Sizing up the undefeated Eagles' Week 5 game at Ford Field against the 1-3 Detroit Lions:
When the Eagles have the ball
The Eagles have their full complement of offensive weapons coming out of the bye. That's notable because, even though it's only Week 5, not many teams across the NFL can say that.
Take the division, for example. The Cowboys are without Dez Bryant and Tony Romo. The Giants are without Shane Vereen and possibly Rashad Jennings. The Redskins have dealt with offensive line injuries and DeSean Jackson has been banged up. The Eagles, meanwhile, have everyone.
The Eagles have perhaps the healthiest offense in the NFC — the only other teams working at full strength are the Saints and Rams. That's meaningful, and if the Eagles can take advantage of it this month, they'll be sitting pretty at the season's midpoint.
But that's the near future; the now is this Sunday's game in Detroit against the reeling Lions.
Starting tight end Zach Ertz and running back Ryan Mathews will both be back from injuries. Ertz hasn't played since the season opener against the Browns, a game he began with a flourish by catching several passes on the opening drive, including a one-hander. Mathews played sparingly in the Week 3 win over the Steelers, but his ankle has improved.
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Given how prepared Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson and Frank Reich have been for their first three opponents, the extra week to think about and strategize for the Lions should be a significant benefit.
The Lions' defense, which is mediocre to begin with, is missing its two most impactful players: defensive end Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah (ankle) and playmaking linebacker DeAndre Levy (knee/quad). Neither played last week and neither has practiced this week. In their absence, Detroit's front seven has struggled. Ansah is by far the Lions' best pass rusher, is coming off a 14.5-sack season and had 30 the last three years.
The Lions allowed 35 points to the Colts at home in Week 1 and allowed 34 to the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 3. They also lost close, low-scoring games to the Titans and Bears, two below-average offenses.
Detroit's best defender right now is cornerback Darius Slay, who has allowed just 13 catches on 25 targets for 153 yards and a touchdown through four games. He's been the second-best corner in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Safety Glover Quin, a former slot corner, is also solid in coverage. But the rest of the Lions' secondary has been downright bad. Cornerbacks Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs have combined to allow 23 receptions on 30 targets for 359 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterbacks have a rating of 138.0 when targeting them.
Diggs has played the slot in 98 of his 133 defensive snaps this season, according to PFF. That means Jordan Matthews should have an opportunity to victimize Detroit's weakest corner. Knowing that, the Lions could instead shadow Matthews some with Slay, who has been outside in 97 percent of his snaps. It would be a sound strategy because it's clear that Matthews has the most chemistry with Wentz of any of the Eagles' receivers. If he draws Diggs, this could be a huge game for the Birds' leading receiver.
When you factor in Ertz's return and the struggles of Lions linebackers in coverage, Wentz could do a lot of work over the middle of the field in this one. Inside the red zone, this could be the week 6-foot-5 Dorial Green-Beckham scores. The Lions have already allowed six touchdowns to wide receivers: Donte Moncrief, Andre Johnson, Jordy Nelson twice, Davante Adams and Eddie Royal.
What's more, the Lions have allowed 100-plus rushing yards in consecutive weeks to Jordan Howard and Eddie Lacy. The last three games, Detroit has allowed 343 rushing yards and 5.6 yards per carry.
From reading this, you've probably gathered that this is a game in which Wentz and the Eagles' offense should roll. It's just hard to envision a depleted Detroit defense generating constant pressure on Wentz or jamming the Eagles' receivers. Look for Pederson to again pass early and run late. If Mathews is healthy enough for a 15-plus carry workload, his bruising running style could really wear this team down.
When the Lions have the ball
The Lions obviously no longer have Calvin Johnson, who was probably the most physically gifted wide receiver to ever step on an NFL field. They tried to offset some of that loss by signing former Bengal Marvin Jones, who ranks second in the NFL with 482 receiving yards, six behind Julio Jones.
Jones is another athletic freak who can catch jump-balls and make defenders miss after hauling one in. He's the big-play receiver the Eagles must worry about (see story).
The Lions' offense has been inconsistent for as long as Matthew Stafford has been there. He's a rhythm quarterback — when his offensive line is playing well and Stafford has time to scan the field, he can pick you apart the way Philip Rivers can. But if you run Stafford off his spot, make him uncomfortable and disguise your looks, he can be quite turnover prone. It's tough to predict which Stafford will show up week to week, but this Eagles defense has been so good that it seems more likely he'll struggle.
The Birds' defense had a week to rest and game plan for the Lions. Their offense isn't overly complicated. They have one of the weakest running games in the NFL and rely on short completions to RB Theo Riddick and WR Golden Tate to get into 2nd-and-4 type of situations.
Riddick is a challenge to cover. He has some of the best hands of any RB in the league, a true Danny Woodhead type who catches passes in the flat, catches Texas routes and also will line up in the slot on occasion. The Eagles have been excellent against running backs — they've faced Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, Jordan Howard and DeAngelo Williams and only Crowell has exceeded 28 rushing yards. They've also made RBs a non-factor in the passing game, but that's going to change Sunday because Riddick always gets his catches.
Riddick is not a conventional back, though. He's not strong between the tackles and isn't typically a threat to break them, either. The Eagles should be able to stop this run game early and tee off on Stafford from there.
At tight end, Eric Ebron is a big-bodied pass catcher for Stafford. The 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft has caught at least four passes in each game. The Eagles have been the best defense in the NFL against tight ends, allowing just six catches for 43 yards and no TDs, but Ebron is probably the most athletic one they'll have faced ... if they face him at all. Reports this week indicated Ebron could miss Sunday's game with a myriad of nagging injuries.
The Lions' offensive line has been a problem for years and has allowed 10 sacks through four games. Three of those were allowed by rookie left tackle Taylor Decker, the 16th overall pick in this year's draft. He's allowed 13 pressures already. Left guard Laken Tomlinson has also struggled, so Stafford can't be thrilled with his blind-side protection.
The Eagles have been able to generate consistent pressure with their front four, which has kept Jim Schwartz from blitzing. They'll look to do the same thing again this Sunday and will likely only blitz if the Lions' O-line is proving up to the task.
Special teams
Sure-handed Tate returns the punts for the Lions and Andre Roberts returns the kicks. Kicker Matt Prater is 7 for 8 this season — including 2 for 2 from 50-plus yards — but he's missed four of his last 43 extra-point attempts dating back to last season. Six doesn't always become seven with this team.
Prediction
The Lions have the advantage of being at home, but the Eagles are the better team, the healthier team and they're coming off the bye.
Whether or not Wentz throws his first interception in Detroit, this could be a 300-yard, multiple-TD game for him. It could also turn out to be one of the best games of Matthews' career if he can hang onto the ball.
Eagles 30, Lions 16
