3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 8 Win

The Philadelphia Eagles aren't among the best teams in the NFL this season. However, they proved Sunday afternoon that they are also far from the worst.

On the road against the winless Detroit Lions, the Eagles cruised to a 44-6 victory. Philadelphia scored the first 41 points of the game and didn't allow Detroit to score until Jermar Jefferson got into the end zone on an 8-yard touchdown run with a little more than seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

It was the Eagles' first win since Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, and they entered the day having lost five of their previous six games. Philadelphia is 3-5 and will look to build some momentum heading into its final nine games of the regular season.

Here are three takeaways from the Eagles' Week 8 win.

A Balanced Rushing Attack Was Highly Effective

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Even though the Eagles were missing starting running back Miles Sanders, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, they decided to rely heavily on their ground game against the Lions. And that game plan produced stellar results.

Not only was Philadelphia without Sanders, but rookie Kenneth Gainwell struggled to get going, rushing for only 27 yards on 13 carries. Instead, it was Boston Scott (60 yards and two touchdowns) and Jordan Howard (57 yards and two touchdowns) having solid performances. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, had a game-high 71 rushing yards on seven carries.

According to Larry Lage of the Associated Press, Scott and Howard were the first Eagles teammates to each have two rushing touchdowns in the same game since 1980.

"Whenever that opportunity knocks, you got to step up," Scott said, per Lage. "Me and Jordan motivated each other during the time leading up to this moment."

Sanders had been struggling before his injury (300 rushing yards in seven games), so Philadelphia needed a jolt to its running game. By rushing for 236 yards Sunday, the Eagles finally got things going on the ground, which they will need to maintain in order to have offensive success moving forward.

The Defensive Line Finally Played Up to Expectations

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

The defensive line was expected to be one of Philadelphia's strengths entering the season, but that wasn't the case for much of the first seven games. The Eagles entered Sunday with only 11 total sacks this year, and six of those had come from defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

Hargrave didn't have a sack against the Lions, but that didn't matter. He and the rest of Philadelphia's defensive front generated pressure all day, resulting in six sacks. Josh Sweat had two sacks, while Milton Williams, Hassan Ridgeway, Derek Barnett and Tarron Jackson each had one in the impressive showing.

Williams, Barnett and Jackson had no sacks through the first seven weeks, while Ridgeway hadn't recorded one since the season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the rest of the Eagles defense fared well, conceding only 228 yards.

"We tackled extremely well, and we were zeroed in," Philadelphia safety Rodney McLeod said, per Dave Spadaro of the team's official site. "This was a great confidence-booster for our defense. It all came together for us."

And it wouldn't have been possible without the success up front, which is something the Eagles will hope to get more of in the weeks to come.

Eagles Need to Carry Success into Future Weeks

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

As well as the Eagles played Sunday, it can't be ignored that they were going up against the Lions, who are the only winless team in the NFL. Detroit hasn't been doing much well this year, and it would have been discouraging for Philadelphia if it had lost this game.

Still, the Eagles are going to need to carry over the positives into matchups against tougher teams, as their next three opponents are all .500 or better—the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3), Denver Broncos (4-4) and New Orleans Saints (5-2).

Philadelphia is 3-5, so it's not an impossible task for it to get hot and make a push toward the playoffs. And it seems head coach Nick Sirianni may have figured out why the Eagles played better Sunday.

"The only way to continue to grow is if you're going to have intensity in practice and you're going to have detail," Sirianni said, per Spadaro. "I think the guys locked into that and practiced well all week."

If Philadelphia can beat Los Angeles at home in Week 9 for its first winning streak of the year, perhaps this will be the start of big things for the team this season.