The Eagles are once again poised to make a serious run at another Super Bowl, not just on the arm of Jalen Hurts, the legs of Saquon Barkley, or the star power of their offense, but on a defense that has consistently delivered masterpiece performances, propelling them to the top of the NFC.
Get familiar with these names: Jalen Carter. Jordan Davis. Jaelan Phillips. Nakobe Dean.
The Detroit Lions were just the latest playoff contender to have their plans derailed by Vic Fangio’s crew.
Hurts scored the only touchdown in an otherwise modest offensive outing, and it was enough to lead Philadelphia to a 16–9 win over Detroit, a team that failed on every fourth-down attempt Sunday night.
“As I watch football today, I saw a lot of teams waiting to lose,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Our team’s waiting to win. Because they know how to win. There’s something to be said for that, of knowing how to win.”
The Eagles (8–2) are the only NFC East team with more than three wins and the second in the conference to reach eight victories, putting them in a prime position for the top seed and home-field advantage as defending Super Bowl champions attempt a repeat.
Hurts threw for only 135 yards, Barkley ran for 83 in another average outing a year after rushing for 2,000 yards, and former 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for nine catches for 57 yards. Over the last two games, the Eagles have scored just 26 points, both wins.
Those struggles didn’t matter much against a Detroit squad seemingly willing to hand them the game. The Lions, averaging 31.4 points per game entering Sunday, failed on five fourth-down tries and were 3 of 13 on third down.
“Five-for-five the way we look at it,” Sirianni said. “Outstanding.”
Carter and Davis combined for five batted passes, while Phillips, a trade-deadline addition, recorded five tackles, a sack, and four quarterback pressures.
“One of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” Hurts said.
Lions coach Dan Campbell replaced offensive coordinator John Morton as play-caller last week. Campbell wasn’t ready to call it permanent, though he did run the plays again against the Eagles — with little improvement.
Detroit’s most notable failure came late in the third quarter while trailing 13–6. Jared Goff connected with Jahmyr Gibbs for a 42-yard gain to the Eagles 22, setting up a first-and-goal at the 8. The Lions turned the ball over on downs.
“They’re a good … defense,” Goff said.
The Eagles capitalized on their best scoring opportunity inside the 10. Barkley’s 5-yard TD run in the second quarter was overturned by replay, but Hurts scored from 1 yard out on a push from his teammates with 16 seconds left in the half, giving Philadelphia a 13–6 lead.
Jake Elliott added field goals of 27 and 34 yards in the first half, and a 49-yarder in the fourth extended the lead to 16–6.
Goff, 14 of 37 for 255 yards, hit Jameson Williams for a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game at 6-all late in the second quarter. Williams celebrated by leaping onto the goal-post padding and hugging the upright, earning a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. On a blustery Philly night, those lost yards proved costly when Jake Bates missed a 48-yard extra point, though he did make a 54-yard field goal with 1:58 left.
Hurts attempted to target an unhappy Brown early, following the wide receiver’s continued complaints about his role. Brown’s production has dropped sharply this season; he was targeted just three times last week at Green Bay and voiced frustration on Twitch afterward, suggesting fantasy owners drop him. Against Detroit, Brown had seven catches for 49 yards.
“It was me trying to help contribute, that’s all,” Brown said.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean recorded his first career regular-season interception, picking off Goff in the first quarter and setting up a field goal. The second-year player is also remembered for intercepting a pass in last season’s Super Bowl — becoming the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday, returning Patrick Mahomes’ throw 38 yards for a TD.
Lions: All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury.
Eagles: OL Lane Johnson was ruled out at halftime with a foot injury. He had left last week’s win against Green Bay with an ankle injury but returned in the fourth quarter.
