For the second week in a row, it was the Eagles defense leading the way as the Birds scraped past another NFC North opponent, this time in a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions.
Last week after their win over the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles (8-2) seemed to confuse those who compile weekly NFL power rankings. Some saw the victory over another NFC contender as a reason to move the Eagles up. Others, however, saw the narrow victory as a reason to drop the Birds, largely because of the questions surrounding their lack of offensive output.
Did another defensive win confuse the list makers even more? Or did the impressive showing by Vic Fangio’s defense — against one of the NFL’s best offenses — confirm that this team doesn’t need to score a lot of points to win? Here’s a look at where the Eagles stand in the latest round of power rankings as the season enters Week 12 …
ESPN: Second
Our first outlet, and we’re already seeing the Eagles drop despite their win. Last week, ESPN was one of the sites that moved the Eagles up to the top spot. This week, they’re back to No. 2, and the team that leapfrogged them — the 8-2 Los Angeles Rams — is one the Eagles already have beaten this season, albeit on a last-second blocked field goal.
So what was the difference? The Eagles offense, according to Tim McManus, who also says that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is under the most pressure.
“The offense has been a disappointment,” McManus wrote. “The Eagles rank 25th in total yards (300.1 per game), 28th in passing (184.9) and 29th in third-down conversion rate (33.87%). They’re averaging 115 rushing yards per game (17th in NFL), compared to 179 in 2024 (second). They are, however, the best red zone offense (75% conversion rate) and have a league-low four giveaways. That, paired with a defense that has played lights out as of late, has been enough to keep Philly atop the NFC. But the offense has not yet reached its potential, and it falls on the first-year play caller to help remedy that.”
We’re more than halfway through the season. At what point do we stop talking about the Eagles’ offensive “potential” and just come to terms with the product they put out there each week? You are what you repeatedly do, right?
The Eagles beat the Rams this season — barely — but still trail them in most national power rankings.
Yahoo! Sports: First
The tight win on Sunday Night Football wasn’t enough for Yahoo! to drop the Eagles from the top spot, even if it openly acknowledges that the already struggling offense just took another hit with the loss of right tackle Lane Johnson to a Lisfranc injury.
“Lane Johnson’s injury will knock him out 4-6 weeks and everyone by now knows the Eagles aren’t nearly as good without their All-Pro right tackle,” Frank Schwab wrote. “Still, the Eagles are becoming masterful at overcoming adversity. Their defense is finally hitting its stride, too.”
No surprise that the Rams are right behind the Eagles, with the Indianapolis Colts in third and the Seahawks in fourth after each dropping a spot after being leapfrogged by the Rams.
The Athletic’s Josh Kendall and Chad Graff offered a seemingly simple suggestion to the Eagles, one that is hard to argue with after watching their last two games: “Be more interesting.” But boring football wasn’t enough to drop the Birds from the top spot.
“Thank goodness for A.J. Brown,” Kendall and Graff wrote. “The wide receiver’s weekly passive-aggressive complaints about his role in the offense are the only things making this team worth watching anymore. Jalen Hurts completed 14 passes for 135 yards Sunday night. The sublime Saquon Barkley averaged 3.2 yards per carry and is 14th in the league in rushing (662 yards). Yet the Eagles and their smothering defense are marching joylessly back toward the Super Bowl.”
The Rams held steady at No. 2, while the idle Colts climbed to No. 3, and the Denver Broncos, courtesy of their win over the Kansas City Chiefs, moved into the fourth spot.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hasn’t posted big numbers this season, but he’s been efficient and avoided turnovers.
The Ringer: Second
Unlike ESPN, The Ringer didn’t drop the Eagles to second after their win; it elevated them from third to second. “This team is finding its 2024 form again, and I’m starting to believe,” Diante Lee wrote.
“As the ugly wins stack up in 2025, it’s hard not to think about the similarities to last year and whether all the issues will iron themselves out once we get to the playoffs,” Lee added. “If this defense keeps playing this well, I’m inclined to believe that the answer is an emphatic yes.”
The Rams have held steady in The Ringer’s top spot for several weeks. Meanwhile, the Seahawks (No. 3), Broncos (No. 4), and Colts (No. 5) round out their top five.
The Rams were already well ahead of the Eagles at Sports Illustrated — they moved from second to first this week — but the Birds were one of the outlet’s biggest risers, climbing five spots, up from seventh, to second.
“The clips of Nakobe Dean staying stride for stride with all of Detroit’s best players was just another reminder of how weaponized this Eagles defense is,” Conor Orr wrote. “Can’t we understand now that the team’s best talent and coaching resides on that side of the ball, which is why the offense is being used as a game-shortening tool rather than an elevator of personal feelings and your fantasy team?”
The Eagles jumped over the New England Patriots, Seahawks, Broncos, Colts, and Lions to claim that second spot.
The Eagles moved up one spot at NFL.com, thanks to the Seahawks’ loss. But that also meant that the new No. 1 team, the Rams, and the new No. 2, the Colts, also moved up a spot each as Seattle fell to fourth.
“The Lions might have hurt themselves with their own overaggressiveness, but the Eagles certainly had a lot to do with that,” wrote Eric Edholm. “Philadelphia’s relentless pressure has been the new calling card of a defense that has reached another plateau since the bye. That’s now two straight games in prime time where the Eagles have held a playoff-contending opponent to single-digit points. The trade acquisition of Jaelan Phillips looks like a gem of a pickup, with the edge rusher making his impact felt in both games since his arrival in Philly. … Doubt them at your own risk.”
The Eagles added linebacker Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline, and he has made an immediate impact on the defense.
CBS Sports: Third
A big tumble by the previously top-ranked Seahawks (now No. 7) meant a lot of teams moved up, including the Eagles, who climbed one spot to third, behind the Rams and the Patriots, respectively.
“The offense still isn’t great, but they are winning games,“ Pete Prisco wrote. ”The defense has really stepped up the past two weeks.”
The Colts (No. 4), and Broncos (No. 5) also cracked the top five.
The Eagles remained in the fourth position at USA Today, as there was very little movement among Nate Davis’ top five teams.
“A replenished defense has held two high-octane offenses to single-digit points in successive weeks − which is even better news with injured RT Lane Johnson set to miss a chunk of time with a Lisfranc injury for an already sputtering offense,” wrote Davis.
The Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, and Broncos — in that order — make up the rest of their top five, with the only change this week being the Patriots and Seahawks swapping spots.
They are now 8-2 after their latest defensive master class, a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. But for every week that the defense has taken strides lately, the offense seems to stray further from the flashes it showed coming off the mini-bye week in early October.
Week 12 might not be the get-well game the Eagles offense could use. The 4-5-1 Dallas Cowboys clobbered the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, 33-16, on Monday night. Is it a mirage or a sign of a defensive turnaround for the Eagles’ NFC East foe?
Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles entering their final matchup of the regular season against the Cowboys, who are coming off a short week:
A.J. Brown (11) was more involved in the offense on Sunday night against the Lions.
Band-Aids galore
Last week, A.J. Brown stood at his locker stall in the NovaCare Complex and identified the crux of his frustration about the state of the Eagles offense.
He expressed a desire to make an impact on the Kevin Patullo-led offense, just a couple of days removed from a 13-yard performance against the Green Bay Packers. But he also didn’t make his frustrations solely about him. He had grown increasingly tired of the defense bailing out the listless offense and sought to play complementary football as a collective.
“I think if we’re really focusing on winning and doing our job; we can’t just keep slapping a Band-Aid over the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble,” Brown said Wednesday. “At what point are we going to pick a box as an offense and say, ‘We’re so great?’ That’s what I’m getting at.”
That point didn’t come Sunday night against the Lions. Vic Fangio and the Eagles defense opened up another box of Band-Aids, limiting the league’s second-ranked scoring offense entering Week 11 to just nine points, the Lions’ lowest total since 2023.
The Eagles offense, meanwhile, scored one touchdown and settled for three field goals. The group mustered just six points (two field goals) off five fourth-down stops generated by the defense.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles offense registered the third-worst expected points added per play in the league in a win this season (-.28). The statistic measures the average points an offense generates on a play.
“We want them to continue to play at a high level,” Brown said postgame of the defense. “We’ve still just got to do a better job on offense and get our stuff going. It’s a lot of room for improvement. A lot of self-inflicted wounds. But hats off to the defense because they are playing their butts off.”
Brown might not be satisfied — and he’s certainly not the only one on offense — but what if the offense can’t get off the ground? Is the way the Eagles are winning right now sustainable?
Will the Cowboys defense provide an avenue for Saquon Barkley to break off some major runs on Sunday?
Unsurprisingly, recent history suggests it’s unlikely. In the last seven seasons, only one Super Bowl champion offense generated a negative EPA per play during the regular season — the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs (-.04).
The Eagles offense sits at -.02 this season. While the offense may be able to get away with being inconsistent if the defense continues to excel, the offense can’t be consistently as bad as it was on Sunday night for the rest of the season.
Offensive line attrition
The offense’s quest to improve won’t get any easier in the absence of Lane Johnson. The 35-year-old right tackle suffered a Lisfranc injury and is likely headed to injured reserve, where he could spend the next four to six weeks.
It goes without saying that the Eagles are a better team when the two-time All-Pro right tackle is on the field. According to StatMuse, the Eagles are 110-57-1 in games that Johnson plays. They are 15-23 in games he does not play.
Cam Jurgens also exited Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury. The center had previously been sidelined for the last two games with a knee injury. His status against the Cowboys is unclear.
There’s a chance that two backups start on the offensive line in Week 12. Fred Johnson and Brett Toth generally have fared well in place of Johnson and Jurgens this season.
But the overall performance from the offensive line has been substandard, particularly in the running game. Saquon Barkley has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in just one game this year so far. He’s averaging 2.5 yards per carry before contact this season, down from 3.8 last year.
Barkley had a pretty average day when the Eagles faced the Cowboys in the season opener, finishing with 60 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Since the Eagles last saw them, the Cowboys have been atrocious overall on defense, ranking No. 31 in the league entering Monday night’s game. The Raiders couldn’t get much going on the ground against the Cowboys, but it’s also worth noting that Las Vegas played from behind for most of the game and boasts the league’s worst rushing offense.
The Cowboys also acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets before the trade deadline. He dominated in his Dallas debut and recorded 1½ sacks and five quarterback hits. He will be a tough assignment for the interior offensive line, regardless of whether Jurgens or Toth starts.
Quinyon Mitchell’s work against the Cowboys’ receiving corps in Week 12 figures to be important.
Right on Q
The last time the Eagles played the Cowboys, Quinyon Mitchell didn’t shadow CeeDee Lamb. But when he was in coverage against the Cowboys receiver, he kept him in check, conceding one reception on four targets for 13 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
It was a precursor to a strong sophomore season for the 24-year-old outside cornerback. According to Next Gen Stats, Mitchell has allowed receptions on just 41.9% of his targets, which is the lowest by any player with at least 50 targets in a season since 2018.
Mitchell played up to his standard again on Sunday night. He didn’t allow a catch on any of his six targets, according to Next Gen Stats, which is tied for the most targets without conceding a reception in a game over the last two seasons.
He even played 39 coverage snaps, tying the third-most by an outside cornerback in a game this year without giving up a catch.
Fangio has been utilizing Mitchell as a boundary cornerback over the last couple of weeks, often leaving him on an island on the short side of the field. Given the Cowboys’ dual receiving threats on the outside in Lamb and George Pickens, Fangio may take that approach with Mitchell this week.
Pickens was quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite receiver on Monday night. The 24-year-old receiver had 144 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, while Lamb finished with 66 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Both receivers are on track to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Nakobe Dean has been a key part of a tremendous Eagles defense of late.
Dazzling Dean
Just over a month ago, it seemed uncertain if Nakobe Dean was going to have a role in Fangio’s defense upon his return from the physically unable to perform list. Jihaad Campbell, the No. 31 overall pick out of Alabama, was off to a solid start in his rookie season at inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun.
But over the last four games, Dean’s snap count has steadily increased, peaking at 67.8% of the defensive snaps against the Lions. Meanwhile, Campbell’s has decreased, reaching a season-low 33.9% on Sunday.
Dean has earned the opportunity to play, picking up where he left off before his knee injury. His excellence was illustrated by a two-play sequence late in the fourth quarter against the Lions, when he covered Jameson Williams on a crossing route to force an incompletion on first down and sacked Jared Goff on a simulated pressure on second down.
No matter how the Cowboys and their top-ranked passing offense tries to attack the Eagles, Dean will provide a boost to Fangio’s group on Sunday.
A.J. Brown might have been wrong. The Eagles’ offense isn’t just a “s— show;” it’s looking way worse. But enough about that side of the field, at least for now . The reason why the Eagles’ path to the playoffs remains promising is because their defense has been lights out, increasingly so since the team returned from the bye two games ago. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg take stock of the Eagles’ successes and failures at the 10-game mark, and also react to the breaking news about right tackle Lane Johnson’s foot injury. unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
Johnson, who has missed snaps already this season with shoulder and knee injuries, suffered the midfoot injury Sunday in the first quarter of the Eagles’ 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions and did not return to the game.
The 35-year-old lineman is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks — landing on injured reserve, as is expected, means Johnson would be forced to miss at least the next four games.
Here’s more about the injury that will keep him out …
What is a Lisfranc injury?
According to the Neville Foot & Ankle Centers, “Lisfranc injuries often occur as a result of a high-energy impact to the midfoot. It’s common to see fractures of the Lisfranc Joint in contact/collision sports like American Football, however low energy incidents (like twisting) can also be a cause.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a Lisfranc injury is “any damage to the Lisfranc joint on top of your foot. It’s where your metatarsal bones (the bridges to your toes) connect to the rest of your foot.”
The Cleveland Clinic describes the Lisfranc joint as “a busy highway or on-ramp” because so many parts of the foot meet up in one place.
The Lisfranc was named, according to the National Institutes of Health, in homage to French physician Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, “who was the first to describe an amputation through this joint.”
Lisfranc was a surgeon and gynecologist who during the Napoleonic Wars was brought in to help France, which was dealing with a physician shortage.
The story has it that a soldier dismounting from his horse had his foot stuck in the stirrups. The blood flow to his lower limb was stopped and it created a “gangrenous foot,” according to the Neville Foot & Ankle Centers.
Lisfranc described the surgery as “amputation of the foot through the tarsometatarsal articulation.”
Does a Lisfranc injury require surgery?
Unlike in Lisfranc’s days, the injury isn’t a prescription for an amputation anymore.
It sometimes doesn’t even require surgery.
In Johnson’s case, it might. He is awaiting results from X-rays from foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Robert Anderson. While he is believed to have suffered a sprain, a decision will be made if he needs potentially season-ending surgery, according to sources. Nonsurgical Lisfranc injuries could take about six to eight weeks to recover, but sometimes less. If Johnson doesn’t require surgery, he could be back on the field after four to six weeks.
Anderson, a former Packers and Panthers physician, is a sort of NFL authority on the Lisfranc injury.
Have other Eagles suffered Lisfranc injuries?
Yes. Many of them.
Offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo suffered a Lisfranc injury in September 2021 that required season-ending surgery. Two years earlier, defensive tackle Malik Jackson suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in a season-opening game.
More recently, Nakobe Dean suffered a Lisfranc sprain in early November 2023 that required surgery and ended his season.
Others, like Cre’Von LeBlanc, have suffered Lisfranc sprains that did not require surgery. LeBlanc suffered his injury in training camp in 2019, and while he did not have to have surgery, he did not make his season debut until December.
Johnson’s timeline will all depend on the severity of his sprain.
Johnson, who is playing in his 13th season, has dealt with multiple injuries this season. He left the Eagles’ Week 3 game against Los Angeles with a stinger, then left the Week 4 game due to a shoulder injury. He left last week’s game vs. the Green Bay Packers due to an ankle injury and missed a large chunk before returning in the fourth quarter.
Despite the injuries, Johnson has played in every game this season and continues to perform at a high level. This one, however, will cost the All-Pro at least a few contests, which historically presents a problem to the Eagles.
The Eagles are 12-23 in games Johnson hasn’t started since the beginning of the 2016 season. But backup tackle Fred Johnson has filled in well this season — and last year — when Johnson has missed time.
The Eagles traded to bring Fred Johnson back at the end of training camp after the tackle left for Jacksonville in free agency. He has been a difference maker for the Eagles. They were 5-1 last season when he started and are 3-0 in games this season when he has come on in relief to play at least 50% of the offensive snaps.
The defense shut down one of the NFL’s best offenses, but the game wasn’t without a few minor controversies. Here’s what the national media is saying about the Birds after their 16-9 win …
An ‘absolute garbage’ penalty
A defensive pass interference call on Rock Ya-Sin ultimately iced the game for the Eagles, but was it fair?
On the broadcast, Cris Collinsworth immediately called it out as a “terrible” penalty, which should arguably have been on A.J. Brown, instead of Ya-Sin.
The morning was not any kinder to referee Alex Kemp, who told a pool reporter that “the official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch.”
Many members of national media were not buying that justification.
“That is absolute garbage right here,” Rex Ryan said on Get Up. “You’re making it worse by coming up with that B.S. Here’s the problem, NFL. The entire country saw this, and everybody knows, except the guy that throws the flag here. I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking … You can’t cover a guy any better than this.”
Rex Ryan reacts to the questionable defensive pass interference call to seal the Lions-Eagles game ✍️ pic.twitter.com/7Dz2sJ4xO7
“As you see this type of game unfold, you know it’s going to come down to an epic finish,” Cam Newton said. “We were robbed of that, because, what happened to physicality and letting them play, ref? We didn’t see that. The ref made it about himself. Was it touchy-touchy? Yes, but was it that type of game? Absolutely.”
Cam Newton shares his thoughts on the questionable pass interference call at the end of the Lions-Eagles SNF matchup ✍️ pic.twitter.com/pVVOGNFYAJ
After the win, the Birds now sit at 8-2, firmly in control of the NFC East, with games against the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Commanders left to play.
So do the Eagles, winners of four straight, have another loss in them with the schedule as it stands? Kay Adams doesn’t think so.
“This was not my favorite game to watch, cinematically, but who the hell cares, because a win’s a win,” Adams said. “… I don’t see anyone beating them the rest of the year. I don’t see a loss on their schedule the rest of the way. I can’t remember seeing anyone make Jared Goff look this uncomfortable.”
"I don't think anyone's beating them for the rest of the year." 👀
For all the hand-wringing about the offense’s struggles, Vic Fangio’s defense continues to perform at an elite level week after week. On First Take, Stephen A. Smith said the defense was far more impressive than the offense was weak.
“You’ve got the second-ranked offense in the NFL coming into the game, averaging 31 points a game,” Smith said. “You didn’t just beat them, you beat them down.”
The Birds forced what may have been the worst performance of Jared Goff’s career. Goff, who was leading the NFL in completion percentage coming into the game, completed just 14 of 37 passes, the worst completion percentage of his NFL career. The Lions went 3-for-13 on third down and were 0-for-5 on fourth down conversion attempts.
Dan Orlovsky said the Eagles’ improved pass rush — thanks to the trade deadline acquisition of Jaelan Phillips from Miami — is reestablishing the defense as the class of the NFL.
“I’m praising Howie Roseman,” Orlovsky said. “This Jaelan Phillips addition feels like it’s going to be the Von Miller addition to the Rams from several years ago. This defense is the best defense in football along with the Rams and Seattle Seahawks.”
Don’t expect A.J. Brown to be happy any time soon.
Brown called the Eagles’ offense a “bleep show” on a livestream last week, prompting an unprecedented, on-field admonition at Thursday’s practice from Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who reportedly told him to stop whining about the offense on social media.
The offense isn’t likely to get any better with the news that right tackle Lane Johnson will miss several weeks with a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot.
Johnson has been the team’s best player during its current Golden Era, evidenced by the club’s 15-23 record when he does not play. He missed 14 games early in his career to PED suspensions but has been remarkably durable, although ankle issues have plagued him the last few seasons and this injury reportedly will cost Johnson at least a month and maybe six weeks, if not longer. Johnson is 35, and he has long suffered chronic problems with his surgically repaired right ankle.
Johnson’s replacement, Fred Johnson, played passably well after Lane’s exit Sunday night, but Fred’s an undrafted seven-year career backup for a reason.
This means that, likely for the rest of the season, the Eagles will continue their streak of having zero consecutive games in which the first-team offensive line begins and finishes the game. Center Cam Jurgens just returned from an injury bug that also has affected left guard Landon Dickerson and, earlier in the season, Lane Johnson.
The Eagles had the No. 1 defense during their run to the Super Bowl LIX championship, but they also had the No. 1 offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. In fact, in the span from 2013-24, the Eagles’ line was considered by most to be the best in football.
Line coach Jeff Stoutland arrived in 2013. He campaigned to draft Lane Johnson, a former high school quarterback, with the No. 4 overall pick.
To be fair, all might not be lost.
Eagles tackle Lane Johnson (center) giving a pep talk to teammates before heading out to the field prior to the game against the Lions.
Even with the lack of continuity, PFF ranked the Eagles’ line No. 5 entering Sunday. But the Birds rank 25th in yards per game and, to Brown’s repeated point, they have the 28th-ranked passing offense. This, despite boasting Brown, bookend DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley, who is a home-run threat by run or pass out of the backfield.
And even without Lane Johnson, those rankings might soon rise, considering that the Eagles visit the Cowboys on Sunday, then host the Bears on Black Friday. They are two of the league’s poorer defensive teams.
Rest assured, if the Eagles offense doesn’t improve, Brown will let you know on your hellsite platform of choice.
The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak that has them atop the NFC standings. They’ve allowed 14.5 points per game in that stretch and 16 total points in their last two games in prime time, at Green Bay on Monday Night Football then home against the potent Lions on Sunday Night Football.
What happened four games ago?
Nakobe Dean returned.
Dean was the play-caller for the Eagles’ top-ranked defense that eventually won Super Bowl LIX, although he missed the end of the playoff run and the first five games of the 2025 season with a knee injury. He was limited in his first three games but has been unleashed in the last two. Sunday night, he was everywhere.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean leaves the field after his standout effort against Detroit.
On the Lions’ interception, Dean covered the back out of the backfield, Jared Goff’s first read. On Jaelan Phillips’ sack, Dean covered the receiver who chipped Phillips at the line, again taking away Goff’s first read.
Early in the third quarter, Dean blitzed and forced an incompletion. Late in the fourth quarter, Dean covered speedy running back Jahmyr Gibbs, then, on consecutive plays, he blanketed Jameson Williams, the fastest active receiver in the league. Finally, Dean bulled over 230-pound running back David Montgomery and sacked Goff. Dean weighs 231. It was brutal.
Said NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, before the replay: “Don’t look if you’re squeamish.”
There have been other developments on the Eagles defense, chief among them the addition of edge rusher Phillips, but he has played only the last two games. It has been Dean’s kamikaze play and his indomitable spirit that have injected the Birds with some midseason juice.
He’s sharing time with first-round rookie Jihaad Campbell, and he’s still a bit lost in zone coverages, but Dean has once again become the soul of the defense.
“If all else fails, just strike somebody. Strike somebody. Be physical. Put hands on somebody.”
It’s been working.
Extra points
If the playoffs began Monday, neither the 5-5 Chiefs, who have made it for 10 straight years and played in four of the last five Super Bowls, nor the 6-4 Lions, who were cofavorites with the Packers at some sportsbooks to win the NFC, would even qualify. However, most analytics sites still give each a better than 50% chance to reach the postseason. … Bengals superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended next Sunday against the visiting Patriots after very nastily spitting a huge loogie on cornerback Jalen Ramsey in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The league’s emphasis on sportsmanship led to the one-game (sort of) suspension of Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter after he spat on Dak Prescott in the NFL season opener. Chase may appeal.
The Eagles defense paved the way to a victory for a second straight week, once again dominating an NFC contender on the defensive side and getting just enough offense to win. The Eagles limited the Detroit Lions to just nine points in their 16-9 win at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Birds improved to 8-2 with the win, but we’re already looking ahead at their next opponent — the Dallas Cowboys. From the Eagles’ chances against their division opponent to updates on yearly awards, here are some of the latest odds at two of the biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. Cowboys odds
After securing a win at home, the Eagles are gearing up to travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys. The teams met at the Linc in the season opener, in a game that saw the Eagles pull out a 24-20 win despite a big ejection, a lightning delay, and some shaky early defense.
Now, the Eagles defense looks the best it has all season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are preparing to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football after losing their last two games.
The Eagles continue to hold a big lead over the rest of the NFC East in the race to win the division. They are several games above the Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1), who have the second best odds to win the division.
Meanwhile, Washington’s (3-8) chances continue to fall without Jayden Daniels, and the New York Giants (2-9), who fired head coach Brian Daboll and are without quarterback Jaxson Dart, are at the bottom of the list.
The Eagles already have wins over several of the other top NFC teams, including the Lions, Packers, Rams, and Buccaneers.
NFC odds update
After their win over the Lions on Sunday night, the Eagles are now the favorites to win the conference at both sportsbooks — dethroning the Los Angeles Rams, who defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-19, on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Lions remain in the top five, just ahead of the Green Bay Packers.
Despite the Eagles having the better NFC odds, the two sportsbooks are split between the Rams and the Eagles as Super Bowl favorites. Sunday’s win was enough for FanDuel to move the Eagles into the top spot. At DraftKings, however, the Birds are still behind L.A., although they’re considerably closer than they were last week. The top three favorites remain the same: the Eagles, Rams, and the Buffalo Bills, who are in the third spot at both books.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are 8-2, just like they were through 10 games last season.
MVP odds
After throwing for just 135 yards in the Eagles’ win over the Lions, Jalen Hurts’ MVP odds continue to fall in both sportsbooks. Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford, and Josh Allen hold the top three spots in the race to MVP.
After a Week 12 performance in which he finished with 83 yards on 26 carries, Saquon Barkley continues to fall out of the race for offensive player of the year. Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor remains a clear favorite despite his bye on Sunday.
Lane Johnson is dealing with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot that is likely to sideline the Eagles’ star right tackle for multiple weeks, league sources confirmed to The Inquirer on Monday.
NFL Network was first to report the update on Johnson, who left Sunday’s 16-9 Eagles win over the Detroit Lions after playing just 14 snaps.
Johnson is awaiting results from X-rays with Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot and ankle specialist. While Johnson is believed to have suffered a sprain, a decision will be made if he needs potentially season-ending surgery, according to sources.
He is likely to miss at least 4-6 weeks with a sprain. A placement on injured reserve would force him to miss at least the next four games.
“I know that he’ll do everything he can do to get back as quick as he possibly can,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. Sirianni would not discuss a potential timeline.
The 35-year-old Johnson, who is playing in his 13th season, has dealt with multiple injuries this year. He left the Eagles’ Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams with a stinger, then left the team’s Week 4 game against Tampa Bay because of a shoulder injury. He left last week’s game against Green Bay with an ankle injury and missed a large chunk before returning in the fourth quarter.
Johnson, who has been a first- or second-team All-Pro selection in each of the last four seasons, has played in every game this season and continues to play at a high level despite battling multiple injuries.
This one, however, will cost him at least a few games, which historically presents a problem to the Eagles.
The Eagles are 12-23 in games Johnson hasn’t started since the beginning of the 2016 season. But backup tackle Fred Johnson has filled in well this season — and last year — when Johnson has missed time.
Eagles offensive tackle Fred Johnson keeps an eye on Lions cornerback Amik Robertson on Sunday.
The Eagles traded to bring Fred Johnson back at the end of training camp after the tackle left for Jacksonville in free agency. He has been a difference maker for the Eagles. They were 5-1 last season when he started and are 3-0 in games this season when he has come on in relief to play at least 50% of the offensive snaps.
The Eagles have been using Fred Johnson as an extra tight end in jumbo packages in recent weeks. That duty will fall to Matt Pryor, who saw four snaps Sunday night after Lane Johnson exited. Sirianni said the Eagles have confidence in both Fred Johnson and Pryor.
“I think they’ve played good football when they’ve been able to go in and play,” Sirianni said.
Fred Johnson, 28, played his first substantial snaps with the Eagles in 2024 after the team signed him to its practice squad in 2022. In Week 4 last year, he started his first game since the 2021 season, when he was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. So far this season, he has played 181 offensive snaps and, according to Pro Football Focus, has allowed seven pressures and one sack on 78 pass blocking snaps.
Lane Johnson wasn’t the only Eagles offensive lineman to leave the game. Center Cam Jurgens also did not finish the contest.
Sirianni was not asked Monday for an update on Jurgens, who left the game in the fourth quarter Sunday. Jurgens was playing in his first game since Week 7, when he suffered a knee injury. It’s unclear whether he aggravated that injury or whether he’ll miss time.
Brett Toth filled in for Jurgens after he left the game.
Sirianni on fourth-down decision
Six days after the analytics overwhelmingly supported the Eagles punting on fourth down at the end of the Packers game (to the tune of a 5% increase in win percentage if they would have punted), Sirianni again made an aggressive fourth-down decision that didn’t go the team’s way.
The Eagles, leading the Lions by 10 points, tried to Tush Push their way to a first down on a fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line with three minutes to play. The Eagles, down two starters on the offensive line, got stuffed, and the Lions took over in scoring range. They cut the lead to one score and almost got the ball back again to try for a game-tying drive.
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo (right) and coach Nick Sirianni after running back Saquon Barkley lost a few yards on a play against the Lions.
Sirianni took the blame for the decision not working after the game and was asked again about the topic on Monday. The fifth-year Eagles coach said the decision starts with his confidence in his players and the play.
“The analytics can say what it wants, but if you don’t have faith in the players to go execute it, that doesn’t give you a lot of confidence,” he said. “Analytics is a piece of the puzzle. All these different things are a piece of the puzzle: your past successes, the league studies that you do. All these things play into that. I love our process. Just because you have a great process doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to convert every fourth down.”
The Eagles have learned that over the last two weeks.
The Eagles failed to convert a pair of crucial fourth downs in the their last two games, but still managed to come away unscathed.
Six days after the analytics overwhelmingly supported the Eagles punting on fourth down at the end of the Packers game — to the tune of a 5% increase in win percentage had they punted — Nick Sirianni again made an aggressive fourth-down decision that didn’t go the Eagles’ way.
The Eagles, ahead by 10 points, tried to Tush Push their way to a first down on a fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line with three minutes to play. The Eagles, down two starters on the offensive line, got stuffed, and the Lions took over in scoring range. They cut the lead to one score and almost got the ball back again to try for a game-tying drive.
Sirianni took the blame for the decision not working after the game, and on Monday was asked again about the topic. The fifth-year Eagles coach said the decision starts with his confidence in his players and the play.
“The analytics can say what it wants, but if you don’t have faith in the players to go execute it, that doesn’t give you a lot of confidence,” he said. “Analytics is a piece of the puzzle. All these different things are a piece of the puzzle: your past successes, the league studies that you do. All these things play into that. I love our process. Just because you have a great process doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to convert every fourth down.”
The Eagles have learned that over the last two weeks.
“Ultimately I have to make those tough calls and be able to have that conviction,” Sirianni said. “When you don’t convert on fourth down it is always going to be on you as a head coach because you ultimately made that decision. And you’re not going to get a lot of praise when you get it on first down … it just doesn’t go that way.
“You have to have a major process that you go through to put yourself in a position where you can have major conviction when you make those decisions. Fully accept all the criticisms that happen when you don’t get it, because that’s my job as the coach, but it can’t affect you moving forward of making the right decisions with the right process as we continue on.”
Eagles film review: Jalen Carter’s dominance, Brandon Graham’s impact
Underrated credit goes to Brandon Graham on the #Eagles first fourth down stop of the game on a tackle that Moro Ojomo made last night. Graham knocks back the #Lions LG into Jahmyr Gibbs and halts his momentum. pic.twitter.com/Z6jKHlAydX
Another dominant game from #Eagles DT Jalen Carter defending the run (also helped create a sack for Jaelan Phillips and batted 2 passes at the LOS).
His quickness and ability to stack, shed, and close just makes it tough for offenses to run through the middle of this defense. pic.twitter.com/Sc9Y2Hmqsx
Even on the plays that ended in a tipped or batted ball, #Eagles DB Quinyon Mitchell stayed in the hip pocket of Lions receivers all game long. Made plays on the ball against Amon-Ra St. Brown and Isaac Teslaa on back-to-back plays, then was in position to make plays on the ball… pic.twitter.com/5lPnvTXI0K
What is a Lisfranc injury, and what is Lane Johnson’s recovery time?
Lane Johnson is waiting on X-ray results to determine if he needs season-ending surgery.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson is expected to miss multiple weeks with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot that could land him on injured reserve.
Johnson suffered the midfoot injury in the first quarter and did not return to the game.
What is a Lisfranc injury?
According to the Neville Foot & Ankle Centers, “Lisfranc injuries often occur as a result of a high-energy impact to the midfoot. It’s common to see fractures of the Lisfranc Joint in contact/collision sports like American Football, however low energy incidents (like twisting) can also be a cause.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a Lisfranc injury is “any damage to the Lisfranc joint on top of your foot. It’s where your metatarsal bones (the bridges to your toes) connect to the rest of your foot.”
Cleveland Clinic describes the Lisfranc joint as “a busy highway or on-ramp” because so many parts of the foot meet up in one place.
Where does the name come from?
The Lisfranc was named, according to the National Institutes of Health, in homage to French physician Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, “who was the first to describe an amputation through this joint.”
Lisfranc was a surgeon and OBGYN who during the Napoleonic Wars was brought in to help France, which was dealing with a physician shortage.
The story has it that a soldier dismounting from his horse had his foot stuck in the stirrups. The blood flow to his lower limb was stopped and it created a “gangrenous foot,” according to the Neville Foot & Ankle Centers. Lisfranc described the surgery as “amputation of the foot through the tarsometatarsal articulation.”
Does a Lisfranc injury require surgery?
Unlike in Lisfranc’s days, the injury isn’t a prescription for an amputation anymore.
It sometimes doesn’t even require surgery.
In Johnson’s case, it might. He is awaiting results from X-rays from Dr. Robert Anderson. While he is believed to have suffered a sprain, a decision will be made if he needs potentially season-ending surgery, according to sources.
Non-surgical Lisfranc injuries could take about six to eight weeks to recover, but sometimes less. If Johnson doesn’t require surgery, he could be back on the field after four to six weeks.
Anderson, a former Packers and Panthers physician, is a sort of NFL authority on the Lisfranc injury.
Have other Eagles suffered Lisfranc injuries?
Yes. Many of them.
Offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo suffered a Lisfranc injury in September of 2021 that required season-ending surgery. Two years earlier, defensive tackle Malik Jackson suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in a season-opening game.
More recently, Nakobe Dean suffered a Lisfranc sprain in early November of 2023 that required surgery and ended his season.
Others, like Cre’Von LeBlanc, have suffered Lisfranc sprains that did not require surgery. LeBlanc suffered his injury in training camp in 2019, and while he did not have to have surgery, he did not make his season debut until December.
Johnson’s timeline will all depend on the severity of his sprain.
The Eagles beat the Cowboys, 24-20, in their season opener at the Linc.
After securing a 16-9 win at home over the Lions, the Eagles are gearing up to travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys. The teams last met in the season opener at the Linc, a game that saw the Eagles pull out a 24-20 win at home despite a big ejection, a lightning delay, and some shaky early defense.
Now, the Eagles defense looks the best they have all season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are preparing to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football after losing their last two games.
Ahead of their Week 12 matchup, sportsbooks are favoring Philadelphia, who opens as a 4.5-point favorite at both FanDuel and DraftKings.
The younger Johnson will likely play a critical role at right tackle on the Eagles offensive line for the next month and a half. But just a few months ago, he wasn’t even on the team.
Howie Roseman acquired the 6-foot-7, 326-pound Johnson from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 24, two days before the roster cutdown deadline, in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Johnson had signed to the Eagles’ practice squad in 2022 and had served as the depth tackle from 2023-24, but he opted to join the Jaguars in free agency with the aspiration to earn a starting gig.
That didn’t work out, but Johnson said he wasn’t disappointed in the aftermath of the trade.
“I went down there with the right mentality, with the right goals, and I attacked it the right way, the process,” Johnson said on Aug. 27. “It’s one of those things that didn’t end up working out. I developed a lot more of my game mentally and what I go through and how I attack stuff. I’m back here, back ready to do what I’ve got to do for this team and get another opportunity and do what I’ve got to do.”
Johnson played his first substantial snaps with the Eagles in 2024 and started his first game since the 2021 season when he was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, the team that claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers in his rookie year in 2019. The Steelers had signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent out of Florida.
He played a critical role in the Eagles’ 2024 Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints when he stepped in for Johnson, who went down with a concussion in the first quarter. Johnson started one game at right tackle and four at left tackle last season while Jordan Mailata was sidelined with a hamstring issue.
This year, Johnson has filled in for the elder Johnson on 144 snaps as he dealt with various injuries. He’s also served as the sixth offensive lineman when the Eagles utilize their jumbo package. With Johnson expected to start at right tackle, Matt Pryor is the next in line to step into the sixth offensive lineman role.
Lane Johnson waiting on X-ray results, season-ending surgery possible
Lane Johnson is awaiting results from X-rays with Dr. Robert Anderson. While he is believed to have suffered a sprain, a decision will be made if he needs potentially season-ending surgery, per sources.
Lane Johnson expected to miss 4-6 weeks with foot injury
Lane Johnson could be back in time for the playoffs.
Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson is dealing with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot likely to sideline him for multiple weeks, league sources confirmed to The Inquirer.
NFL Network was first to report the update on Johnson, who left Sunday’s 16-9 Eagles win over the Detroit Lions after playing just 14 snaps.
Johnson will undergo further testing, and while the injury is not expected to end his season, he is likely to miss four to six weeks. A placement on injured reserve, which is likely, would force him to miss at least the next four games.
Johnson, who is 35 years old and playing in his 13th season, has dealt with multiple injuries this season. He left the Eagles’ Week 3 game against Los Angeles with a stinger, then left the team’s Week 4 game due to a shoulder injury. He left last week’s game vs. the Green Bay Packers due to an ankle injury and missed a large chunk before returning in the fourth quarter.
Johnson, who has been a first- or second-team All-Pro selection in each of the last four seasons, has played in every game this season and continues to play at a high level despite battling multiple injuries.
This one, however, will cost him at least a few contests. The Eagles are 12-23 in games Johnson hasn’t started since the beginning of the 2016 season. But backup tackle Fred Johnson has filled in well this season — and last year — when Johnson has missed time.
Jalen Carter puts pressure on Jared Goff during Sunday’s win against the Lions.
Jordan Davis, who batted three of Jared Goff’s passes, said it started with film study earlier in the week.
The Eagles noticed Goff had an arm angle that would give them a chance to deflect balls up front, so they spent extra time this week practicing deflections. The Eagles coach their players along the defensive front to get their hands in the air when they’re being double-teamed or if their pass rush is failing on a given play.
This week, the Eagles worked more on the tip drill. Sometimes it was Nick Sirianni at quarterback. Other times it was defensive line coach Clint Hurtt or player development assistant Matt Leo.
Turning drills in practice into on-field success was reminiscent of the Eagles’ Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to that game, the Eagles sent their edge rushers through extra catching drills. Jalyx Hunt had dropped an interception a week earlier. Against Minnesota, Hunt dropped into coverage and returned an interception for a touchdown.
On Sunday, the Eagles batted five of Goff’s passes. Davis started it all on the first drive, when he batted a pass into the air that Cooper DeJean intercepted.
For the second consecutive game, the Eagles, with their new-look defensive front, dominated a good opponent.
Jaelan Phillips’ busy night, Jihaad Campbell getting less playing time
Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips played 76% of the defensive snaps Sunday night.
The Eagles’ offense was on the field for 72 snaps Sunday while the defense played 59 plays. Here are some notes and thoughts from Sunday’s snap counts vs. the Lions:
Rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell saw his lightest workload of the season. His 20 snaps were just behind the 21 he played in Week 8 vs. the New York Giants. Nakobe Dean’s return (40 snaps, 68%) has meant less time on the field for Campbell, who, according to Pro Football Focus, lined up on the edge just three times and in the box 17 times.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson saw much more of the field Sunday than he did last week vs. Green Bay. That’s because the Eagles were rarely in their base package with just four defensive backs. When that package is deployed, Cooper DeJean moves outside. But the Eagles were often in nickel and at least once went into a dime package. Jackson played 57 of a possible 59 snaps. The 57 snaps tied a season-high. Jackson held up well, too, despite being burned for a long pass to Jameson Williams.
Jaelan Phillips led the edge rushers with 45 snaps (76%). Nolan Smith still seems to be on a pitch count like he was last week when he returned from a triceps injury that had him on injured reserve since after Week 3. Smith played 37% of the snaps while Jalyx Hunt was on the field 61% of the time. Brandon Graham got out there for eight snaps (14%) and almost picked up his first sack of the season. Josh Uche, meanwhile, is the odd one out of the rotation. He played solely on special teams (nine snaps).
Offensively, the Eagles played a lot of 11 or 12 personnel. They rarely had more than two receivers on the field. Jahan Dotson played 23 snaps (32%), though he did contribute with two catches for 43 yards. Darius Cooper, meanwhile, the fourth receiver, saw just three snaps.
Lane Johnson left a game early for the fourth time this season. He finished with just 14 snaps before suffering a foot injury. Cam Jurgens also left early. He played 61 snaps before Brett Toth came in for the final 11 offensive plays.
Saquon Barkley’s workload was over 80% (58 snaps, 81%) for the first time since Week 6.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni just keeps winning.
The narrative that the Eagles win in spite of Nick Sirianni still exists despite his continued success.
His detractors were given more ammunition on Sunday with another lackluster offensive performance and another aggressive fourth-down gamble from the coach that failed. They’ll point to contradictory decision-making that leaned conservative early on, but was almost reckless in the latter stages at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sirianni’s critics will credit Vic Fangio and his defense for the Eagles’ 16-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. They’ll say any coach can win with the roster general manager Howie Roseman has assembled. And some will spend the next week digging through stats and film to support their claim.
They might have an argument, especially this season. This version of the Eagles may defy logic. But it’s hard to debate facts. They’re 8-2 and possibly two more wins from clinching the NFC East before December. They sit atop the conference having already beaten the 8-2 Rams, not to mention five other playoff teams from last season.
And Sirianni just piles up Ws — 56 in his first 78 regular season games — and in each of his five seasons in Philly he’s found a different way to do so. For most of this season, the Eagles have been a team in search of an identity.
They haven’t quite found one on offense and that remains a concern. But after two dominating defensive performances, it’s clear the Eagles can ride Fangio’s unit to the playoffs as long as Sirianni’s aesthetically unpleasing philosophy holds.
Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips celebrates following Sunday’s win against the Lions.
The Eagles’ magic number to win the NFC East is four.
The Birds improved to 8-2 Sunday night, and are currently four-and-a-half games up on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East, which the Eagles could clinch before December.
If the Cowboys lose tonight against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Birds defeat them next week in Dallas, the Eagles will be five-and-a-half games up with just six to play. The Washington Commanders, currently five games back, have their bye next week.
The Cowboys’ upcoming schedule is also tough, which also helps the Eagles. After the two face off Sunday, Dallas has to play the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions.
What helps is the Eagles currently hold tiebreakers against four of the top six NFC teams — the Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Green Bay Packers. They can add the Chicago Bears to that list on Black Friday.
As for the rest of the NFC, the Rams, Bears, and Buccaneers are currently the division leaders, while the three wild card teams are the Seattle Seahawks, Packers, and San Francisco 49ers.
If the season were to end today, the Lions wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs.
NFC playoff picture
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Week 12 elimination scenarios
As of now, it doesn’t look like there are any official elimination scenarios in the NFC heading into Week 12, but it seems unlikely five teams — the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants — have much of a shot of turning things around.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense struggled again
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense have scored just 26 points combined in their last two games.
The Eagles are a very good team. Winning football games is important. But so is progress. Right now, the Eagles are a long way off from being the best team they can be.
Nothing that we saw from them on Sunday night suggests their fundamental problem has been solved. It isn’t just that the Eagles aren’t scoring enough points. It’s that they don’t appear to be getting any better.
They have scored 17 or fewer in four of their last six games, including a combined 26 in their last two. Are they capable of winning a Super Bowl in their current form? Absolutely. But you can’t ignore how different their current form is from the one that saw them win the Super Bowl last season.
For the second straight game, and for the fifth time this season, the Eagles failed to crack 300 yards of total offense. That only happened three times all last season. Heck, it only happened five times in 2023.
Give them credit for trying something new. They tried to force the ball to Brown, which is something that he and plenty of Eagles fans have been lobbying for in recent weeks. His 11 targets were more than he had in the last two games combined, including last week’s three-target, two-catch nothingburger in Green Bay.
The concerning thing is that nothing else changed. Brown’s seven catches went for just 49 yards. The Eagles scored just one touchdown. Even on a night where Jared Goff was out of sync and the Lions went 0-for-5 on fourth down, Detroit’s offense looked like the more highly evolved unit. The pinnacle came in the second quarter, when Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for 34 yards and then Jameson Williams for a 40-yard touchdown. The 74 yards the Lions gained on two plays were more than the Eagles had gained all game to that point.
A.J. Brown and the Eagles benefited from a bad call late in the game.
Thankfully the worst pass interference call so far this season worked in the Eagles’ favor.
With just under two minutes left, Jalen Hurts failed to connect with A.J. Brown, which would have given the Lions one final chance to tie the game.
Instead, the officials called pass interference on Lions defender Rock Ya-Sin, a call so bad even NBC’s Cris Collinsworth ripped the refs.
“Oh come on. That is terrible,” Collinsworth said during the broadcast. “That is an absolutely terrible call that’s going to decide this football game.”
Cris Collinsworth: "Oh, come on! Come on! That is terrible! That is an absolutely terrible call that's going to decide this football game! If anything, it's an offensive push!"
And it did. The penalty gave the Eagles a first down, and they were able to run out the clock, preventing Jared Goff and the Lions offense from getting one final shot at evening the score.
Following the game referee Alex Kemp was asked by the Athletic’s Zach Berman, the designated pool reporter, about the penalty.
“The official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch,” Kemp said. “So, the ball was in the air, there was a grab at the arm, restricted him and he called defensive pass interference.”
“I thought he played defense like he did the whole game,” Lions head coach Campbell told reporters following the game. “I thought he challenged and played it like he did the very first rep that we played man-to-man. So I wouldn’t tell him to do anything different: Get up there and challenge and play your style. That’s it.”
The Eagles were also the victim of a bad call. Facing third-and-1 from their own 41-yard line in the middle of the third quarter, right guard Tyler Steen was called for a false start when it seemed obvious he was pointing out Lions defender Tyleik Williams had entered the neutral zone.
“That’s a neutral zone infraction,” said NBC rules analyst and former NFL referee Terry McAulay.
Tyler Steen was called for a false start for pushing the Lions’ hand out of the neutral zone pic.twitter.com/qi6ivspqy2
Lane Johnson (center) gives a pep talk to his teammates prior to Sunday’s win against the lions.
Offensive tackle Lane Johnson went down with a foot injury late in the first quarter and didn’t return. He suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Center Cam Jurgens, who entered the game with a right knee injury, left late in the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old starting center went indoors after a visit to the medical tent and was replaced by Brett Toth.
Eagles fans celebrate during the Birds’ win against the Lions Sunday.
The Eagles remain at the top of the NFC for another week thanks to their win against the Detroit Lions Sunday night.
It’s the fourth straight season the Eagles have started 8-2 or better, and Nick Sirianni is a perfect 11-0 as a coach against the NFC North, including playoff games.
Speaking of the playoffs, the Birds now have the head-to-head tiebreaker against four of the top six teams, with a chance to add the Chicago Bears on Black Friday.
NFC standings
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The Eagles also extended their lead in the NFC East Sunday thanks to the Washington Commanders’ wild overtime loss against the Miami Dolphins.
The Dallas Cowboys play tonight against the Las Vegas Raiders. A loss will push the Cowboys back four-and-a-half games behind the Eagles with seven left to play.
NFC East standings
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The Eagles defeated Dak Prescott and the Cowboys 24-20 way back in Week 1.
The Eagles will need another dominating performance by their defense next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys, who play tonight against the Las Vegas Raiders, are averaging 29.2 points per game, fourth-best in the NFL. Dallas has the No. 3 offense in the league and leads the NFL in passing yards, averaging 257.8 points per game.
It’s not like the Eagles’ defense isn’t capable. The Birds held the high-powered Detroit Lions offense to just nine points and 317 total yards, and the Eagles defense hasn’t allowed more than 10 points for two straight weeks.
The Eagles narrowly won their first matchup against the Cowboys, a 24-20 nail-biter in the NFL kickoff game, helped by CeeDee Lamb’s fourth-down drop late in the game. Dallas has lost three of their last four games, and are quietly watching their playoff hopes fade away.
The good news for the Eagles is the Cowboys have the third-worst defense in the league, allowing 378.4 yards and 29.2 points per game. If Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense can’t get things going against the Cowboys, the Birds may be in store for a tough playoff run.
The narrative that the Eagles win in spite of Nick Sirianni still exists despite his continued success.
His detractors were given more ammunition Sunday with another lackluster offensive performance and another aggressive fourth-down gamble from the coach that failed. They’ll point to contradictory decision-making that leaned conservative early on but was almost reckless in the latter stages at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sirianni’s critics will credit Vic Fangio and his defense for the Eagles’ 16-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. They’ll say any coach can win with the roster general manager Howie Roseman has assembled. And some will spend the next week digging through stats and film to support their claim.
They might have an argument, especially this season. This version of the Eagles may defy logic. But it’s hard to debate facts. They’re 8-2 and possibly two more wins from clinching the NFC East before December. They sit atop the conference having already beaten the 8-2 Rams, not to mention five other playoff teams from last season.
And Sirianni just piles up W’s — 56 in his first 78 regular-season games — and in each of his five seasons in Philly he’s found a different way to do so. For most of this season, the Eagles have been a team in search of an identity.
They haven’t quite found one on offense and that remains a concern. But after two dominating defensive performances, it’s clear the Eagles can ride Fangio’s unit to the playoffs as long as Sirianni’s aesthetically unpleasing philosophy holds.
“I think our guys have this knack of knowing,” Sirianni said. “As I watched football today, I feel like I saw a lot of teams waiting to lose. Our team’s waiting to win because they know how to win.”
Some fans have become spoiled by all the winning since Sirianni arrived. There’s nothing wrong with having a high standard. The Eagles have it themselves and have struggled at times to enjoy the victories when they’ve looked unappealing, particularly on offense.
A.J. Brown has been the most vocal about the deficiencies and despite being targeted Sunday night more than the wide receiver has all season, the offense looked just as inept as it did last week at the Packers. The Eagles averaged just 3.9 yards per play vs. the Lions. They finished with their worst expected points added per drive (-1.40) in nearly two seasons.
But unlike in 2023, they have a defense and a coordinator to compensate. Even Brown seemed resolved to accept this current version of the Eagles. He may have no choice.
“We’re in the business of trying to get better,” Brown said. “It’s not that we just moping around. We’re excited. Guys were just here dancing.”
Sirianni is an offensive-minded coach, but the defense still works for him. Fangio is the schematic architect. And Roseman has built a young group that has elite talent at all three levels. But the coach has established a culture centered on a slogan — “Tough, detailed, together” — that may seem hackneyed until you watch his players execute it.
“I think it comes from the bond and the familiarity within the building,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “You’ve heard me talk a lot about those Georgia guys on the other side of the ball and how familiar they are with one another. I think they bring a special energy to the defense and into the team.
“You see it out there today with all those guys making plays. The defense was playing lights out. It was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.”
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has some words with Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Two of the Georgia guys — defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter — combined to deflect five passes at the line of scrimmage. One of Davis’ deflected to cornerback Cooper DeJean for an interception.
It was the Eagles’ lone takeaway, but they had five fourth-down stops that Sirianni characterizes as turnovers. The offense, meanwhile, didn’t give the ball away and still has the lowest turnover percentage in the NFL.
“That’s always a philosophical staple and what he believes,” Hurts said of Sirianni and winning the turnover battle. “It’s always been that.”
It wasn’t the only offensive highlight. The four-minute offense finally delivered with running back Saquon Barkley (26 carries for 83 yards) picking up tough gains in the final moments. There were occasional glimmers.
But Hurts and Co. struggled again to get into any rhythm. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s play-calling resulted in more negative-yard plays and three- and-outs. There were self-inflicted wounds: dropped passes, penalties, missed blocks, and throws.
Hurts completed just 50% of his passes. He was sacked only once. Left tackle Jordan Mailata was instrumental in keeping Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson from wrecking the Eagles, especially after right tackle Lane Johnson left early with a foot injury.
But with Barkley failing to find light on the ground, the drop-back game often resulted in errant throws or Hurts scrambling and throwing the ball away. He forced the ball to Brown at times. Four of his first six attempts went to the receiver and 11 overall. Brown caught seven for 49 yards, but he never broke free after contact or found much separation downfield.
“It wasn’t about targets last week or the week before … it wasn’t about that at all,” Brown said. “It was me trying to help and contribute. That’s all. And regardless of what that looked like in phases, I think I did.
“But like I said, it’s a lot of stuff that we as [an] offense — and me myself — need to continue to get better at.”
A.J. Brown was more involved on Sunday night, but the offense remained inconsistent.
Asked about Brown’s targets after the receiver saw the ball come his way just three times in Green Bay, Hurts said he was “going with the flow of the game” and “how it was called.”
“That may be a KP question,” he added.
Hurts spoke with several reporters off the podium after his news conference ended in the early morning hours. He talked about the various ways the offense has approached each week based on game planning and how it has been defended. He wasn’t making excuses, but it’s obvious the Eagles are still trying to find an element to hang their hats on.
“We have to do a bit of identifying who we are, so we can find consistency in something and go out there and execute at a high level,” Hurts said earlier. “I think there was a lot of encouragement coming into the bye week, where we were still with a ton of room to improve. But you know what I feel about momentum, it can begin to end at any moment.
“But as I told you guys last week, is it half-full or half-empty? Everybody’s got to be all hands on deck and trying to improve that. Nothing takes over the precedent of winning.”
Hurts has faced the same scrutiny as Sirianni and the belief from some that he is a product of his supporting cast. But the idea that the offense, despite returning 10 of 11 starters, has elite talent across the board may be an erroneous one.
And yet, Sirianni rolled the dice on fourth-and-1 with the Tush Push — after falling short on third down — on the Eagles’ 29 with three minutes left in the game. He essentially handed Detroit at least three points when Hurts was stopped short, but his defense — some might say — bailed him out.
“Obviously, I’m going to be second-guessing myself about the fourth-and-1 in our own territory there, but awesome job by the defense holding them to three there,” Sirianni said. “We got about half of it the play before. I thought we could get the other half right there. We didn’t. I have to live with that when we don’t execute on fourth down.”
It was the second straight week that Sirianni’s fourth-down gamble nearly cost his team. Game management has mostly been a strong point, especially after he handed over offensive play calling in 2021. So he gets the benefit of doubt once more.
But the only guy in the Super Bowl era to win at least eight of the first 10 games of a season four times in his first five years — some guys named George Halas, Paul Brown, and Guy Chamberlin did it — may deserve more than that.
All you have to do is look at the rest of the NFL to put Sirianni’s accomplishments in perspective. Lions coach Dan Campbell had multiple dubious calls and decisions that backfired on him Sunday night.
Sirianni will face the gauntlet after another ugly win. He knows as well as anyone that the Eagles won’t likely win another Super Bowl if his offense keeps sputtering.
“Do we want things to be better? Yeah, of course,” he said. “You’re in a constant quest of getting better and we’re going to be crazy tomorrow about the things. We are working tomorrow.”
