The Philadelphia Eagles just keep winning, mo matter who is on the other sideline. Nick Sirianni and company got to 8-2 on Sunday night with a hard-fought 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions in a battle of NFC contenders.
The Eagles were in control of this game throughout the second half after a touchdown run by Jalen Huts put them up 13-6 just before halftime. However, trailing by 10 points late in the fourth, the Lions defense buckled down. With the Eagles facing third-and-1 from their own 30-yard line in the fourth quarter, the Lions stopped two consecutive “Tush Push” plays from Philly to get the ball back and set up a field goal.
It was a jarring sight, as just about nobody has been able to stop that play in short-yardage scenarios this season. After the game, Sirianni claimed the Lions had earned his respect for the stand, according to Brooks Kubena of The Athletic.
“Respect,” Sirianni said. “They did a good job stopping it.”
Notably, the Lions were one of the most outspoken teams in favor of the Tush Push this offseason when there was a league wide push to ban the play. Campbell went in-depth during the week leading up to this game about why he likes the play and it should be kept in the game, and then his defense was able to stop it in the biggest moment of the game.
An injury to Eagles center Cam Jurgens also made it that much easier for Detroit to stop the play, as one of the most crucial factors in the success of the sneak was out of the game.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the offense never got a chance to try to complete the comeback. After cutting the lead to 16-9 with just a few minutes to play, the Eagles picked up a first down on a controversial pass interference penalty against Rock Ya-Sin that effectively ended the game.
The Eagles are still in pole position to get the No. 1 seed in the NFC at 8-2, while the Lions are battling for position in a competitive NFC North at 6-4.
