Eagles vs. Lions: Full Philadelphia Game Preview

The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Detroit to play the Lions on Thanksgiving at Ford Field after suffering a blowout loss to the Buccaneers.

Following the Week 11 loss to Tampa Bay, Philadelphia’s season is quickly falling apart, as it is on a two-game losing streak and has slidden to 4-6 on the season.

The pressure continues to mount on Chip Kelly as the team now sits in third place, a game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East. Philadelphia is still hanging on to its playoff chances by a thread, but the team needs to turn around its season fast to stay alive.

Due to the sub-par play across the division, all four teams are still fighting for the division title. The Washington Redskins took a step back, as well, after a 44-16 loss to the undefeated Carolina Panthers due to a five-touchdown performance from Cam Newton. And, somehow, the Cowboys are only two games behind the Giants, despite sitting at 3-7 after losing seven games in a row. While the Eagles and Redskins are falling back, Dallas received a boost from the return of Tony Romo.

On the other side, Detroit looked like one of the worst teams in the league a few weeks ago, but its stock is on the rise after winning in back-to-back weeks. The Lions came out on top of two close games as they beat the Raiders 18-13 last week and the Packers 18-16 the week before.

The NFC East is still wide open, but Philadelphia needs to have a short memory in order to move on and take care of business on a short week. A third-straight loss for the Eagles would create bedlam in South Philly and almost shut the door on the team’s playoff chances.

Let's take a look at some matchups and storylines ahead of the Week 12 clash between Philadelphia and Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Viewing Details

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Time: 12:30 PM ET

TV: Fox

Week 11 Results and Recap

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Philadelphia suffered its worst defeat of the season last week as it lost 45-17 in front of an apathetic home crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.

Jameis Winston put on the best performance of his young career as he threw five touchdowns and completed 19 of 29 passes for 246 yards. The combination of the rookie quarterback's breakout performance and Doug Martin's statement game proved to be too much for Philadelphia. The tailback ran for 235 yards on 27 carries as the Tampa Bay offense shredded Philadelphia's generally stout defense.

The Buccaneers took control of the game by halftime with a 28-14 lead as Winston threw four touchdowns in the first half. Then Tampa Bay put together a long touchdown drive right out of the break that took up nearly 10 minutes. Philadelphia showed no fight in attempting to coming back as Tampa Bay led by three touchdowns with time working against the Eagles.

Despite the result, the game started out well for the Eagles, as they had a fortunate series of events cancel out a turnover on the first drive. DeMarco Murray fumbled the ball, but tight end Zach Ertz forced a fumble on Tampa Bay's return. Then things looked positive for Philadelphia as it drove down the field and scored. The Eagles took an early seven-point lead after Mark Sanchez found Josh Huff on a slant route down the middle of the field.

But that was the last time Philadelphia led in the game. Winston found Mike Evans in the end zone on a fade route to tie the game in the first quarter. Similar to the rest of the day, Martin made a big impact with his 58-yard run to set up the rookie quarterback in good position.

Following an evenly matched first quarter, Tampa Bay pulled away in the second quarter as it scored three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes before halftime. Vincent Jackson caught a 13-yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the second quarter. Then Winston found Russell Shepard and Charles Sims for touchdowns as well.

Philadelphia's best scoring drive of the day came from a heavy reliance on the playmaking ability of its backfield. DeMarco Murray, Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner all played a role on a six-play drive that ended in a touchdown on a screen pass to Sproles. Unfortunately, Kelly could not utilize his running backs throughout the game because the team fell too far behind to stay committed to the ground game.

Following the 15-play scoring drive at the start of the third quarter, Tampa Bay established a three-touchdown lead, and dejected Philadelphia fans began to flood to the exits at Lincoln Financial Field. The game was as good as over at that point.

News and Notes

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As things turn south for Philadelphia, just like any other team, all the frustrations start to surface and the rumors start to swirl.

Following the worst defensive performance of the season, all eyes focus on defensive coordinator Bill Davis. The defense surrendered five touchdown passes to a rookie quarterback, and Doug Martin was two yards short of rushing for the most yards ever against a Philadelphia defense. However, Kelly is not turning on his defensive coordinator yet. 

"I've got tremendous confidence in Billy Davis," Kelly said, according to ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan.

The head coach may be sticking by his guy right now, but the heat is about to crank up if the Eagles continue to lose. Somebody will need to be the scapegoat for the setback this year, and it will be interesting to see who will be the first to go if things spiral out of control.

Although the spotlight is on the defense after last week's performance, there are still problems and complaints surfacing on the offensive side of the ball. Players are beginning to question each other's commitment on the field.

"Well, when you see DeMarco [Murray] sliding before getting hit, you tell me," an anonymous player told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. "Was that giving full effort? You see that [stuff], and it makes you wonder."

The comment raises two flags. Teams lose every week due to either a lack of talent or execution, but coaches are fired when their players stop fighting for them. Kelly's control of his locker room will surely come into question if things like this continue to happen.

Additionally, anonymous comments are always also a cause for concern. When a player takes cheap shots from a distance, it shows that players do not trust each other, and the team lacks the leadership to take care of problems in the locker room.

Philadelphia's season is not doomed quite yet, and there is still a chance that, in their inconsistent division, the Eagles could turn it around and win the NFC East. However, the effects of a disappointing season are starting to rear their ugly head.

Key Matchup

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Detroit's Wide Receivers vs. Philadelphia's Secondary

Calvin Johnson strikes fear into defensive backs all over the NFL, and Philadelphia should be wary of his impact this Thursday.

Megatron caught five passes last week for 88 yards, but he is not the only weapon for whom opposing defenses have to game-plan. Detroit has a legitimate weapon alongside Johnson in Golden Tate; the Notre Dame product hauled in eight receptions for 73 yards against the Raiders.

Both receivers' numbers were down to start the season, but now Detroit's offense is starting to turn it around. The recent success comes down to the improved play of Matthew Stafford, as he completed 22 of 35 passes for 282 yards against Oakland. 

Philadelphia struggled last week going up against big, physical wide receivers. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson took advantage of their size as they finished with a combined nine catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday.

Philadelphia lacks the talent at defensive back to cover receivers like Evans on a fade route in the end zone. Nolan Carroll stuck to Evans like glue in the end zone, but the receiver's size overpowered good coverage. In fact, Carroll gave up three touchdowns in coverage last week.

The Eagles will need to sacrifice in the run game this Thursday, as their cornerbacks will need consistent safety help to contain the 6'5" Johnson. And even with safety help, Stafford will likely throw it up and give Johnson and Tate the opportunity to make a play.

Look for the former University of Georgia quarterback to let it rip to his pair of wideouts this week. Philadelphia could be in for a long day if it does not find a way to take away Detroit's passing game.

Matchup X-Factor

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When the season began, all of the hype surrounded the new additions brought in by Kelly this offseason, but it has been one of the longest-tenured Eagles who is making the biggest impact recently.

Brent Celek is far from flashy and is usually well-regarded for his blocking abilities now that he is getting up their in age, but the 30-year-old has shown he can still make plays if opposing teams do not respect him.

The tight end led the team with seven catches and 79 yards last week. Celek also made a big impact the week before as he gained 134 yards on just four catches against the Miami Dolphins. The last two weeks have shown a resurgence by the veteran, who has caught 18 of his 23 targets this season.

Philadelphia is utilizing more two-tight end sets as the season progresses due to the ineffectiveness of its wide receivers and the benefits of having more blockers on the field for the run game. Celek also provides a reliable target for the quarterback due to his reliable hands. He is also dangerous in the open field as he looks to inflict pain on any defensive back who challenges him.

The University of Cincinnati product has always been a reliable tight end for Philadelphia, but his veteran leadership could be key in steadying an offense amidst a two-game losing streak. With Ertz recovering from a concussion suffered in last week's game, Celek will see more snaps and should have a bigger impact on the offense.

Prediction: Lions 17, Eagles 14

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Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles are under pressure after losing two straight games at home against beatable opponents.

Looking at the schedule this year, these three games versus the Dolphins, Buccaneers and Lions presented the best opportunity to come away with wins. After this week, Philadelphia faces tougher tasks as it takes on teams like the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals. Morale is low in Philadelphia, and it is not a surprise when the Eagles fail to live up to expectations.

The Eagles are faced with a short week as they take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. This presents challenges and benefits as they have less time to fix their problems, but they could also tame the negative talk early with a decisive win.

Going into Ford Field and earning a win on Thursday will not easy, but it can be done. The Lions are accustomed to playing on holiday every year, but their roster is far from flawless; they are dead last in the NFC South with a 3-7 record.

One of the reasons for Detroit's struggles is its inability to establish a consistent run game. The Lions rank dead last in the NFL with only 71.1 yards per game on the ground. Philadelphia struggled last week due to Tampa Bay's ability to both run and throw the ball effectively, but now Billy Davis can organize his game plan to simply stop Detroit's passing attack. The lack of a threat out of the backfield means the Eagles can utilize safety help in order to contain Johnson and Tate.

However, scoring will likely be limited in this game. Detroit only allowed 13 points to the Raiders last week and 16 points to the Packers the week before. The Lions struggled early in the season as they gave up huge point totals, but the team as a whole seems to have turned it around.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia's offense has not put together a fluid four-quarter performance yet this year. Philadelphia jumped out to a quick seven-point lead last week but only finished with 17 points on the day. The week before, the Eagles scored 16 points in the first quarter and then could only muster three points the rest of the game. The offense's inconsistency leads to a lack of momentum and a tired defense.

Neither team is clicking on all cylinders, but Detroit is carrying the momentum coming into the game after consecutive victories. Philadelphia fans may want to start Thanksgiving dinner early as the Lions will likely win this dull, low-scoring contest.

Prediction: Lions 17, Eagles 14