The NFC is loaded with great teams, but there may be no two better than the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Lions offense, an elite unit all year, looked flat-out ineffective on Sunday against the Eagles, however.
The Lions (6-4, 3rd in NFC North) lost to the Eagles (8-2, 1st in NFC East) 16-9 in a defensive battle at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 16. Lions quarterback Jared Goff was 14-of-37 in one of his worst performances in years.
With the loss, the Lions drop to third place in the NFC North and are currently out of the playoff picture.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have built a huge lead in the NFC East, with no other team in the division sporting more than three wins this season.
Detroit came into the game hot off a 44-22 win over the three-win Washington Commanders in Week 10, but will also be missed stars on both sides of the ball, including tight end Sam LaPorta (who was put on injured reserve on Saturday) and All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph. The Lions secondary was also without starting cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed, the latter returning to practice this week but not yet ready to play.
Still, the Lions defense played exceptionally, but wasn’t helped by their low-scoring offense.
Here’s how it went down:
Eagles win 16-9, Lions offense shows little
FINAL: Eagles 16, Lions 9
Two short gains from running back Saquon Barkley and a five-yard false start penalty gave the Eagles a 3rd-and-8 on their own 38-yard line. Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ pass attempt to A.J. Brown was incomplete, but a questionable pass interference call on cornerback Rock Ya-Sin gave the Eagles a first down and essentially ended the game.
The Lions go to 6-4 on the season and will come back to Ford Field for a Week 12 game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Jake Bates makes it a one-score game with 54-yd FG
4Q, 1:58: Eagles 16, Lions 9
The Lions defense stopped an Eagles tush push on 4th-and-1 to get the ball back on their own 29-yard line, with Philly looking to ice the game.
The Lions offense lost seven yards on the next three plays, however, unable to even advance. Kicker Jake Bates nailed the 54-yard field goal to make it a one-score game.
Lions punt again
Like they’ve done all night, the Lions defense kept the Eagles from driving far, forcing another punt.
And then Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw incomplete on his first two passes, looking like the Lions would waste another drive. But on 3rd-and-10 from the Eagles’ 15-yard line, Goff found receiver Jameson Williams up the middle for a 27-yard gain for a new set of downs.
Goff then threw incomplete on his next three passes, with his second pass batted down at the line of scrimmage, forcing a 4th-and-10 and a punt.
The Eagles will start at their own 20-yard line.
Jared Goff not sharp
Following an 11-yard run from running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw three straight incompletions, completing only one pass in his last 10 attempts.
Instead of trying for another fourth-down conversion, the Lions punted. The Eagles will start with the ball at their own 15-yard line.
Goff is now 13-for-29 with 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Amazingly, his 69.3 passer rating beats that of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (60.4), who is 13-of-27 for 118 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Jake Elliott hits third field goal
4Q: Eagles 16, Lions 6
A handful of medium-gain plays brought the Eagles to the Detroit 30-yard line, but the Lions’ defense held strong to force a 49-yard field goal attempt.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott successfully fought the wind, however, scoring another three points for the Eagles on the kick.
Lions outgaining Eagles, but Eagles still lead
End 3Q: Eagles 13, Lions 6
The Lions defense is having an outstanding game against the defending Super Bowl champions, allowing 183 total yards from Philadelphia through three quarters.
The Lions offense, however, is putting up a stinker despite outgaining the Eagles by more than 100 yards so far. There is still plenty of time for a comeback, however.
Jared Goff goes 1-for-6 on drive as Lions have fifth turnover on downs
Jahmyr Gibbs bailed out his quarterback, but the quarterback didn’t take advantage.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t connect on his first two passes of the drive, setting up a 3rd-and-10 on the Detroit 15-yard line. And then a screen to Gibbs gained 33 yards, bringing Gibbs over 100 receiving yards for the day, putting the Lions around midfield.
A 7-yard gain by running back David Montgomery pushed the ball into Eagles territory, but two more incompletions from Goff set up a 4th-and-3. The Lions went for it again, with Goff looking for receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on the right side, but Goff threw it way behind St. Brown to force a fifth turnover on downs.
Roy Lopez sack helps force Eagles punt
A sack from defensive linemen Roy Lopez and Aidan Hutchinson on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts forced a 3rd-and-15 on the Eagles 48-yard line. Hurts aired it out one play later but couldn’t connect downfield with receiver A.J. Brown, leading to a punt.
The Lions will start on their own 15-yard line.
Brian Branch appears hurt, returns to game
On a 34-yard completion from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to wide receiver Jahan Dotson, Lions safety Brian Branch was called for a personal foul on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Dotson. Branch stayed down for a minute while being attended to by trainers but got up under his own power and returned to the game two plays later.
Lions turnover on downs on Eagles 3-yard line
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs made at least four tacklers miss in a juke-fest of a 42-yard completion in the flat to the Philadelphia 24-yard line, with most of the yardage coming after the catch. Gibbs became the team’s leading receiver on the play (74 yards on four catches) despite doing not-so-good on running plays, averaging less than three yards per rush.
On a 3rd-and-4 from Philly’s 18-yard line, Gibbs rattled off a 10-yard run to bring the ball to the 8-yard line. But a short completion from quarterback Jared Goff to receiver Jameson Williams followed by two short gains from Gibbs set up a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
And just like they’ve done all night, the Lions couldn’t convert on fourth down, turning the ball over on downs for the fourth time after edge rusher Jaelan Phillips got pressure on Goff. The Eagles will start with the ball on their own three yard line.
Lions turnover on downs for third time tonight
Coming out of halftime, the Lions offense began with consecutive completions to running back Jahmyr Gibbs for 11 and 17 yards, bringing the Lions to the Philadelphia 37-yard line.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t find receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown up the middle on a 3rd-and-5 incompletion, setting up another 4th-down try. But once again, the Lions couldn’t convert, with receiver Jameson Williams dropping a wobbly pass up the middle that would have given the Lions a first down.
Lane Johnson out for the game
The Eagles have ruled star offensive tackle Lane Johnson out of the game. He left in the first quarter with an apparent leg injury.
Jared Goff halftime stats
After a poor start, Lions quarterback Jared Goff turned it up a bit on the last drive.
QB Jared Goff: 7-of-12, 119 yards, TD, INT.
RB David Montgomery: 4 carries, 14 yards.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs: 5 carries, 8 yards.
WR Jameson Williams: 2 catches, 59 yards, TD.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: 2 catches, 42 yards.
LB Jack Campbell: 5 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss.
DB Amik Robertson: 2 passes defended, 1 tackle for loss.
Lions down at halftime
HALFTIME: Eagles 13, Lions 6
Neither team has gotten much going offensively, but the Eagles have a lead with three scores to the Lions one.
The Eagles will kick off to begin the second half.
Jalen Hurts scores on Tush Push
2Q, 0:16: Eagles 13, Lions 6
Following the Lions touchdown, the Eagles offense got going.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts went 3-for-3 on his first three passes of the drive, and a 17-yard run by running back Tank Bigsby brought the Eagles to Detroit’s 23-yard line as the two-minute warning hit.
A 7-yard run from Bigsby out of the timeout put the Eagles in the red zone, while an 11-yard connection from Hurts to wide receiver A.J. Brown on a slant brought Philadelphia to the 5-yard line. Running back Saquon Barkley then bounced off a few tackles and dove into the end zone, but not before he was ruled down inches before the goal line after his run was initially called a touchdown.
One play later, Hurts scored the 1-yard touchdown on their infamous “Tush Push” play. The Eagles have a lead again.
Jameson Williams scores game-tying touchdown
1Q, 5:05: Lions 6, Eagles 6
Lions quarterback Jared Goff found his first big downfield connection with a 34-yard completion to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to bring the Lions to Philadelphia’s 40-yard line on the second play of the drive. One play later, Goff found receiver Jameson Williams for a 26-yard touchdown pass – though Williams got flagged for his touchdown celebration for hugging the goalpost.
That pushed the point-after attempt to 48 yards, which Lions kicker Jake Bates pushed to the right, likely due to the wind. We are tied.
Eagles nail second field goal
2Q, 6:02: Eagles 6, Lions 0
A designed run from quarterback Jalen Hurts on 3rd-and-11 from the Detroit 33-yard line got 12 yards and a first down for the Eagles just outside of the red zone. The Eagles netted a five-yard loss on their next two plays, however, with Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone pinning Eagles running back Saquon Barkley eight yards behind the line of scrimmage on 2nd-and-7.
The Lions forced a fourth down one play later, which led to a 34-yard field goal from Eagles kicker Jake Elliott.
Lions don’t convert fake punt, turnover on downs
Lions linebacker and special teams maestro Grant Stuard took the direct snap with the Lions punt team on the field following another three-and-out, needing only two yards to gain the first down.
Stuard was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, however, leading to a second-straight turnover on downs for the Lions. The Eagles will take over on Detroit’s 43-yard line.
Tate Ratledge back into the game
Lions guard Tate Ratledge missed one series following an apparent injury in the first quarter, but he’s back into the game early in the second quarter.
Jalen Hurts goes three-and-out on three pass attempts
The Lions tried four runs to no avail, and the Eagles tried three passes to no avail, with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts coming up incomplete on all three. He is 3-for-11 so far this game as the Eagles punt once again.
The Lions will start on their own 35-yard line.
Lions turnover on downs after four Jahmyr Gibbs runs
The Lions tried to get running back Jahmyr Gibbs going, as Gibbs netted nine yards on two carries to start the drive. His next two carries, however, netted zero yards as the Lions turned the ball over on downs at their own 48-yard line.
Gibbs so far has eight yards on five carries as the Lions are averaging only three yards per carry.
Defensive game through one quarter
End 1Q: Eagles 3, Lions 0
Both defenses have shown out so far, with the Lions holding the Eagles to 44 total yards but allowing the only score following the Cooper DeJean interception on Detroit quarterback Jared Goff.
The Lions are limiting Eagles running back Saquon Barkley to 2.8 yards per carry, a good sign for Detroit’s defense. The Lions rushing attack, however, has only 18 yards on five carries so far.
Lions punt for second time
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had catches of nine and 19 yards on this drive, while running back David Montgomery had four key touches.
However, with the Lions at 3rd-and-8 from the Eagles’ 42-yard line, a 2-yard run from Montgomery stopped them well short of the line-to-gain. The Lions attempted to draw the Eagles defense offsides on 4th-and-5 from the Philadelphia 40-yard line, but took a delay-of-game penalty instead, leading to a Jack Fox punt.
The Eagles will start on their own 15-yard line.
Lane Johnson, Tate Ratledge appear hurt
Eagles star offensive tackle Lane Johnson exited the game in the first quarter, appearing to favor his right leg as he limped towards the locker room. We await updates on his injury status.
A few plays later, Lions offensive guard Tate Ratledge appeared hurt and was replaced by Trystan Colon. We also await updates on his injury status.
Alex Anzalone, father of two
During positional intros, when players often identify themselves and their colleges, Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (who played at Florida) instead said “father of two.”
Why? We have no idea. But our Lions insider Dave Birkett found out Anzalone is very involved with his kid’s soccer team. So that’s something.
Mike Golic Jr. also had some commentary about Anzalone’s appearance:
Eagles go four-and-out
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley got his first big run of the game, rattling off a 14-yard carry down the left side on the first play of the drive to bring Philadelphia to its own 34-yard line.
Three plays later, however, Barkley couldn’t pick up a 3rd-and-1 with Lions linebacker Trevor Nowaske tackling him behind the line of scrimmage. After the punt, the Lions will start at their own 12-yard line.
Jaelan Phillips gets first Philly sack
Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline, got his first sack with Philadelphia on this drive, setting Lions quarterback Jared Goff down to force a 3rd-and-16.
Goff had an open Amon-Ra St. Brown up the middle on the 3rd-down play, but his throw fell short to force a punt. The Eagles will start on their own 20-yard line following a holding penalty on Philadelphia.
Lions defense holds Eagles to a field goal
1Q, 9:43: Eagles 3, Lions 0
The interception from Cooper DeJean gave the Eagles the ball in the red zone, but Philadelphia’s offense couldn’t get the ball into the end zone, settling for a 27-yard field goal from kicker Jake Elliott. The Eagles take an early lead.
Cooper DeJean interception
On the Lions’ third play from scrimmage, quarterback Jared Goff got his pass deflected by defensive tackle Jordan Davis, with the ball falling into the hands of Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean.
DeJean returned the ball 11 yards to the Detroit 21 yard line, where the Eagles begin their new drive.
Lions defense forces a punt
After his first two passes fell incomplete, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed a 12-yard, 3rd-down pass to receiver A.J. Brown to bring the ball to the Philadelphia 47-yard line.
Following a holding call on Eagles tackle Lane Johnson that pushed the Eagles back to their own 37, solid penetration into the backfield from the Lions defense forced Hurts into an incompletion on second down and a short gain on a third-down scramble, leading to a punt.
The Lions will start with the ball at their own 14-yard line after a 1-yard loss on the return from Kalif Raymond.
Lions win toss and defer
Detroit will kick off to start the game.
Jared Goff with career-bests in many areas
Lions quarterback Jared Goff had arguably his best season in 2024 and finished fifth in the MVP vote as a result. He might be having an even better season in 2025.
Goff is currently sporting career-bests in the following categories:
Completion percentage (74.0%).
Touchdown percentage (7.3%).
Interception percentage (1.1%).
Passer rating (117.7).
QBR (68.2).
He likely won’t win MVP this season, but we might be seeing the best-ever version of Goff right now.
Dan Campbell reminisces with former teammate Jason Garrett
On Football Night in America (NBC’s Sunday Night Football pregame show), Lions coach Dan Campbell shared some memories with former teammate and current NBC analyst Jason Garrett, who was a backup quarterback with the New York Giants in his final NFL season in 2000, Campbell’s second year in New York.
Check out their conversation here.
Amon-Ra St. Brown a big target
Through nine games, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is second in the NFL in 2025 in touchdown receptions (eight) and fifth in receiving yards (693), on track for his fifth-straight 1,000-yard season and third-straight season of 10+ touchdowns.
His receiving mate Jameson Williams, meanwhile, had his best game of the season against the Washington Commanders last Sunday, hauling in six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, his fourth of the season.
Both receivers could play a big role against a stout Philadelphia secondary.
Jared Goff record broken
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett set the record for most completions in a regular-season NFL game, going 47-of-57 for 452 yards in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Two quarterbacks held the previous record of 45 completions in a game: Drew Bledsoe (for the New England Patriots in a 26-20 overtime win against the Minnesota Vikings in 1994) and Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who set the record as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 in a 55-40 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Taylor Decker active
The Lions released their inactives list ahead of the Eagles game, and offensive tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell were both left off, meaning they’re expected to play.
Alex Anzalone check-in
It’ll be a sort-of homecoming for Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone, a Pennsylvania native who grew up a short drive outside of Philadelphia.
Check out or Lions insider Dave Birkett in his weekly Five Questions installment, which includes what Anzalone would do if he won the Mega Millions lottery (spoiler alert: he wouldn’t be playing football).
Weather report in Philadelphia
They don’t call Philly the Windy City, but it might as well be tonight with the wind forecasted at 16 mph at kickoff.
Jack White to play Thanksgiving halftime show in Detroit
In kinda-sorta Lions news, the team announced today that local rock icon Jack White will perform at the halftime show of the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Gospel singer CeCe Winans, another Detroit native, will perform the pregame national anthem.
Lions uniform combo
The Eagles will be wearing their traditional home green jerseys for tonight’s game.
The Lions, meanwhile, are going back to their white-jersey, silver-pants combo they brought out last Sunday for the first time this season. Because if it worked the first time, why not bring it back?
Lions vs Eagles start time today
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET.
The Lions will face the Eagles with a start time at 8:20 p.m. ET from windy Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The Lions will face the Eagles on NBC’s weekly Sunday Night Football broadcast.
The game is available to stream on Peacock and Fubo, which carries NBC channels and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
NBC’s broadcast features the same trio all season.
Lions vs Eagles odds, betting lines
The Eagles are slight home favorites over the Lions.
Spread: Eagles by 2½ points.
Over/under: 47 points.
Moneyline: Lions (+118), Eagles (-140).
Odds are courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday evening.
Lions schedule 2025
Week 1: L, 27-13 at Green Bay Packers.
Week 2: W, 52-21 vs Chicago Bears.
Week 3: W, 38-30 at Baltimore Ravens.
Week 4: W, 34-10 vs Cleveland Browns.
Week 5: W, 37-24 at Cincinnati Bengals.
Week 6: L, 30-17 at Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 7: W, 24-9 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Week 8: Bye week.
Week 9: L, 27-24 vs Minnesota Vikings.
Week 10: W, 44-22 at Washington Commanders.
Week 11, Sunday, Nov. 16: at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m., NBC.
Week 12, Sunday, Nov. 23: vs New York Giants, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 13, Thursday, Nov. 27: vs Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 14, Thursday, Dec. 4: vs Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video.
Week 15, Sunday, Dec. 14: at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., Fox.
Week 16, Sunday, Dec. 21: vs Pi
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