A warm coastal front is rolling in above the current cold front in Philadelphia this Sunday, just in time to create an icy mix of precipitation. That's weather-guy talk for "let it snow"… or sleet, or rain…and a game-time temperature just slightly above freezing. Hard to say whether such conditions will favor one team over another. A lot depends on how mucked up the natural grass field at the Linc may become.
Such conditions could put a higher premium on the running game. The Lions pride themselves in stopping the run. But if the field is slippery, and receivers find their speed and cutting ability compromised by the conditions, then it wouldn't surprise me to see Chip Kelly go to more of the run. Just make sure Shady and Bryce have the mud-spec cleats on, and hope that Ziggy and Willie and "Sue" and the rest of the Lions forgot to pack the right spikes.
My thinking is, you could run against the Lions and also negate their pass rush by taking advantage of a sloppy field. Imagine McCoy isolated in a short screen formation and free-lancing out in space…or Bryce Brown actually utilizing his tendency to run wide by taking a pitch to the outside as big guys from Detroit are slipping and sliding all around him…
The drainage system at the Linc has been upgraded— but if it's snowing or raining during the game, the fresh sod will eventually wear down.
In last season's October game between these two teams, weather conditions were perfect —and the Eagles' designed running game was crushed by the Lions. I think McCoy only had something like 22 yards on 14 carries— or sumlin like that.
Maybe I'm wrong, but Cold Mud could help beat the Front Four of the Lions…
Leading the way for Detroit are defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, two former first-round picks who can make life miserable for opposing offensive linemen. They're the main reason the Lions are ranked second in the NFL against the rush and are probably first in the league in intimidation. Plus the Lions have two rookie defensive ends — Ziggy Ansah and Devin Taylor — who have already established themselves as pass-rushing threats, helped, of course, by the interior push supplied by Suh and Fairley. Ansah has seven sacks, the most of any NFL rookie, and Taylor has three, and they padded those stats last week in a 40-10 rout of Green Bay when they each sacked Packers QB Matt Flynn twice.
"They're well coached and they're physical,'' Davis added. "That's one thing that jumps out on tape, how physical that defensive front is. It's going to be a challenge for you to line up against them.''
Ironically, the Lions' defensive line is now coached by Jim Washburn, who held the same job with the Eagles for a season-and-a-half until he was fired by Andy Reid midway through the 2012 season. Washburn has installed his version of the "over defense nine technique" front and the Lions have had success with it, although that's probably due more to the players than the scheme.
When asked about the difference between Washburn's defenses with the Eagles and Lions, McCoy didn't dance around the subject.
"What's different with this one is the two guys inside, Fairley and Suh,'' McCoy said. "They kind of dominate.''
It's up to the Eagles' offensive line to make sure those two guys inside don't dominate them and pressure quarterback Nick Foles, a task that is much easier said than done.
"Obviously, our job is to protect him and make sure Suh can't get there at all,'' said Eagles center Jason Kelce, who smiled as he added "They have a good front and that's why they have so much money involved in that part of their defense. They're a very solid front four, especially the interior guys, so we'll have our hands full up front, from the offensive line's perspective.''
Memo to a Boy Named Suh— here's mud in your EYE…
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