The Detroit Lions got back on track in Week 10. Detroit roughed up Washington in a 44-22 blowout where the Lions scored on every offensive possession (excluding kneel outs). Who knew that all it took was Dan Campbell taking over play calling duties from OC John Morton?
The Lions could not have picked a better time to find themselves again on offense. Detroit faces one of its biggest tests of the regular season in Week 11 against Philadelphia.
The cliche of a “playoff preview” during the regular season is often overused. But in this case, it is appropriate. Detroit and Philly are two of the NFC's best teams and could easily run into each other in the postseason. When thinking about playoff seeding, that means a head-to-head tiebreaker is on the table in this game.
That means that both teams will be bringing their A game to this one. Especially because it takes place on prime time in front of a national audience. Philly will have even more motivation being in front of their home crowd.
If the Lions can exploit their biggest strengths, they may be able to come out on top in this game.
But what is their biggest strength against the Eagles? And will it be enough to secure the victory on Sunday Night Football?
Below we will explore the biggest matchup that the Lions must exploit against the Eagles in Week 11.
Lions need to punish Eagles with run game on SNF
It should be no surprise that Detroit's running game is front and center here. Especially against a weak run defense unit.
The Eagles have allowed 118.6 rushing yards per game this season, which is middle of the pack in the NFL. Philadelphia has allowed 4.4 yards per carry, which is certainly below average for an NFL defense.
Meanwhile, Sonic and Knuckles have been as good as ever.
Gibbs has 128 carries for 693 yards and eight touchdowns through nine games. Montgomery has received his fair share of production too. The veteran running back has 104 carries for 466 yards and six touchdowns.
But it could be the play of Detroit's offensive line that really tells the tale on SNF. Three of Detroit's best offensive linemen (Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Penei Sewell) are all nursing injuries ahead of Week 11. All three players were limited in practice on Wednesday or did not participate at all.
It is important to note that Wednesday absences alone are not a big deal.
Detroit's entire approach to most games is predicated on establishing the running game. This matchup against Philadelphia is a great example of why it could make or break the game.
The Lions can move the chains almost at will when their run game is operating at full power. And unlike most teams, Detroit gets plenty of explosives on average running plays thanks to Gibbs.
But the threat of the run also unlocks Detroit's play-action passing game and makes it easier to protect QB Jared Goff.
It also allows the Lions to control the pace of the game with their offense.
Will Detroit be able to survive against Philadelphia's offense?
Detroit's run game is definitely one of the biggest matchups in this game. But it won't mean anything if the Lions cannot stop the Eagles on defense.
I was surprised when look at Philadelphia's offensive stats to see how much they've struggled to gain yards this season. They are in the bottom half of the league in both passing yards and rushing yards per game. But they've still managed to score 24.2 points per game, which is in the top half of the league.
The running game could be even more important for the Eagles than the Lions.
Saquon Barkley has disappointed in comparison to his 2,000-yard season back in 2024. He can create explosive plays on normal runs just like Gibbs, but he hasn't popped off much in 2025.
Instead, the Eagles have leaned on their diverse passing game to shred opposing defenses. And they've been able to accomplish this while underutilizing star receiver A.J. Brown.
Oddly enough, I think Detroit's ability to slow down Brown and his counterpart DeVonta Smith will ultimately determine the outcome in this game.
As usual, the Lions have an injured secondary that is already missing multiple starters. If Detroit's pass rushers cannot get home against Jalen Hurts fast enough, this game could get ugly in a hurry.
It will help if the Lions do establish their running game, as that could help chew up clock and limit possessions for the Eagles.
Detroit may only need to contain Philadelphia's offense for one or two possessions to get the win. But even that could be difficult.
Either way, this should be one of the best games on the Week 11 slate.
