PHILADELPHIA — Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean wasn't distracted by the eye candy. As Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond moved left and then right again, Dean focused on the play on the screen as he warned of defensive tackle Jordan Davis and edge rusher Nolan Smith.
Even as quarterback Jared Goff faked a handoff and looked to the right side of the field, Dean raced left, parallel to running back Jameer Gibbs.
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Smith, meanwhile, immediately dropped the block and found himself in Goff's line of sight near the flat as he turned to the backfield where the pass was supposed to go. As the pressure mounted, Goff threw the ball behind Gibbs and it fell to the ground with six minutes, 10 seconds remaining in a windy NFC showdown Sunday night.
Dean walked straight up to Smith and Smith patted him on the helmet as Davis, a few yards away, pointed to his shrewd linebacker.
“I'm really happy about it because it just shows what type of players we have,” Davis said later. “Like, dude, where would you rather be?”
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Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's unit seemed to have all the answers to a prime-time test for the second time in six days. After holding the Green Bay Packers to a seven-point lead on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field, Philadelphia was consistently ahead in their own backyard during the game. Beat the Lions 16-9.
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Rhythm Detroit spotted with Dan Campbell calling games coming off a 44-point, 546-yard rush against the faltering Washington Commanders a week earlier, he was blown away by 30-mph wind gusts in South Philadelphia. Bolstered by a midseason boost, the Eagles' defense turned the Lions over five times, all in the first three quarters. something no team has done this century – how to protect them stole the show from AJ Brown's soap opera it has dominated the headlines for much of this season.
Brown, a three-time All-Pro receiver who entered Week 11 ranked 61st this season in receptions, had a season-high seven catches for 49 yards and 11 targets. He was noticeably more involved in the star crime, which still inexplicably started and stopped like a car with faulty spark plugs.
The Eagles averaged fewer than 4 yards per play for the third time this season, the first with Kevin Patullo calling the plays as offensive coordinator, and improved to 7-1 in one-score games and 8-2 overall.
“We want them to continue to play at a high level,” Brown said of their stifling defense. “But we still need to do a better job offensively and be successful. There is a lot of room for improvement, a lot of self-inflicted wounds.”
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Brown added: “But my hat's off to the defense because they're playing hard.”
Brown said earlier this week. that they can't “just keep putting Band-Aids on” their offensive deficiencies, but if their defense is a pillar, it could be enough of a stabilizer to hold off a second straight Super Bowl run.
This Eagles unit, which Goff called a “good defense” at the podium, is filled with youth but is overseen by the oldest DC in the league. Fangio, 67, pushed the right buttons and his players baffled a Lions offense that averaged 31.4 points per game.
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Detroit was outplayed heavily in the interior zone, and that's where Philadelphia's defense began to detonate on Sunday.
Eagles keys: batted balls and explosive play
One of the best to ever play the defensive tackle position, future Pro Football Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. wrote a letter to his younger self in The Players' Tribune last week.. In it he emphasizes: “If you train like a maniac, you will play like a maniac.”
“I think that was reality for us today,” said Eagles defensive end Moro Ojomo, who read the article ahead of Sunday's game.
Ojomo told reporters in the locker room that his teammate Davis, who hit three passes Sunday night, must have hit 10 in practice last week.
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The first of these quasi-PBUs helped the Eagles get on the board. On Detroit's third offensive play, the 6-foot-6, 336-pound Davis stood up with his arms vertical like a tree trunk as Goff attempted to hit tight end Brock Wright. The ball ricocheted off Davis' hands and into the hands of Cooper DeJean, who returned the interception to the Detroit 11-yard line, setting up the first of three crucial field goals by Jake Elliott.
The Eagles learned the art under defensive line coach Clint Hurtt.
“Man, we see it every week,” Eagles cornerback Jalen Carter said. “Some quarterbacks got hit high in the arc and some got hit low. I feel like [Goff] has a little low. I don't want to give all the advice, but you'll see it in the film. J.D. really gave it a boost. … I was like, 'Hey, if I see he's going to be released, I'm going to throw my hands up.'
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“That got me two. It helped us win.”
Carter and Davis combined for five pass deflections, similar to how they each blocked field goals in the fourth quarter during the game. a surprise win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.
So there must be some competition between the former Georgia Bulldogs, right?
“No, this is not a competition. No, no, but we might as well make it a competition just so we can get better at it,” Carter said cheerfully of their passing arsenal.
Carter wreaked havoc all night, ruining a college matchup with Lions right guard Tate Ratledge. In the Lions' second attack, Carter gave up a 2025 second-round draft pick despite being retained, allowing transaction deadline acquisition of Jaelan Phillips pounce for the bag.
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The theme of the entire evening was the Eagles' dominance on the interior. Ojomo, who just days ago called for the Packers to make a play to help stop fourth-and-1was ready for Campbell's Sunday special. He dropped low to pick off linebacker Grant Steward on a fake punt run. Edge Jalyx Hunt was credited with the tackle, but Ojomo's role was key.
The defensive line's work allowed Dean and the linebackers to do everything Fangio asked of them, allowing Philadelphia to play extra defense from start to finish.
The Eagles forced Goff through one of the toughest nights of his pro career. He completed a career-low 37.8% of his passes. He was pressured on 41% of his retreats. He was sacked twice and rushed several throws, ultimately completing just 7 of 27 passes (25.9%) behind the line of scrimmage. according to next generation statistics.
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If the Eagles defense maintains this level of offensive play, it will be difficult for anyone in the NFL to do anything against them.
The Eagles defense has a lot of fun: “Where would you rather be?”
Cornerback Michael Carter II was part of Philadelphia's midseason defensive facelift. Before allowing 16 points to a pair of NFC North rivals, Fangio's group was opportunistic but statistically uninspiring. The Eagles allowed 26 points per game and 5.4 yards per play through eight games. They had serious concerns about the outer position and the second outside corner.
Smith returned from injury, Dean began to regain his form and the 37-year-old gained momentum. Brandon Graham retired try to win their third Super Bowl with the franchise. Additionally, general manager Howie Roseman brought in Phillips, who is more than worthy of the 2026 third-round draft pick he gave up.
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Carter came to Philadelphia after four seasons and a 25-game stint with the New York Jets. Carted told Yahoo Sports that the Eagles' locker room feels like something he's never experienced.
In just three weeks, he learned that they knew how to win and have fun together in Philadelphia.
“You should have fun. You have to have that swagger,” Carter said. “You have to play like that, especially on defense, because it’s all about momentum and confidence and all that stuff.
“So when the offense sees you having fun and celebrating, it's demoralizing — especially on a night like tonight when things go back and forth and you need stops on third and fourth downs and you're celebrating these big wins on those downs and they don't get them and they go crazy and we're jumping and celebrating.”
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Adoree Jackson occupies the much-discussed position of the second outside corner, opposite breakout star Quinion Mitchell. He's been burned several times this season, including in the second quarter on Sunday when Williams went for a 40-yard touchdown.
But Jackson had the kind of goldfish memory that quarterback coaches dream of.
He played the role of Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished the game with just two catches on 12 targets. Jackson called a fourth-quarter pass breakup on third-and-10 while defending the three-time Pro Bowler on a breakout route.
After Jackson prepared for the game, he was greeted by a cheering Zach Baun and then another by linebacker Jihad Campbell, who celebrated Jackson's play with a seatbelt motion.
“Obviously we're having fun, but it's different when you stop having fun and go, 'Oh, it's a new season.' It's funny: “Okay, let's go play ball.” You can see how these guys feed off each other, glorify each other. I mean, I don't know many teams that celebrate just about everything.
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“And that’s good because you feed off that energy.”
It's been a draw this past week, and it's pulling the Eagles toward the No. 1 seed in the NFC. No matter what problems the offense has.
