Before Week 11, the Detroit Lions had topped 30 points in five different games. On Sunday night, though, they ran into a Philadelphia defense that refused to budge, managing only one touchdown in a 16–9 Eagles win on Sunday Night Football.
The difference came in the game’s most critical moments. Detroit is known for being one of the NFL’s boldest teams on fourth down, but the Eagles slammed the door every time. Philadelphia stuffed all five of Detroit’s fourth-down attempts and held them to 3-for-13 on third down as well.
When head coach Nick Sirianni was asked afterward about the fourth-down stops, he kept circling back to a single word — repeating it multiple times as the best way to describe what his defense delivered that night.
Sirianni Praises Defensive Execution After Tough Win
Detroit’s offense hasn’t been quite as explosive recently, but they seemed to regain their spark when Dan Campbell took over play-calling before Week 10. His aggressive approach led to a 44-point eruption against Washington the previous week.
Philadelphia, however, made sure that momentum stopped there. Campbell’s willingness to gamble didn’t pay off this time, largely because the Eagles stonewalled every fourth-down try.
“To us, those are basically turnovers,” Sirianni said. “Great coverage, great rush — everything working together.”
He applauded the secondary for tight coverage and the defensive front for attacking relentlessly, calling the defense’s perfect 5-for-5 effort on fourth downs “outstanding.”
Two of those stops came deep in Detroit territory in the second quarter. The next two came after halftime in situations where the Lions could have settled for field goals. One failed attempt was at the Eagles’ 3-yard line, a massive turning point that kept points off the board.
Those key plays helped Philadelphia stretch its lead to two possessions early in the fourth quarter with a Jake Elliott field goal.
Pressure on Jared Goff Set the Defensive Tone
Philadelphia’s success on fourth down stemmed from constant pressure on quarterback Jared Goff. On the goal line stand, he was forced to get rid of the ball quicker than he wanted, and that theme carried throughout the night.
Sirianni said the defensive front’s early hits and disruptions set the tone.
“We were getting pressure, getting hands on him, and that always impacts quarterbacks,” he said. He also highlighted the defensive line’s tipped passes — something he said had been showing up consistently in practice.
The Eagles recorded only two sacks but produced 10 pass breakups, including five from linemen Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis alone. With all the deflections and pressure, Goff finished with just 14 completions on 37 attempts.
Detroit ended the night scoring only three total points across its final seven drives, as Philadelphia’s defense closed the door and never reopened it.
