MEANINGFUL FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! As we wind down the preseason overreactions, fantasy drafts, and premature trash talking, it’s easy to forget how big a part football plays in so many of our lives. Finally, we get to see the payoff (or disappointment) of so much speculation and research that has been done by teams and fans alike throughout the off-season, and I personally couldn’t be more excited.
With the days until Week 1 below 7, it’s finally time for the beginning of the weekly game previews – and today, we’re breaking down this matchup between our beloved Philadelphia Eagles and the knee-cap biting/school of hard knocks attendee Detroit Lions.
Lions’ Strengths
We’re doing these previews a little bit differently this year. Instead of stacking up each position group against one another, we’ll take a look at the relative strengths and weaknesses of each squad, then giving the keys to victory for our Birds as well as a score prediction by yours truly.
1. Young, Revamped* Weapons
The Lions have come a long way from the days of Quintez Cephus as wide receiver 1. The Lions have made some very savvy moves to add explosiveness to this pass-catching unit with the additions of names like D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams. Fortunately for us, Jamo will not be back in time for week 1, but the collection of young rising stars Amon Ra St. Brown, D’andre Swift, and TJ Hockenson, combined with the added firepower of Chark has the potential to be one of the more potent collections of weapons in the league.
2. Stout Offensive Line
The Lions really do have one of the most underrated pass-protecting and run-blocking units in the entire NFL. The tackle duo of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell is already one of the top in the league, and on the inside they have a bona fide top 3 center in Frank Ragnow. The one (or two) weaknesses on this line are at guard, where an already questionable group just lost Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
3. High Powered Edge Rushers
Everybody has heard the hype around second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who should be a high end starter week one, but the Lions employ another exciting edge rusher across from him in Romeo Okwara. The two pass-rushing specialists have the potential to burst on to the scene as one of the more scary edge rushing duos in the entire NFL, and opposing offensive lines will need to keep an eye out for these guys.
Eagles’ Strengths
1. Mauling O-line
The Eagles offensive line, with a combination of rising young talent and all-pro level veterans, is clearly one of if not the best unit in the entire NFL. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson easily have a case as the best tackle duo, and on the interior the stretch of young rising star Landon Dickerson, future HOF candidate Jason Kelce, and a highly underrated veteran in Isaac Seumalo form a trio that should have opposing defensive coordinators shaking. This line is monstrous in both pass protection and run blocking, and should serve as the foundation for all things this Eagles offense plans to do.
2. Young, Revamped (no asterisk :)) Weapons
With the splash addition of former Titans star AJ Brown, this Eagles wide receiving corps is set to be one of the most dangerous in the NFL. Brown himself is already a borderline elite first option, but behind him, the Eagles are trotting out another rising star in second-year player Devonta Smith, who just one year ago was coming off of the greatest college receiving season of all time. The Birds even have really nice complementary pieces behind those two, with a true deep-threat speedster in Quez Watkins and a nice run-blocking and possession option in Zach Pascal. That wide receiver corps is absolutely deadly, and including a borderline top-5 tight end in Dallas Goedert and some nice receiving backs like Kenneth Gainwell, this group of weapons starts to look like one of the best units in the NFL.
3. Revamped Defensive Roster
It’s pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the Eagles made some very impactful additions to solidify a somewhat shaky defense. The front four has added EDGE help in panthers’ weapon Haason Reddick, who’s been one of the most productive sack artists over the past two seasons. On the interior, the Eagles added an absolute freak in Jordan Davis, whose 6’6 360 pound frame should eat up blocks and clog rushing lanes when he gets on the field. The Eagles are also bringing back key starters from last year in Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, and Fletcher Cox, who should continue to anchor one of the more consistently good defensive lines in football, and combined with the big (no pun intended) additions, bring them back to being a great unit.
The additions don’t stop there, however. Howie Roseman brought in names like Kyzir White and Nakobe Dean to bolster a relatively weak linebacker corps, welcome additions for an Eagles team seemingly always devoid of linebacker talent. Faced with poor depth on the back end, the Birds brought in names like James Bradberry and C.J Gardener-Johnson to complement returning veterans lille Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox. It’s hard to pinpoint a hole in this starting defense on paper, and an infusion of talent of this magnitude rarely fails to elevate a squad like this, especially with the pieces the Birds already had.
Lions’ Weaknesses
1. Capped Quarterback Play
I think that Lions quarterback Jared Goff is caught in a weird spot when it comes to the discourse around him. Everybody knows Goff isn’t a great quarterback; even during his time with the Rams, much of the credit for his team’s success was given to Sean McVay. Those takes were proven somewhat correct after his departure and the Rams’ ensuing Super Bowl win, but now it seems many view Jared Goff as an irredeemably terrible Quarterback who drags his team down. While I don’t believe that is the case, it’s safe to say that Jared “Goofball” is an average to below average starter with a limited ceiling, who, while maybe not being the worst option to lead an offense, certainly won’t win games for you by himself.
2. Awful Interior Defensive Line/Run Defense
This Lions IDL is in the conversation for one of the worst individual player groupings in the entire NFL, regardless of position. When it comes down to it, Micheal Brockers and Alim McNeill aren’t viable pass rushers in any sense of the word, and in run defense, they’re average at best. The Edge and linebacking groups don’t provide much help either, as both are wholly below average when it comes to run defense. This is easily the most exploitable part of this defense, and possibly of any defense in the league.
3. Young, unproven secondary
Continuing with the theme of exploitable defense, this Lions secondary is a major question mark heading into the season. Amani Oruwariye is one of the most underrated corners in the entire NFL, but behind him, There isn’t much to work with. Jeff Okudah has potential as a former top-3 draft selection, but he’s proven next to nothing in the big leagues. Mike Hughes is next up, presuming to be the starting slot for this squad, and he’s shown pretty mild things as an NFL starter as well. Tracy Walker and DeShon Elliot are an okay safety duo, but there’s really nothing special in this secondary to cover up the question marks when it comes to corner depth.
Eagles Weaknesses
1. QB Questions
Jalen Hurts and the QB situation, in general, is a divisive topic among Eagles fans. Last year, he showed we can win games with him, but can the Eagles win games because of him? This roster is absolutely loaded with talent, so much of the pressure, especially on offense, will fall on the shoulders of Jalen Hurts. We know the value he brings as a runner, but coming up in big moments while staying calm in the pocket and making accurate reads are things we need to see if the Birds have plans of going anywhere. Right now, we just don’t know.
2. Roster Meshing
While the Eagles bringing in loads of new exciting talent is no doubt a positive thing, it’s entirely possible that all of these new faces need time to work well together in a true game situation. There could easily be hiccups in communication, especially on defense where there are so many new moving pieces.
3. Defensive Coaching
Aside from Jalen Hurts, the biggest question with this Eagles team is whether there will be an improvement on the stale and ineffective defensive scheme we saw last year. While the Birds technically prevented big plays in 2021, they were also picked apart by competent QBs quite consistently. Whether DC Jonathan Gannon can take advantage of the aforementioned loaded roster is anyone’s guess, as he’s proven very little so far as a coach in the NFL.
Keys to victory
1. RUN THE BALL!
It was the Lions game last year where the Eagles fully committed themselves to the run game, and it’s no coincidence that we blew them out that week. Attacking this weak run defense with the Birds’ greatest strength in the offensive line is a no-brainer, and should result in a very fun week for the Eagles’ RB corps.
2. Don’t beat yourself on defense
Jonathan Gannon should easily recognize how great this defensive roster is and not allow short completions in the name of “limiting splash plays”. Allow our players to match up and play creative football against theirs, and because of how talented our guys are, they will win.
Score Prediction
I both hope and believe that this game will be the start of something special for the Birds. While fans might want to see long AJ Brown touchdowns and flashy plays on defense, I think that the coaching staff recognizes the clear talent disparity on these two rosters and will be smart and take advantage of where the Birds excel. The Lions are fierce, and I really do like the hard-nosed culture building in Detroit, but barring anything unforeseen the Eagles should win handily.
Score: 34-17 Eagles
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
