Six Points: Eagles vs. Lions
The Detroit Lions (3-7) will host another Thanksgiving game at Ford Field this Thursday, and this year's visitors are the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6). The Lions have virtually no shot at the playoffs, even though they've won their last two games. Meanwhile, the Eagles are losers of two straight, and they're still clinging to their postseason hopes.
Will Detroit keep these streaks intact, or will Philadelphia find a way to snuff them out in Week 12?
Here are three keys to the game for both the Eagles and the Lions.
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EAGLES
1. Lean on DeMarco Murray
Quarterback Sam Bradford (concussion) has been cleared, but he is still dealing with a left shoulder injury and his status for Thursday is up in the air. No matter who suits up at quarterback, the Eagles should look to keep the ball on the ground early and often. The Lions have their defense to thank for their two-game winning streak and the Eagles have turnovers to blame for their past two losses. With Ryan Mathews already ruled out (concussion), Murray should be asked to take an even larger role on offense. The Eagles do not want to give the Lions any extra chances to use pressure to force fumbles and interceptions.
2. Alter the defensive scheme to stop the run first
The Eagles opened the 2015 season as one of the NFL's best run-stopping defenses, but they have allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of their past four games. In Week 11, the Eagles were shredded for 235 yards rushing on 27 carries by Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin. The Eagles run a very aggressive defensive scheme that often relies on edge blitzes and zero coverage concepts. In this matchup, they would be wise to use more run blitzes and fronts geared to stop Detroit's running game.
3. Continue to involve Brent Celek in the passing game
After taking a step back to more of a complementary role in 2015, the 30-year-old veteran tight end has taken a much larger share of passing game targets in his past two games. Celek has caught 11 passes for 213 yards receiving over his past two games -- in the eight games before that, he had just seven catches for 71 yards. With Zach Ertz (concussion) likely to miss this week's game, Celek could be asked to take on an even bigger snap percentage than normal. In recent weeks, he has proven why the Eagles can feel confident throwing the ball his way.
LIONS
1. Continue to play tough run defense
The Lions' success the past two weeks has stemmed from their ability to stop the run. After limiting the Green Bay Packers to 47 yard in Week 10, Detroit held the Oakland Raiders to 50 yards last Sunday. The stingy run defense has allowed the team to win in close, low-scoring affairs. The Eagles like to build offensive momentum on the ground, so the Lions need big showings out of linebacker Stephen Tulloch (70 tackles, leads team) and other key run defenders. Philadelphia's offense has a history of stalling out when the running game fails.
2. Open up the offense for Matthew Stafford
Now that the Lions have gotten the feel for winning after back-to-back victories, it may be time to expand the offense under offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter so the team can score more than 18 points. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has a strong arm and several reliable targets, but he hasn't cultivated a reliable connection with any of them this season. This is the week for Stafford's passing game to find a rhythm: Philadelphia's defense let Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston, a rookie quarterback, throw for five touchdowns in Week 11.
3. Capitalize on Philly's disarray in a familiar setting
The Eagles will bring some extra baggage with them to Ford Field on Thursday. They are falling behind in an uncompetitive division everyone picked them to win, and talk of a full-scale implosion will begin if Philadelphia drops a third consecutive game with a loss to the Lions. The Eagles are starting to panic, and Detroit can be the team that triggers the meltdown. There's very little pressure on the lowly Lions, who get to play at home in front of a national audience on a holiday they pretty much own.