Detroit Lions Weblog

Week 3:Lions Vs. Philadelphia Preview

Thus far, the Lions have played just well enough to begin their season 2-0, often in spite of themselves.  That being said, the Lions are in an enviable position.   They are facing a battered Philadelphia Eagles team, playing with a short week of preparation after two poor performances to start their season.  

The Eagles play in easily one of the more insurgently hostile game environments, where it’s notorious fans will seize upon every opportunity to corruscate their home team if they struggle.    The face of the Eagles franchise, embattled veteran Donovan McNabb, is coming into Sunday’s game embroiled in an off-the-field, media imbroglio, which erupted after some comments he recently made on HBO’s Real Sports.  This has not been auspicious beginning to the season for the Philadelphia Eagles, to be sure (We won’t even touch Andy Reid’s sons personal problems).

With all of that accounted for, as a Lions fan, I am very concerned.   The Eagles, resembling caged animals backed into a corner, will likely circle their wagons and re-group, rather than continue to fracture.   Head Coach Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb and co.  have waged to many sucessful battles for this team to just drift away quietly.

Offensively, the Lions need to be able to run the ball.   The Lions offensive line has done a pretty good job protecting QB Jon Kitna, but more importantly, Kitna’s growth in understanding and successful execution of Mike Martz’s offense has expanded dramatically.   The amount of time for him to process opposing defense’s has sped up considerably, a situation that was magnified when J.T. O’Sullivan was thrust into last week’s game after Kitna suffered a suspected concussion.  

If Kitna is going to remain healthy, and upright, the Lions need to be able to consistently run against a Philly defense that has been vulnerable to allowing opposing ground attacks to thrive.   The Eagles have young defensive tackles in Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, who have underachieved, and near-completely overhauled their linebacking corps this off-season.   With Philly D. Coord. Jim Johnson’s propensity towards non-stop blitzing, the Lions may be able to offset that onslaught by establishing a more consistent ground game. 

Other than WLB Takeo Spikes, SS Brian Dawkins, and CB Lito Sheppard, the Eagles are relatively inexperienced in their back seven.   With the likelihood that Sheppard will miss Sunday’s game, Mike Martz should be able to create scenarios where Kitna and the Lions receivers will continue their success, as long as Kitna can overcome the blitz, and the team reduces it’s costly turnovers.  The matchup to watch, in my eyes, is WR Shaun McDonald against CB William James.    The Lions should exploit James early and often with McDonald, when given the chance.

If the Eagles blitz is succesful, the Lions will be in trouble because their offensive playbook will become more limited as they utilize fewer receivers in an attempt to protect Kitna.

Defensively, the Lions need to continue to be advantageous.   They have been far from an impervious wall so far, but have often made the necessary stands and generated enough turnovers to survive the team’s first two games.  

That being said, the Eagles are going to try and exploit the Lions secondary by attacking the middle of their zone with TE’s L.J. Smith or Matt Schobel.   They are also likely to give the Lions a little of their own medicine, by forcing them to tackle significantly better than they have in the first two games.   Brian Westbrook, who is dinged up, could still have a backbreaking-type of game if the Lions linebackers and secondary exhibit the same type of poor tackling that they have shown the first two weeks.   If the Lions successfully keep Westbrook and the Eagles mediocre receiver corps in front of them, making sound, quick tackles, the Eagles may be in big trouble.  

McNabb hasn’t played well, and he will be looking to rectify that against the upstart Lions.   If the Lions front four can pressure the injury-prone, less mobile McNabb, they may be able to goad McNabb into costly errors.  The Eagles will take their shots down the field, even if they are proponents of the West Coast offense.   In those cases, the Lions have to get to McNabb so that their secondary isn’t exposed.

As much as I want to favor the Lions this week, this is a road game.   The  Eagles are among the more succesful franchises in the league for a reason–they are resilient.    McNabb and Reid have had their backs against the wall before, and have overcome it.     The Lions will be game, and will show continued improvement, but unfortunately will not be rewarded with a victory.   Eagles 27 Lions 24