September 09, 2022
No more waiting. No more speculation. No more anticipation.
After a high-profile offseason that has the Eagles as one of the most talented, and healthiest, teams on paper heading into 2022, it's only two more days before fans finally get to see what this improved roster is really made of.
Their first test will be the Detroit Lions, a team that only managed three wins in 2021, but look to finally start building something substantial under head coach Dan Campbell and rookie pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The last time these teams met – Week 8 at Detroit on Halloween last season – The Eagles rolled to a 44-6 blowout with 236 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Will the Eagles have another route in store? Or is Detroit lining up for an upset?
Here's how our writers see this matchup playing out...
TV: FOX (Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, and Kristina Pink)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese and Mike Quick)
| Book | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| DraftKings | PHI -4 | PHI -110 DET -110 | 49 |
| FanDuel | PHI -3.5 | PHI -114 DET -106 | 48.5 |
| UniBet | PHI -4 | PHI -109 DET -112 | 48.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -4 | PHI -110 DET -110 | 48.5 |
The Eagles and Lions had different approaches to training camp. The Eagles opted for short practices with minimal physical periods, with the idea in mind that being healthy for the start of the regular season is what is most important. (For the record, I agree with this approach.)
If you watched Hard Knocks this year, you saw that the Lions went hard, at least compared to more modern training camps.
The Eagles achieved their goal — their starters are good to go for Week 1. To be determined if the Lions' tough camp will mean that they're more ready for the regular season than the Eagles.
I don't think any edge the Lions may have from a tough camp will matter, since, well, they're just not that talented. Look at each positional group — quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, secondary. Where are the Lions better than the Eagles? Maybe a slight edge at running back? Look at their depth chart. That's it, right?
The Eagles should smash this team. If they don't and head home 0-1, the harsh criticisms for a passive camp will be loud.
I have seen buzz around the internet and on more than a few podcasts talking about how the Lions are a team that could pull off a Week 1 upset. They are at home. They are in theory better than last year on paper. But last year they had three wins. This is not a team that scares me. They have very few targets to give the Eagles' secondary fits and the pass rush is loaded on the Philly front seven. The Lions' defense also doesn't really look all that imposing aside from soon-to-be rookie phenom Aidan Hutchinson.
I think the Eagles will score at will and will get to 1-0.
The talk of Detroit being this underdog, gritty team that's going to try so hard gets thrown out the window as soon as the regular season actually kicks off. An obvious take: Every team tries hard in Week 1 after dying to play against real competition for months and months.
It's an easy adjustment to midnight green for A.J. Brown, who hauls in his first Eagles touchdown to give the team an early 7-0 they never relinquish. Jalen Hurts keeps those vibes going all afternoon long, showcasing improved accuracy over his 2021 self, finding receivers over the middle and to his left more than he ever did last season. Making Hurts' life easier is an offensive line that looks every bit like the best unit in the sport.
A revamped Eagles defense stays strong to the "bend-but-don't-break" mentality and holds Detroit's lagging offense to a few field goals. Jordan Davis records his first career sack as Jared Goff's play gets increasingly erratic late in the fourth quarter as the game's outcome becomes clear.
I am probably less bullish on the Eagles over the long haul than everybody else submitting picks here. They had what looks like a very good offseason, but when we get to the point of the offseason where the GM is getting praised for trade returns on major draft busts as if he didn't create those problems himself, that’s when it becomes clear we need actual football to be played. I remain a skeptic of the primary signal caller, who will have to prove he can win games against quarterbacks with a pulse after mostly beating up on has-beens and never-weres most of last year.
But hey, enough of me being the vibe killer before the season even begins! The Eagles enter the season relatively healthy, have talent spread around the roster, and a good blend of youth and experience. With an entrenched coaching staff who proved capable of adapting on the fly last season, they're set up to hit the ground running and maximize their potential this year. An easy pick against the Lions to open the season, and we'll see where it goes from there.
Honestly, I see this one going almost the exact same way last year's season opener did down in Atlanta. Jalen Hurts will hit A.J. Brown – or maybe DeVonta Smith again – for the Eagles' first score of the year, the city of Philadelphia will lose its mind, and it'll just be a blowout from there.
Save for the game being on the road, this is probably as ideal of an opening as you could want for this roster. Is Detroit going to be better than last year? Probably. But that's not saying much. They still have a lot of building to do. The Eagles' offense and defense shouldn't have much problem flexing their muscle here.
I also think Brandon Graham and Darius Slay will be in for big days. Graham, in his first game back from last season's Achilles tear, will be making his on-field return in his hometown, and Slay will be facing his old team with a C on his chest for the first time. They'll both be out to prove something.
You can maybe spot the Lions a touchdown, but otherwise, Eagles run away with this one.
This is a great test for the Eagles to open the season not only on the road, but also against dreck. Detroit didn’t get any better overall and still has the same issues at QB. Dan Campbell is the poor man’s Nick Sirianni with these ridiculous platitudes and showing for the camera on "Hard Knocks."
Was there even a T-shirt with Jared Goff’s face? Detroit is soft and will be ill-prepared despite having revenge on their minds all summer. They gave up 30 points in more than half of their games last year and the Eagles are looking to run out their new additions.
The Birds can go about this two ways – either run the ball down their throat like they did last year against the Lions or force the passing game early to stretch the field. The latter may take a little longer to establish a healthy lead, but the Eagles win this either way. 31-17 Eagles
Maybe we can bring in Jason Kelce to accentuate this with a few expletives.
Forget about 44-6. That isn’t happening this year. The Eagles remain the far more talented team in this matchup but a Week 1 home opener will help Detroit, something Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman is cognizant of and has already noted. Then you have the old-school Lions approach to preparation from Dan Campbell vs. the new-school Eagles vibe and while the latter might be the better way to survive the rigors of a 17-game schedule, the former is the short-term advantage.
In the end, though, It might end up tougher than expected for the Eagles but Nick Sirianni should have enough to simply out-talent the Lions, 24-20.
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