On a snowy field in Philadelphia, the Eagles have taken a big step toward the playoffs, while the Lions have taken a big step backward.
With LeSean McCoy leading the way and gaining an Eagles franchise record 217 yards, Philadelphia ran over Detroit, winning 34-20.
The win improves the Eagles’ record to 8-5, and puts them in good position for a run to the playoffs: If they win their final three games, they win the NFC East.
The 7-6 Lions also need only to win their last three games to win their division, although they can’t feel particularly confident in their chances given the way they’ve played over the last month. With all the injuries in Green Bay and Chicago, Detroit has been virtually handed the NFC North. But they might lose it anyway.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a terrible time dealing with the snowy conditions, fumbling a whopping five times and completing just 10 of 25 passes for 148 yards. The Lions’ lousy offense wasted a brilliant day from return man Jeremy Ross, who had two touchdowns, one on a punt and one on a kickoff.
The Eagles’ offense, however, eventually figured out how to deal with the bad conditions. Although Philadelphia got off to a bad start, by the fourth quarter the Eagles’ offense was rolling, and by the end of the game Philadelphia had topped 300 rushing yards.
Now the question is what each team can do over the final three weeks. The Eagles look a lot more like a playoff-worthy team than the Lions.