The Detroit Lions bounced back from their loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9 with a stunning 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, November 9, on the road. The win felt extra good because the Lions famously fell to the Commanders during last season’s divisional round, which saw Washington beat the Lions in a 45-31 loss to advance towards the championship game.
During the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties from first-year offensive coordinator John Morton. He told the press that he met with Morton after the loss to the Vikings to have an honest conversation and talk about what went wrong and what improvements needed to be made. He also said that Morton was fine with doing whatever it takes to ensure the Detroit Lions win.
“Listen, John Morton’s all team. That’s all he cares about,” Campbell said. “He just wants to win. He wants to be a part of it. He wants to help where he can, and he was outstanding today.” He added, “He’s a grinder, he’s a worker, and he just tries to help and give you anything you can possibly need for the game. Look, if you’re him, of course it probably doesn’t feel too good, but he’s also a pro and he understands everything, so we move on.”
Great Positioning for the Detroit Lions Ahead of Philadelphia Eagles
Now, the Detroit Lions will face the reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, on the road on Sunday, November 16, for “Sunday Night Football.” Heading into the game, they have a reason to be happy.
The Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers on Monday, November 10, during “Monday Night Football,” in doing so, they did the Lions a big favor. On Tuesday morning, the Lions woke up to being the No. 1 team in the NFC North.
Because of the Green Bay Packers having a tie with the Dallas Cowboys this season, having another loss changed the NFC North standings and put the Lions on top. Even though the Chicago Bears are tied with the Detroit Lions in the standings, Detroit holds the tiebreaker, according to NFL research, so the Lions are technically first.
The Race to the Top of the NFC
The Packers’ loss to the Eagles was a bit hit for Green Bay, and going forward, that game will have significant implications in the NFC’s competition for the number one seed. If the Lions beat the Eagles this weekend, that will surely help their case to getting that number one seed, but was we know from last season, it doesn’t matter if they fall early in the playoffs.
Another team to watch in the NFC is the Seattle Seahawks. They’re ranked No. 1 in the Week 11 power rankings from the NFL, No. 5 on the ESPN’s tally and No. 1 on Alternative Fix’s NFL power rankings. The Los Angeles Rams are also topping Week 11 tallies.
Eric Edholm of the NFL’s official website says of Seattle, “Following the Seahawks’ thrashing of the Cardinals, even with some ugly stretches, I feel OK about elevating them into this perch. In a season where I’ve spotlighted multiple teams atop the list, this feels like stability.”
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