The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles were excellent in terms of their defense. And even though the Eagles escaped with a 16-9 win, the offense was equally poor for both teams, and the Lions suffered an embarrassing defeat due to costly mistakes. And head coach Dan Campbell believes he had a “hand” in that.

“Offensively, it really starts with a run game. 3.5 average, it’s not enough for us,” HC Campbell said at the press conference, calling out the entire unit. “That’s all inclusive. It really was a combination of misthrows. We had some pressures, tip balls, made a couple of drops. And then there was a couple of bad calls by me. There’s some calls I want back bad. So, I had a hand in that.”

The Lions’ HC admitted that the team struggled badly on third and fourth downs. However, Campbell also pointed out that the offense did click well. He added that they scored quickly on a couple of drives with big plays to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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“We’re explosive,” he said. “Saint gets a big one. It was a heck of a throw. Really good protection. And then right after that, J-Mo over the middle takes it to the house. Good protection again. And a great throw in stride. So, we’re f——- close. And then special teams coverage units, loved it.”

The Lions quarterback, Jared Goff, threw a 34-yard pass to Brown and later connected with wide receiver Jameson Williams for a 40-yard touchdown. So, there’s hope for the team. Speaking to the reporters, Coach Campbell praised the Lions’ defense, but he made it clear that it wasn’t a good offense or playcalling, and they will need to improve.

Coach Campbell, who took over the playcalling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton, had an aggressive approach. And that seemed to work against the Lions. They kept failing on fourth down, which was also pointed out by the coach. Not to mention, the Eagles’ defense was also tough on the team.

One of the Lions players was quite clear on this matter.

Taylor Decker was candid about the Eagles’ defense

While the Eagles’ offense continued to struggle, the defense had a dominant game, holding the Lions to just 9 points. Goff was pressured 20 times and took seven QB hits. The Lions’ QB could only complete 38 percent of his throws.

And tackle Taylor Decker didn’t hesitate to openly praise the Eagles’ defense and especially the players, admitting to having a hard time in the game.

“Their personnel is very good, they’re not necessarily an overly-complicated defense, they just have really good players and they can roll them through too.” “It was very difficult,” Decker admitted.

As Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis shared, the team had extensively studied tape to find ways to bat down Goff’s passes. They figured out how the Lions’ QB throws at an angle and practiced a specific drill during the week to counter it. And Decker is also right about the Eagles having some of the best players.

One shining example is their newest acquisition from the Miami Dolphins, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. After a thrilling performance against the Green Bay Packers, Phillips followed it up by notching six pressures and a sack against the Lions.

Even quarterback Jalen Hurts poured in rave reviews for the defense. While it’s a huge positive for the Eagles, who are eyeing their second championship, their offense will also have to step up.