Detroit Lions Emerge As Biggest Threat to Philadelphia Eagles for No. 1 Seed

Are the Detroit Lions the most likely team to leapfrog the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the NFC?

The Philadelphia Eagles will return from their bye in control of the top seed in the NFC, by virtue of their 8-1 record. However, with a gauntlet of upcoming games, securing a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason is hardly a certainty for coach Nick Sirianni's squad. 

While both the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys turned in dominant performances Sunday, the Detroit Lions increasingly feel like the biggest threat to the Eagles for the top seed in the NFC. And if the Lions get that top seed, they may be the scariest opponent in the NFC playoffs as the Eagles look to return to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. 

Despite quarterback Justin Herbert tossing four touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, it was coach Dan Campbell's Lions who emerged with a 41-38 victory in Week 10 at SoFi Stadium. 

With the win, the Lions are now 7-2. Quarterback Jared Goff has tossed 14 touchdowns to five interceptions this season, while David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are one of the league's best running back tandems. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had a season-high 156 receiving yards against the Chargers, and has gone over the century mark six times this season. And rookie Sam LaPorta -- who has 47 catches for 474 yards -- looks like the next great tight end. At the very least, this is an offense that can compete with anyone. 

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are attempting to hold off the Detroit Lions in the race for the NFC's top seed.  / USA Today

The Lions are perhaps the best argument for finishing a season strong, and hoping said culture will carry over to the next year. After starting 1-6 in 2022, the Lions finished the season by winning eight of their last 10 games. Campbell has turned a perpetual losing franchise into a team that's won 15 of its last 19 regular season games, and seems to have as good of an organizational culture as any team in the sport. 

Still, this is a group that's yet to play in the postseason together. The book on Goff has always been that he struggles to play in sub-optimal conditions outside. So beyond getting a first-round bye, the Eagles would likely increase their chances of defeating the Lions -- whether it's in the Divisional Round or NFC Championship Game -- if they secured the NFC's No. 1 seed. Lincoln Financial Field in January isn't exactly a climate-controlled environment for a Lions team that plays in a covered dome at Ford Field.

Then again, this is a very different Goff than the one who felt like a product of coach Sean McVay's offense with the Los Angeles Rams. For all the concerns about his ability to play outside, the Lions defeated the Packers in Week 18 at Lambeau Field last season, dashing Green Bay's playoff hopes and ending quarterback Aaron Rodgers' time with the team. The Lions then proceeded to go into Arrowhead Field and upset the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 in the NFL's opening game of this season. Detroit is probably a team that needs to be feared regardless of where the game is being played. 

Obviously, getting the No. 1 seed should still be the goal for the Eagles. Giving quarterback Jalen Hurts a chance to rest his left knee during Wild Card Weekend would be huge. And yes, if you're going to play the Lions in the postseason, you would much rather it come in Philadelphia than at Ford Field. But one way or another, the Eagles probably will have to face a fearless Lions team this postseason.