The Philadelphia Eagles shift their focus to the Detroit Lions
The Eagles will take on the Lions in week five.
Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles have had plenty of time to enjoy the team’s fast start. The bye week was the perfect time for reflection on the first three weeks of the season. It was also a perfect time to look ahead. First, let’s reflect.
While Carson Wentz has dominated national headlines, he has had some surprising help from the offense in which he is commander-in-chief. Rookie running back Wendell Smallwood made his presence felt against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week three. The shifty running back from West Virginia University gained 79 yards on just 17 attempts against an impressive Pittsburgh run defense. He also scored in the contest. Smallwood displayed tremendous burst and wiggle in his first real action. He had only carried the ball three times heading into week three.
The offensive line has done a fantastic job in pass protection up to this point. The running lanes haven’t always been there for the Eagles, but it’s hard not to be pleasantly surprised with the overall results thus far. Eagles fans can also expect to see rookie guard Isaac Seumalo starting soon. With the Lane Johnson suspension still looming, Seumalo will be asked to step in. He had a solid training camp but has been nicked up to start the season. The unsung hero on the offensive line, to this point, has been veteran guard Allen Barbre. Barbre has done a really nice job in both pass protection and run blocking this season. If and when Johnson is suspended, Barbre will most likely end up at right tackle. It will be interesting to see how Barbre will respond to the position change.
The tight end group is strong and will only get better once Zach Ertz is healthy. Ertz had six receptions on seven targets in week one against the Cleveland Browns. He was also playing with a rib displacement that game, an injury which has kept him out of competition ever since.
The receivers have been plagued by drops, but it is evident that the young group is working hard to be better. Second-year receiver Nelson Agholor has made some tough catches and some big plays early on in this season. He’s been subjected of some harsh criticism since entering training camp, but he stepped up his game at the start of the regular season. Top receiver Jordan Matthews has also been solid this year. He was nearly invisible against the Steelers, but the Eagles were able to get production elsewhere. Matthews did, however, have a touchdown in the game.
Eagles
Alright, that’s enough reflection for now. Let’s look ahead to next week’s matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Lions are 1-3 and are coming off of a loss against the Chicago Bears. They’ve now dropped three straight games since winning their first game of the season. This isn’t just a winnable game for the Eagles. This a game that they should win.
The Lions have an inconsistent play on defense and have been somewhat sporadic on offense. The defense has allowed over thirty points in two of their first four games. The offense has scored fifteen points or less in two of their first four games. The offensive line has struggled to protect quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford can still sling the ball around. He’s been doing it his whole career, with mixed results. He’s building an impressive chemistry with free-agent addition Marvin Jones. Jones is coming off his worst performance of the season so far, but he had a very respectable 5 catches for 74 yards. The Stafford-Jones connection is one that the Eagles will have to find a way to control.
Theo Riddick is another weapon that the Eagles will have to pay attention to in this game. Riddick has been targeted 26 times this season, and he’s caught 20 of those targets. His shiftiness makes him dangerous in space. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles have a defensive back tailing him instead of a linebacker.
Defensively, the Lions have a number of talented players. Perhaps the most unknown is Kerry Hyder. He’s already tallied five sacks and is a third year player that went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2014. He spent 2014 on the New York Jets‘ practice squad before the Lions eventually picked him up. Corner Darius Slay is, perhaps, the best player the Lions have on defense. He has good cover skills and was very productive in week four against the Bears, tallying three passes defensed and a sack. Linebacker Tahir Whitehead seems to have a nose for the football as well. He has six or more tackles in three of the four games the Lions have played this year. Rookie defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is a powerful player whose strength will be an advantage against struggling Eagles center Jason Kelce.
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The Eagles will be looking for their fourth win in as many games while the Lions will be looking to put another game in the win column. Sometimes desperation prevails against talent. The Lions have their backs against the wall as a 1-4 start would almost guarantee there won’t be a playoff appearance for Detroit. The Lions have been average at home. Going back to last year, their record is 4-5 in their last nine games. Although, in fairness, one of those losses was the result of a hail mary pass from Aaron Rodgers. In order for the Eagles to walk out of Detroit with a win, they just have to play their own game. They cannot fall into the trap of thinking that this one is already a victory. A lack of effort would also lead to a loss on Sunday.
The bottom line is that as long as the Eagles minimize their mistakes and don’t beat themselves, they should walk out of Detroit with a win.