The Detroit Lions walked away from their Sunday night matchup on November 16 feeling the sting of a missed opportunity. In a sluggish 16–9 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit’s offense never found its rhythm, leaving head coach Dan Campbell’s play-calling under heavy scrutiny.
Jared Goff entered the game as one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks, but nothing clicked for him against Philadelphia. NFL Research reported that Goff posted the lowest completion rate of his career, connecting on just 38% of his passes despite throwing for 255 yards. His final passer rating—60.1—reflected the difficult night. While Goff didn’t perform well, the responsibility wasn’t solely on him; he wasn’t the one choosing the plays.
Detroit’s run game didn’t offer much relief, either. Both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery struggled to get going, though Gibbs did manage to lead the team in receiving with five catches for 107 yards. Defensively, the Lions held their own. Aidan Hutchinson contributed four tackles and half a sack, helping keep the Eagles from breaking the game open.
As The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy wrote the next day, the loss all but eliminated any chance of Detroit securing the NFC’s top seed—a position they surprisingly held in 2024. Adding insult to injury, former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson delivered an indirect message simply by winning.
Johnson’s Chicago Bears woke up Monday, November 17 as leaders of the NFC North after edging out the Minnesota Vikings 19–17, improving to 7–3. Meanwhile, Detroit dropped to 6–4 and now sits in third place, trailing the 6–3-1 Green Bay Packers as well. No chest-thumping was necessary—the standings said enough. With a rematch scheduled for January 4, 2026, and no bye weeks remaining for either team, Detroit will have little time to reset.
Pouncy summed up the situation bluntly: the Lions are sitting outside the playoff picture after 11 weeks, far from the expectations surrounding them. Their loss to a conference contender further diminished any hope of earning a first-round bye.
Still, the Lions weren’t without bright spots. Detroit’s linebackers were outstanding. Jack Campbell racked up 15 tackles and a tackle for loss, and Alex Anzalone made a standout play in tight coverage against Eagles tight end Kyle Granson.
Now the question becomes: what’s next for Detroit? Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton for this matchup, just as he did against the Washington Commanders on November 9, and has said he intends to continue calling plays for the rest of the season.
However, after the performance against the Eagles, it may be wise for him to reevaluate that decision. Succeeding against a depleted Commanders team missing its franchise quarterback doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the right person to design and execute the offense in a high-pressure matchup like this. Feel free to share your thoughts.
