Sep

22

NFL Week 3 Detroit Lions vs Philadelphia Eagles - Preview

Posted by Kevin Mack

September 22, 2007 |

  • NFL Week 3 Detroit Lions vs Philadelphia Eagles - Preview

Detroit Lions TV: Fox 1:00 Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, Jennifer HammondPhiladelphia Eagles

Site: Philadelphia - Lincoln Financial Field

Streaks: Eagles have won 4 in a row

Detroit Lions travel to Philadelphia to meet the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday @ 1:00 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Lions come into the matchup a high flying 2-0 while the Eagles are limping in 0-2. The Eagles have beaten the Lions in 4 straight matchups dating back to the 1995 NFL Playoffs. The last matchup between the teams was in week 3 of the 2004 Season with the Eagles dominating at Ford Field 30-13. The Eagles are a 6.0 betting Favorite by the Line Makers in Las Vegas.

  • Lions Offense vs Eagles Defense

The Lions go into Week 3 as the NFL’s #1 Rated Passing Offense and the Eagles are Ranked #8 in Passing Defense. Detroit’s receiving core Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald and Calvin Johnson will be a big challenge to a injury depleted Philadelphia secondary. CB Lito Sheppard and FS Brian Dawkins are both questionable on the Injury report. Lions QB Jon Kitna will strive to avoid mistakes, he has thrown 3 interceptions with 2 of them being in the End Zone after long drives early in both games. Eagle Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson the master of getting pressure on QBs, will expect to get good pressure on Kitna from his Defensive Ends Jevon Kearse and Trent Cole. The Eagles defensive front has lots of depth and with the rotation patterns they play stay fresh most of the time. Johnson will also get pressure with blitzes mixed in when the opportunity arises. The Lions rushing game which is ranked near the bottom of the NFL will get a boost from the return of Kevin Jones but the Eagles rushing defense is as strong as ever ranked #8 through 2 weeks. The Lions will rely on the passing game developed by Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz and hope to take advantage of the height of their receivers versus the Eagles short and not fully healthy defensive backs.

  • Eagles Offense vs Lions Defense

Eagle QB Donovan McNabb is off to a slow start, coming back from his knee injury in 2006, with a QB rating of 68.8 completing only 54% of his pass attempts. Lions fans will enjoy the irony that ex-Lion QB Joey Harrington is ranked higher. Detroit’s defense has picked off 6 passes through the first 2 games. Philly’s offense is 17th rushing and 19th passing matching up against the Lions 22nd ranked defense. Running back Brian Westbrook will look to exploit the Lions difficulty defending screen passes. On the Defensive Line the Lions are getting good production for a rotation of Lineman. When DT’s Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding are in together the running game by the opposition grinds to a halt and good pressure has come from DE’s Dewayne White and Kalimba Edwards. Edwards could miss the game on Sunday due to injured ankle. Eagle WR Reggie Brown will get some Yard After Catch (YAC) against Lion CBs Keith Smith and Fernando Bryant if McNabb can execute the Eagle Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast Offensive.

  • Injuries
    • Eagles
      • CB Lito Sheppard - Doubtful
      • FS Brian Dawkins - Questionable
      • TE L.J. Smith - Out
      • RB Brian Westbrook - Questionable
    • Lions
      • DE Kalimba Edwards - Questionable
      • LB Anthony Cannon - Out
      • RB T.J. Duckett - Out
      • TE Dan Campbell - Out

Your ‘Lion Eyes’ blogger knows that so many of the experts are picking the Lions to win this game. The readers who have voted in the Poll below are picking the Lions at a near 60% rate, but I believe the Eagles will win with ease and get back on track in the NFC East.  I hope I am wrong and it is the Lions that continue down the right track on the top of the NFC North.

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