AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
Detroit has seemingly not played in a month and this is how long bye weeks seem to last these days in the NFL for teams that have underachieved.
The Madden curse could be alive more than ever with the season that Calvin Johnson is currently having. Considered by most as the best play-maker in football, ‘Megatron’ has just 1 TD through four games.
Hauling in 29 passes for 423 yards are solid numbers, but those are not enough quite frankly for a caliber of a receiver in Calvin.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford would love a few more home run completions to his favorite target and tight end Brandon Pettigrew may want to snag the ball when it is thrown his way as well.
The Lions are not as bad on defense as they seem to be perceived however. Ranking No. 13 in rushing defense allowing only 102.8 yards per game is not too shabby but what on earth has happened to Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch?
Two of the most physical specimens in all of the NFL need to put the clamps down on Michael Vick, or else we could a potential Super Bowl dark horse in a Detroit falter to 1-4.
Teams that struggle this badly out of the gates are never relevant in the postseason picture and it may be more vital for the Lions to win this match-up since they already trail by two games in the loss column in their own division.
Philadelphia is still in the thick of things at the moment and they would love nothing more keep things rolling despite their recent loss to Pittsburgh.
Vick has had major problems turning the ball over and hanging onto the football with his league leading eight fumbles (five lost), and it is not as if he isn’t throwing picks.
He already has six INT and the Eagles defense can only handle so much. Many would love to see mistake free football because of how talented this defense is.
While Philly ranks No. 12 in run defense (102.8 YPG), they also are solid against the pass as well (No. 11 allowing 209.4 YPG).
Allowing the 10th fewest PPG is not too shabby either at 19.8 and their ability to get after opposing quarterback will have an impact. Stafford isn’t the most athletic passer and his offensive line and running game has been non-existent.
Jason Babin, DeMeco Ryans and Trent Cole can do more than just put together a few stops and they will need since their secondary is a bit more vulnerable than it has shown.
Still, Vick has one of the most explosive playmakers around him in LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Detroit will make this one interesting, but this is your typical game where the Eagles come out victorious in another thriller.
Network: FOX (706)
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
Experts Pick: Eagles by 4
Danny V’s Pick: Eagles 28, Lions 27
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