche, they’ve found something, they’re good at it, and it’s for everybody else to stop.” Well, it turns out the Lions are pretty solid at stopping it. The Lions went 2 for 3, stopping the Tush Push tonight (with the one they missed scoring a touchdown, but you can’t win ‘em all). Their big-bodied line was equipped for the challenge as they stopped the Eagles on back-to-back Tush Pushes late in the game to flicker hope. Dan Campbell’s boys aren’t afraid to compete, and I respect that.
Jahmyr Gibbs Only Being 23 Has Broken My Brain. Jahmyr Gibbs is a superhero. He’s so fast that he makes other fast people look really slow. At 23, he is on the brink of breaking team records held by Barry Sanders’ (Barry Sanders!?). When I was 23, I was binge-watching episodes of Lost and surviving on a steady diet of Chipotle burritos and Miller High Life.
Vic Fangio Has Been Carrying This Team All Season. The last two weeks of Eagles defensive football have been euphoric. But before Jaelan Phillips and the trade deadline and Brandon Graham’s unretirement and the return of Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean, Vic Fangio turned lemons into margheritas. He took a flawed defense that kept the Eagles in games against the Chiefs, Rams, and Bucs when the offense didn’t show up. Not to mention last week against the Packers and last night against Detroit. At what point does Vic Fangio swing on Kevin Patullo? The defense has been carrying this team all year, and it seems like they’ll continue to do so.
Things Only I Care About:
Cris Collinsworth’s Edible Hitting at the Right Time: As Mike Tirico detailed all of the stars that were in attendance at the game, he randomly landed on Pete Davidson, who was down on the field. This was confusing because I had no idea Pete Davidson was an Eagles fan. As the camera lands on him and Tirico utters Davidson’s name, Collinsworth lets out a laugh. No additional context. Tirico responds by saying, “Just seeing Pete Davidson makes you laugh, huh?” to which Collinsworth silently responded, “Yeah.” I believe that this is when the edible hit for ol’ Cris. Before this point, he was berating A.J. Brown for speaking his mind on social media (which is peak oldhead) and subtly talking about how much he wanted this game to be over. But then the gummy he took in hair and makeup hit his bloodstream, and the sight of Davidson activated it. This is the only explanation for half of the things Collinsworth says.
Losing the Battle to Night Games: I haven’t seen it, but I assume Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is about me trying to stay awake for night games. The back-to-back Monday night and Sunday night games for the Eagles is a tough pill for my sleep schedule to swallow. For the first half of the week, I’ll roam through the world like a zombie. This is the oldest I’ve ever sounded.
Friends at the Game!
Shout out to friends of Burds of a Feather, Steve and Lauren, and Mike and Andrew for braving the cold to watch the Burds beat down Detroit.
