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In what was their most complete game of the season, the Detroit Lions dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in all phases of the game. The final score was 45-14, but this game was decided much early in the third quarter.
The Lions played their best half of football to start the game, but it wasn't without some early struggles. After the Eagles missed a long field goal, the Lions went three-and-out in ugly fashion.
However, they quickly rebounded, responding with six straight offensive drives that ended in points, including five Matthew Stafford touchdowns, one to Theo Riddick, three to Calvin Johnson and this easy score from Golden Tate:
Golden Tate LITERALLY strolled into the end zone. https://t.co/2uEjstZagc pic.twitter.com/hIjA1o3gMG
— SB Nation NFL (@SBNationNFL) November 26, 2015
The Lions' offense was firing on all cylinders, with Theo Riddick hauling in three catches for 42 yards in the first half alone. Even the Lions running game saw some success, finishing with 108 yards at 3.6 a carry (the number was higher before the Lions' final drive, in which they were just running clock).
The Lions defense was equally impressive. Ezekiel Ansah led the way with 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. By the game's end, Ansah led the league in sacks. He was in a festive mood:
TURKEY DANCE! https://t.co/6hZEphyqZW pic.twitter.com/8hzni7Crko
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 26, 2015
The second quarter was all Lions. Detroit outgained the Eagles 193 to -9 yards in the second stanza. By halftime, the score was 24-7. But the Lions weren't through with the Eagles yet.
Detroit opened the second half with a 12 play, 80 yard touchdown drive to take a commanding 24-point lead. The defense upped the ante by forcing a turnover, and the offense quickly turned that into another seven points. With the Lions' lead now pushed to 31, the rest of the game was a formality.
It wasn't all good news, as one of the Lions' best defensive players, Glover Quin, left the game due to an injury late in the first quarter and Larry Warford was being evaluated for a concussion at the end of the game.
All in all, this was a completely one-sided affair. The Lions defense continued to look great for a third straight game, while the offense finally put together an entire four quarters.
The Detroit Lions (4-7) have now won three straight games, while the Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) have dropped three straight. The Lions will try to make it four in a row against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football next week.