After taking care of business in an ugly, hard-fought edition of Monday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles are heading back to primetime for another game with serious NFC standing consequences when they welcome the Detroit Lions to Lincoln Financial Field.
With wins over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Packers officially on the books, the Eagles now have to face maybe their toughest challenge left on the schedule in the Detroit Lions, with AFC showdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills coming in close behind in December.
Like the Eagles, the Lions are playing some really good football at the moment. They've overcome injuries on the offensive line to secure a 6-3 record, albeit in a somewhat down NFC North, and are very much within striking distance of the top seed even after having lost both coordinators to head coaching jobs with the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets. Sure, they've lost to the Packers, Chiefs, and Vikings, all of whom the Eagles beat in 2025, but they didn't lose to the New York Giants, even if they technically still could, considering they play them in Week 12 at home.
Will a win come easily for the Eagles in Week 11? No, it most certainly will not, but considering the game is at home, the Eagles are hot, and they've seemingly added a few new wrinkles to their offense in a low-scoring game in Green Bay, they have all the tools needed to secure another victory in their pursuit of the No. 1 seed.
The Eagles keep their screen game going against the Lions
After spending years under Chip Kelly and Doug Pederson seemingly throwing a screen pass per drive, the Eagles have been one of the more screen-adverse teams in the NFL in 2025, with Kevin Patulo choosing to target Dallas Goedert on underneath routes while attacking the outside with comeback, go, and out routes.
In Week 10, the Eagles got one of their two biggest plays of the game off a screen pass to Saquon Barkley thanks to a quality block down the field by AJ Brown, and if Patulo is wise, he'll keep going back to that well in Week 11. Why? Because it's been a great way to take advantage of the team's new propensity for play action, which should continue against the Lions even if Cam Jurgens returns alongside Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, and Landon Dickerson.
AJ Brown on blocking downfield for Saquon Barkley's 41-yard gain:
"That's not something I should be highlighted for. That's something Saquon should be. He made the guy miss."pic.twitter.com/CNkbHwzVGz
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 11, 2025
Now, to the Lions' credit, their defense is still very good even after losing Aaron Glenn, but they've been hit with injury after injury as of late, with Terrion Arnold, Aidan Hutchinson, and Kerby Joseph all missing practice on Wednesday, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez limited with a knee injury. But regardless of who plays and who doesn't, taking advantage of the gravity Barkley draws in on an expected run to then throw the ball on a rollout is a great way to stretch out the field laterally and force open lanes in the running game.
Will Barkley once again find himself picking up almost as many yards through the air as on the ground? Maybe yes, maybe no, but considering the Lions could be without several quality defenders, attacking the NFL's 12th-ranked passing defense could produce better results than going at the eighth-ranked rushing defense up front.
AJ Brown has another high target game for the Eagles
Earlier this season, AJ Brown complained about his lack of usage and was immediately rewarded with one of his biggest games of the season, being targeted 10 times against the Los Angeles Rams to finish out the game with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Could history repeat itself in Week 11? Considering Brown has been blasting the Eagles in general for only being targeted three times in Week 10, that certainly seems like a strong possibility.
After allowing at least 200 passing yards in five of their first seven games of the 2025 NFL season, the Lions have been quite good against the pass since their bye week, allowing just 311 net passing yards in Weeks 9-10 combined. While those numbers are impressive, they came against a pair of quarterbacks who don't exactly strike fear in the hearts of opposing coordinators, with JJ McCarthy recording 143 yards for the Vikings, and Marcus Mariota putting up 213 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 10 loss.
While the Eagles do not have what one would call a prolific passing attack, they have shown that they can attack defenses with authority when they want to, especially with Brown on the outside hunting advantageous matchups. If Arnold is unable to play, expect Brown to attack 5-foot-8 Amik Robertson early and often on the outside.
The Eagles prove they are still the team to beat in the NFC
When the Eagles beat the Chiefs, fans still had questions about their Super Bowl potential.
When the Eagles beat the Rams, fans still had questions about their Super Bowl potential.
When the Eagles beat the Buccaneers, fans still had questions about their Super Bowl potential.
When the Eagles beat the Packers, fans still had questions about their Super Bowl potential.
If the Eagles are able to take care of the Lions on their home turf on Sunday Night Football, will fans still wonder if they are legit, or point to how the game is won, one way or the other, as an example of why they are fool's gold? While the Eagles can't change their external perception, what they can control his how they play, and if Philadelphia plays up to their ceiling, few teams in the NFL can match them blow for blow and survive to tell the tale.
