The Lions handed the Eagles their first loss of the season today in Detroit, but it wasn’t easy.
Despite letting the Lions jump out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and a 21-10 lead at halftime, the Eagles turned things around, dominated the second half and appeared set to win the game.
But as the Eagles were protecting a late 23-21 lead, Darius Slay laid a hard hit on Ryan Matthews, forcing him to fumble. The Lions then marched down the field and kicked a field goal to go up 24-23 with less than two minutes to play. From there, Carson Wentz had a chance to drive the Eagles down to the field for a field goal of their own, but instead Slay picked Wentz off to seal the win.
Wentz had thrown 134 passes without an interception, an NFL rookie record. (A rookie record that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, currently at 131, can break later today.) But that first interception ended it for the Eagles.
Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham, who was arrested during the Eagles’ bye week, was benched for the first half of the game. In the second half his return made a huge difference, as the Eagles’ defense looked much more composed and Bradham was flying around the field making plays.
But Slay will be remembered as the defensive player who won this game, forcing two late turnovers and handing the Lions a much-needed win.