Double-edged sword: 5 takeaways from Lions-Eagles a day later

For a second straight week, we say wow. However, it holds two different expressions.

Wow: this defense is incredible. The Eagles have won back-to-back games and allowed a combined 16 points.

Wow: how can this offense be so potent and so flawed at the same time?

The term wow can be a double-edged sword. It can stab your opponent, or it can stab you.

In the end, the Eagles are 8-2, atop the NFC, and have taken down the Lions, 16-9, at Lincoln Financial Field. It is still difficult to feel great, or is it?

Here are my five takeaways a day after the win:

1. THE IMPROVEMENT OF the pass rush and run defense is what is turning this unit around. To start, they were one of the worst in the NFL. In this four-game winning streak, they have allowed 83 yards and 3.7 yards per carry.

The Lions’ rushing attack features Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who came into the game with nearly 1,200 combined rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. They combined for just 66 yards on 18 carries, 3.7 per rush. The Eagles’ defensive line was all over the place.

Jalen Carter continued to look healthier and better, and he and Jordan Davis were throwing a block party. Carter had two batted balls, and Davis had three, including the one that turned into Cooper DeJean’s interception. Nakobe Dean continued to play the best football he has played, maybe ever, and Jaelan Phillips showed up again with four pressures and a sack. His ability to bounce off his blocker and make a stop is so impressive. And how about Jalyx Hunt? The second-year 94th overall pick out of Houston Christian has become lethal off the edge. He had six pressures (team lead), five quarterback hits (team lead), one hurry, and a 16.7% win rate (team lead).

Jared Goff, even with the best offensive line in the league, had no chance.

This pass rush and run defense turned from a weak point to maybe the strongest suit of the team. What a turnaround.

2. THE SECONDARY DESERVES a ton of credit. The coverage was so good, Goff had to hold onto the ball for too long, which let the d-line thrive. The two units work together, and the secondary lets the big dogs up front eat.

Goff completed a career-low 38% of his passes Sunday night. Amon-Ra St. Brown was targeted 12 times and caught two passes for 42 yards. He had zero catches when matched up with DeJean (10 matchups) and Quinyon Mitchell (nine matchups), and each had three targets vs. St. Brown. Adoree’ Jackson had 11 matchups with him, allowed one catch for eight yards on five targets.

Mitchell did not allow a single reception on any of his six targets, tied for the most targets without allowing a reception in a game over the last two seasons. He has allowed a 41.9% completion percentage this season, the lowest by any player since 2018 (min. 50 targets). Mitchell, against Detroit, had a 39.6 passer rating allowed, along with a pass-breakup.

Jackson deserves a ton of props for how he has played the last two weeks since coming back from a concussion. He went from nearly being benched to solidifying his role as CB2, locking down the Eagles’ only remaining hole on defense.

“You’re either born with [resiliency] or you’re not,” Jackson said postgame. “To have that resiliency and to understand it’s not the end of the day, but if you can find a way to improve and keep stacking days, good things will happen.”

3. THE FOURTH-DOWN SAGA for the Lions was tempestuous. They went 0-for-5 on fourth down.

Let us have a look:

• 2nd Quarter – 4th and 1 at DET 48: Gibbs stuffed for no gain.
• 2nd Quarter – 4th and 2 at DET 43: Fake punt, Eagles were ready, stuff it.
• 3rd Quarter – 4th and 5 at PHI 32: Goff throws low to Jameson Williams, incomplete.
• 3rd Quarter – 4th and Goal at PHI 3: Goff tried to hit St. Brown in the back of the endzone, but Jackson breaks it up, incomplete.
• 3rd Quarter – 4th and 3 at PHI 45: Goff throws to tightly guarded St. Brown, incomplete.

It was malpractice. It was awesome.

The Lions are typically very successful when aggressive. It is what Dan Campbell has become known for. But the Eagles were locking all windows and doors. According to Reuben Frank on the Eagles’ postgame show on NBC Sports Philadelphia, this is the first time the Eagles have gotten as many as four fourth-down stops in the same game since Stathead began tracking fourth-down attempts and conversions, which is 1991. They got five. Incredible.

4. TWO WEEKS OUT of the bye, and this Eagles offense has been horrendous. Just two of the Eagles’ 13 drives Sunday night went 30 yards.

Jalen Hurts has been inaccurate, uncomfortable, and has made bad decisions back-to-back weeks. They cannot run the ball, cannot extend drives, cannot block, the passing game is still off, the play calling is inconsistent, third down is still and massive issue, and there are so many drive-killing penalties. For crying out loud, they went 1-for-6 on the tush push.

The Eagles now rank 25th in the NFL in yards, 28th in first downs, 29th on third down, and 22nd in scoring. They have scored 17 or fewer points in four of their last games.

It is not just one thing. All of these issues come into play. There is no reason an offense this talented should be this inconsistent.

“My main takeaway is that we have to score points,” Hurts said postgame. “We have to be more efficient. We have to take advantage of opportunities when they are there, and we have to control the things that we can control.  

“Nothing takes [precedence] over winning. That’s what it’s all about. With winning in mind and with winning being the number one thing, that doesn’t dismiss we got some work to do. Work to do, and we need to improve.”

5. THEY GOT THE BALL TO A.J. BROWN, but none of it felt natural. It was so forced.

He had 11 targets and seven receptions for 49 yards. They were feeding him early. He surpassed his total from a week ago in the first two drives.

But the ball was being forced his way, which was not exactly what we were asking for. Yes, a 50-50 ball to Brown will always be in his favor, but just chucking it his way for pleasure is not a recipe for success. Look for the open guy, and hit him. We did not see a lot of that on Sunday night. We have not seen a lot of that all season.

If the Eagles want to get Brown back involved in this offense, which I am all for, DeVonta Smith cannot have just five targets with one reception for eight yards. Yes, he had some bad drops, but Kevin Patullo and company have to find some sort of middle ground.

I will end with this about Brown. After all the slander he has preached over the past few weeks, to see him completely give up on this route was disgusting. You can say whatever you want, but prove you care out on the field. If Brown makes an effort on this ball, rather than quitting on the play, that is a touchdown.

Maybe we should be careful what we wish for, because it could end up like a double-edged sword.

Here is AJ Brown, the Eagles star WR and team captain, who has made his frustration with not getting the ball VERY clear, giving up on a vertical route with no safety help over the top.

But hey, it probably takes less effort to whine on Twitch than it does to run a route pic.twitter.com/2GARG8icOw

— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) November 17, 2025

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