‘member the Snow bowl?   Ooooooo, I ‘member the Snow Bowl!

SERIOUSLY, if it weren’t for the fact that we’re coming off our Bye, I’d call this a trap game. You have a hapless 1-3 Lions team, being fed to a 3-0 meat-grinder, disguised as your Philadelphia Eagles. This chance to pull clearly ahead in the division, will be enough motivation to keep our players dialed in. Regardless of how weak this week’s opponent is. 

Since the Lions top RB was lost for the year, their dogged attempt to turn their scatback into their feature back, has kept them from being able to run the ball. Hopefully they’ll give him another shot this week. Sadly, I can’t be sure if their defensive players are paid by the Lions or by their opponents. Needless to say, by all indications this game should be a bloodbath. 

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to look for, Week 1 versus the Detroit Lions:

1) Use four man rushes and take away RB Theo Riddick. The guy isn’t any good at running the ball, but he’s 2^nd on their team in receptions. So put a LB on him or QB Matt Stafford will already be looking for him. Since no active Lion (their starting TE is out this week), besides WR Marvin Jones averages more than 8.0 yards per catch, taking away Riddick should seriously stall their offense.

2) Run the ball right at DE Kerry Hyder. He has 5 sacks so far this season. The best way to make sure he’s not a problem for us, is to tire him out by beating on him directly.

3) Go big and throw jump balls. If we started WR’s Jordan Matthews and Dorial Green-Beckham on the outsides, and then targeted 5’9” CB Nevin Lawson with a ton of jump balls, it would be seriously unfair wouldn’t it? It would. So yeah…let’s do that.

4) Get RB Ryan Mathews 12 carries by half-time. Due to injuries, the Lions are still trying to figure some stuff out. The more clock we eat, the fewer downs they have to do that. It’ll also go a long way to keeping QB Carson Wentz‘s jersey clean and give returning TE Zach Ertz more room to roam.

If we do what we’re supposed to, this one should get ugly fast. Raise your hand if you think the Eagles Defense scores their first touchdown of the season in this game. (In my mind I see LB Nigel Bradham picking off a pass to Riddick and taking it back 35 or so yards to paydirt.) The only way Detroit stays in this game is if we help them to do so.

Let’s not help them.