Tale of the Tape: Who Holds Edge in Lions-Eagles Matchup?

The Detroit Lions are looking to prove that they belong in the upper echelon in the NFC.

After a nice bounce back win over the Washington Commanders, the Lions have a date with the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. With a win, the Lions would put themselves one game back of the NFC's No. 1 seed with seven games to play.

With such high implications, the Lions and Eagles both have plenty at stake in a primetime matchup that promises to be one of the best games on the slate.

Here is a breakdown of how the Lions match up with the Eagles in Week 11.

Lions' offense vs. Eagles' defense

The Lions rediscovered their groove offensively Sunday against the Commanders, as they scored on every drive save for their last when they ran out the clock. Dan Campbell took the play-calling reins, and got the team into a strong rhythm both on the ground and through the air.

It's clear that the Lions have the playmakers to have success against any defense. Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown all had strong games against the Commanders, and when they're humming on all cylinders like that they are difficult to stop.

Philadelphia's defense will certainly present a big challenge. The Eagles added help in the pass-rush department by trading for Jaelen Phillips, and have a strong anchor in linebacker Zack Baun. Their secondary is also solid, with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and rookie Andrew Mukuba all playing well.

The Eagles also got some help with Nolan Smith returning from an injured reserve stint. As a result, this will be a tightly contested battle when these two units are on the field. However, the Eagles have had some struggles with consistency, and as a result the Lions should be able to get into a flow over the course of the night.

Edge: Lions

Eagles' offense vs. Lions' defense

Philadelphia's offense is armed with playmakers much like the Lions. Quarterback Jalen Hurts brings mobility along with the ability to make big throws, while running back Saquon Barkley is one of the game's best at his position.

Hurts brings the constant threat of extending the play with his legs, while Barkley is a big play threat every single time he touches the ball. On the outside, the Lions must contend with the likes of A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.

The Eagles will be a multi-faceted attack for Detroit to compete with, but the defense has been solid throughout the year and up for most tests. D.J. Reed and Marcus Davenport both started their return to play clocks, and the team could get linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez back this week.

Additionally, Aidan Hutchinson and company will look to keep up what has been a top-five defense in sacks this season. There's star power on all sides, but the Eagles' sheer number of playmakers gives them the edge offensively similar to the Lions when they have the ball.

One big thing to watch will be the Lions' performance defensively in third-and-short, as the Eagles have made short-yardage execution a habit utilizing the 'tush push.' If the Lions can stop that, the tables could turn quickly.

Edge: Eagles

Quarterbacks

The Lions and Eagles have two very different styles of quarterbacks who have both performed at a high level in their own way. Jared Goff is a precision pocket passer, while Jalen Hurts uses his legs to extend plays while mixing in deep shots.

As a result, this game will be another clash in styles. Goff has been very good throughout his career at diagnosing defenses pre-snap, and as a result can give the Lions' offense a huge advantage if he's able to dissect the Eagles' defense early in the play-clock.

Meanwhile, the Lions had some success against one of the league's best mobile quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson earlier in the year. While Kelvin Sheppard has shown he can make a good plan for quarterbacks like this, Hurts and the Eagles will no doubt study that tape and be ready.

Because of that element, this matchup goes down as a draw. Whichever team forces the opposing quarterback to play uncomfortably will give their team a massive upper hand.

Edge: Even

Special teams

The Eagles and Lions have two of the biggest legs in the league with Jake Elliott and Jake Bates, respectively. Both players have had some struggles with consistency at times, with Elliott missing two field goals and two extra points and Bates missing three field goals.

The Eagles have yet to have a big return in either the kick or punt return game, while the Lions have popped one punt return with Kalif Raymond and came close on multiple others. However, the Lions have also struggled to generate some fire in the kick return game.

One area where Detroit has struggled is covering kicks, as the Vikings and Commanders have both registered big returns against them over the last two weeks.

Edge: Eagles

Coaching

Sunday's game offers a fascinating showdown on the sidelines between two of the most aggressive coaches in the NFL. Nick Sirianni and Dan Campbell are both fearless and fiery, and their personal identities are evident within the teams they coach.

Both teams are in similar positions with their coordinators, with the Eagles on their third offensive coordinator in as many years and Detroit boasting two new faces as coordinators. Because of their respective success, they've had to deal with coaching turnover as their assistants have become commodoties.

Ultimately, Campbell will likely be calling plays again for the Lions and matching up against Vic Fangio, while a pair of first-year coordinators will square off with Kevin Patullo coordinating the Eagles' offense and Kelvin Sheppard handling Detroit's defense.

With so much talent on each side, exploiting matchups and getting into the best situations possible will be of paramount importance.