DETROIT – The Detroit Lions floundered on fourth down against the Super Bowl champion Eagles on Sunday night and plummeted to third place in the NFC North Division.
Since the Lions emerged their decades-long stretch of losing in 2022, fans have fantasized about a matchup with Philadelphia -- the current class of the NFC.
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Detroit finally got its chance this weekend on Sunday Night Football, one of the sport’s brightest stages. And the Lions fell flat on their faces.
The defense did its part, holding the Eagles to just three points on their first five drives, but Jared Goff and the offense couldn’t capitalize, starting the game with an interception, two punts, and two turnovers on downs.
The offense finally broke through late in the second quarter, when Goff hit Jameson Williams for a 40-yard touchdown. A post-play penalty on Williams cost the Lions on the extra point.
Philadelphia responded with a 10-play, 64-yard drive to take a 13-6 lead into halftime.
But the story of the game was the Lions’ inability to convert on fourth down. They went an uncharacteristic 0-for-5, including once inside the Eagles’ 5-yard line and three times around midfield.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles finally put the Lions away early in the fourth quarter, with an 11-play, 25-yard drive that ended with a 49-yard field goal to make it 16-6.
Jake Bates hit a late field goal to make the final score a respectable 16-9, but the Lions never really got back in the game.
Goff finished 14-of-37 for 255 yards, a touchdown, and a pick.
Jahmyr Gibbs was the lone bright spot on the offensive side of the ball. He finished with 146 total yards on 12 carries and five catches.
With the loss, the Lions drop to 6-4 on the season. They’re now in third place in the NFC North Division, behind the 7-3 Bears and 6-3-1 Packers.
The next three games will be in the friendly confines of Ford Field, first against the lowly Giants, then on Thanksgiving against the Packers, and finally a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Cowboys.