Despite a 6-3 record, the Detroit Lions are still a Super Bowl-caliber team. Their offense remains elite, averaging 33.2 points per game, while their defense has been unstoppable as of late, allowing an average of 265.7 total yards in the last three games.
Although Lions fans anticipate another deep postseason run, they haven’t had a signature win yet. That could change on Sunday night, as they’ll face their biggest test of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles. It seems like the defending champions are attempting to get into the Lions’ heads ahead of their primetime matchup, as they were caught blasting music from Detroit native and hip-hop legend Eminem during Thursday’s practice, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro.
The move comes just hours after the Lions announced they reached an agreement with Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg, to consult on talent selection and halftime production for Detroit’s Thanksgiving game through 2027, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. If the Eagles thought they could rattle the Lions by playing an Eminem classic, they couldn’t be more wrong.
Eagles Look Foolish Trying to Troll the Lions
This attempt by the Eagles to throw the Lions off is embarrassing and makes them look weak. By trying to get into their head, the Eagles are admitting that they are the lesser team and must resort to off-the-field antics to beat them.
While it’s a weak move, it makes sense considering their offensive struggles this season. The Eagles' offense has been inconsistent for most of the season, ranking 25th in passing yards (191.7), 21st in rushing yards (111.6), and 12th in points scored (24.2).
Although they were able to win their Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers, their offense managed just 10 points and totaled 294 yards. Even though their defense remains one of the league’s best and has kept them in most games, their offense has failed to strike fear into opposing defenses. While it may have been alright to antagonize a bottom-feeder team, the Eagles made a mistake attempting to troll the Lions.
Their defense, despite having seven players on injured reserve, has given opposing offenses nightmares. The Lions' defense ranks fourth in sacks (30), eighth in rushing yards allowed (94.3), and 12th in passing yards allowed (199.7). Their defense, led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and safety Brian Branch, has been surging as of late and is gearing up for their playoff run.
Although Lions fans should be confident that the team will win, the Eagles are battle-tested and could be saving their best performance for Sunday night. This will be a good test to see not only if the Lions are capable of winning a Super Bowl, but also how mentally tough they are.
If they can put away the Eagles, they should be able to beat anyone. Hopefully, the Lions make Eminem proud this week and dismantle the Eagles.