The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense revealed the key detail that allowed them to overwhelm the Detroit Lions on Sunday night: a combination of massive wingspans from interior linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, plus relentless pressure from the entire defensive front.
From the opening drive to the final whistle, Lions quarterback Jared Goff was constantly harassed. The Eagles’ pass rush repeatedly closed in on him, leading to one of the worst statistical outings of Goff’s career—just 37.8% of his throws were completed, and he ended the night with a 60.1 passer rating.
Aside from a handful of chunk plays by running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Jameson Williams, Detroit’s high-powered offense was largely neutralized as Philadelphia secured a 16–9 win at Lincoln Financial Field. Carter, Davis, and recent trade acquisition Jaelan Phillips were particularly disruptive.
For the second week in a row, Philadelphia’s offense sputtered, but the defense carried the team. After shutting down Green Bay the previous week, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s group delivered another physical, suffocating performance. If the Eagles are going to make another deep postseason run, this brand of defense will have to continue—and it looks like it can.
A perfect example came on Detroit’s first possession, when Davis tipped a Goff pass that landed in the hands of rookie Cooper DeJean for an interception. The defensive tackles had picked up on a specific tendency during film study: Goff releases the ball from a lower angle than most quarterbacks, making his throws prime for deflections. Davis finished with three batted passes; Carter added two more.
According to Davis, the linemen had focused on that exact technique in practice. “We knew how he throws it,” Davis said postgame. “If I can’t get a sack, I can at least get my hands up and affect the play.”
The tipped throws were only part of the disruption. Philadelphia generated constant pressure, finishing with two sacks, seven quarterback hits, and numerous critical stops. Next Gen Stats reported that Goff went 0-for-12 when pressured.
One of the biggest moments came during a fourth-and-goal attempt, when Phillips exploded off the edge and drilled Goff, forcing an incompletion. Since arriving from Miami via trade two weeks ago, Phillips has blended seamlessly with the rest of the unit.
The chemistry was obvious again in the first quarter, when Carter bulldozed rookie guard Tate Ratledge and forced Goff into a waiting Phillips for a shared sack.
Philadelphia entered the season with uncertainty along the defensive line after losing Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency and seeing Brandon Graham retire. But depth has emerged in surprising ways. Graham even came out of retirement before the bye week, joining Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche to form a strong five-man rotation off the edge.
Hunt quietly delivered one of the most impressive stat lines of the night with three quarterback hits, the most of any Eagles defender.
Another standout was Moro Ojomo, who has filled Williams’ old role without missing a beat. Early in the second quarter, he blew up a fourth-and-1 play by powering through tackle Taylor Decker, shedding Amon-Ra St. Brown, and stuffing Gibbs for no gain.
Carter praised the group afterward, saying the defense is proving it can reload even after losing key players last offseason. “It shows we’re connected,” he said. “No matter who’s here, we trust each other.”
Both Carter and Davis believe the defense is trending upward at the perfect time, just six weeks from the postseason. Last year’s unit hit a similar stride around this same stretch before powering the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance—but this group may be even more talented. Carter, Davis, Phillips, Ojomo, Smith, and Hunt are all ascending players, and they dominated one of the league’s most respected offensive lines.
“We just wanted to be the aggressors,” Davis said. “We wanted to set the tone. And I’m proud of what we did out there.”
