Michael Lombardi: The Philadelphia Eagles are gonna fly now:

I live near the City of Brotherly Love. So, wherever I go, someone is wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey or some type of Eagles paraphernalia representing the team. In my hometown, Eagles hysteria is out of control, and for good reason. The Birds are legitimate. They have a Super Bowl-caliber team playing its best football at the best time. They can control the game with their defense, run the ball when they get into the red zone for touchdowns, and most of all, they can make explosive plays with their offense. Winning in Baltimore last week should remove all the naysayers. 

Beating the Ravens was a great win, partly because the Eagles didn’t play their best game of the season. The win made everyone who covers the NFL take notice, as the two best teams in the NFL are in the NFC. The Detroit/Philadelphia game, if played come playoff time, could determine the winner of the Super Bowl. Both teams are similar; both teams can take games over, and both teams have the mental toughness to endure the battle. What Philadelphia has more than Detroit right now is a healthier team. And in December, that matters most. 

 

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Injuries have taken their toll on the Lions roster. They have been resilient in overcoming the loss of critical players, from Aiden Hutchinson to Marcus Davenport and Alex Anzalone. The Lions have 18 players on their injured reserve list, some replacement, some not. Overcoming losing a player like defensive end John Cominsky isn’t season-threatening.  It is depth-threatening. Once you lose a key role player, then his backup must step up. Then, if you lose another role player, before long, the depth of your team is affected.  The Lions’ injuries have created a depth problem, which makes closing out games a challenge. 

Going into the Green Bay game on Thursday night, the Lions won’t have Taylor Decker, their left tackle. They would love to move Penei Sewell from right tackle to left, but because they are so good at running the ball to the right side, any change could cause more disruption than the injury. Keeping Dan Skipper at left and Sewell at right allows Ben Johnson not to alter his run game and know he has to help Skipper on all passing downs. The Decker injury is manageable for a game or two, depending on the opponent. It’s not when facing the Eagles. 

The Eagles have seven players on their injured reserve list, with Bryce Huff having a chance to come off later this month. Yes, they have dealt with injuries and games missed by their best players, like AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. However, they have returned, and their depth as a team isn’t depleted.  

Another area the Eagles have benefitted from this year, as opposed to last year, is their conditioning. Last season, around the holidays, the Eagle players did what most of us all do: gain weight. They got fat and happy, which destroyed their ability to function as a defense.  This season, they are in shape, getting stronger as the season progresses, and their defensive line can keep their best players on the field for more than three plays. In 2023, they looked like a hockey team having a line change every three plays because their defense was out of gas after two plays. 

Don’t underestimate the value of being in shape when handicapping teams. As we all know, the fourth quarter decides games. The Philadelphia Eagles got stronger vs Baltimore, which was as important as the win. 

What makes both teams so easy to like is they have balance. Both can run the ball effectively, building their play-action game around wanting to run. The Eagles are the number one team in the NFL in calling runs and the 32nd team in calling pass plays.  The Lions are third in calling runs and 27th in pass attempts. One of the reasons both teams are so effective is their ability to call runs plays effectively, and when the ball is in the red zone, both teams can run to score. This is a huge point when it comes to winning championships.  Great teams can run to score—and Philadelphia ranks third as the best run team in the red zone, and Detroit is fourth. This statistic also equates to toughness. It’s not easy to run to score; it takes an offensive line capable of creating movement and a back that won’t stop moving his legs.    

Earlier in the year, I would have said that the Lions have the Super Bowl look. Now, the Philadelphia Eagles have emerged, improved, redefined themselves, and has health on their side. At + 475 on DraftKings to win the Super Bowl, the Birds look like a solid future bet. It’s only going down, and now might be the right time to grab the number. I promise you, the fans from my area aren’t influencing me to make the prediction. It’s because of the game tape and the lack of depth affecting Detroit right now. 

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