Odds Lions Beat Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8
One more chance remains for the Detroit Lions to grab a win before the bye week.
They pulled out all the stops a week ago, including three trick plays (two fake punts and an onside kick), in their attempt to pull off the upset against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
But, they ultimately fell short, dropping the Week 7 contest, 28-19.
The Lions appear to be ever so close to capturing their first victory of the season, and now a winnable game awaits them this Sunday -- a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are just 2-5, and are losers of two in a row. They've also won just one game since their Week 1 victory against the Atlanta Falcons.
Also, Philadelphia is coached by a first-time NFL head man in Nick Sirianni, who is still learning the ropes of the profession. Similarly, Detroit is led by an inexperienced head coach in Dan Campbell, whose only prior head coaching experience came as an interim head man with the Miami Dolphins in 2015.
Could all of this add up to a "spooktacular" win for Campbell & Co. on Halloween? It just might.
But, if the Lions do pull off the victory, don't expect it to be due to the team's special teams unit catching Sirianni and the Eagles off guard.
In practice this week, Sirianni has made it a focus of his to get his players ready for Detroit special teams coordinator Dave Fipp's play calls.
"Obviously, when a team puts stuff on tape like that, we have to be ready for it," Sirianni told reporters this week. "We don't want to be the ones that it happens to, like it happened last week. Lot of respect for coach Fipp and his special teams units. He's been good for a real long time. We have to be ready in all phases, but especially there on special teams."
If the Lions are going to beat the Eagles Sunday, it's likely going to be because of the team's ground game.
Sirianni & Co. have allowed the fourth-most yards to running backs in 2021 (931).
So, luckily, Detroit has second-year back D'Andre Swift in its back pocket.
The Georgia product -- who has rushed for no more than 51 yards in a single week so far this season -- could be in store for a season-best day. And, if he delivers that kind of performance, Campbell & Co. might just be going into the bye with a win in their possession.
I give the Lions a 55 percent chance to "scare" some fans and pull out the Week 8 victory.
