Who Picked The Eagles: Week 12


Photo by Jeff Fusco

Photo by Jeff Fusco

The Eagles play the Lions in Detroit at 12:30, just in time to ruin your appetite for Thanksgiving dinner.

Here’s how a sampling of local and national media think the game will play out.

Birds 24/7 Picks

Both Tim and Josh are picking the Lions this week in an effort to right their season records. Check out the latest episode of Press Coverage for their full thoughts on the Thursday throw down, as well as Chip Kelly’s sinking ship.

National Writer Predictions

FOX Sports’ Pete Schrager isn’t buying Chip Kelly’s tactics any longer. He picks the Lions, 31-23, over the Birds on Thanksgiving.

No, this didn’t end up being the NFC playoff preview that FOX executives had hoped for when the schedules came out in April, but it beats discussing the Drake “Hotline Bling” video with Grandma Janice and arguing about politics with Cousin Eleanor.

I’ve read 35 articles about Chip Kelly‘s revolutionary sleep science tactics. Guess what? Unless you have an NFL quarterback, sleep science isn’t winning you any games. Mark Sanchez has one dubious start on Thanksgiving (there was some famous play a few years ago), and I think he could be in line for another.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports expects the Eagles’ downward spiral to continue Thursday against a suddenly hot Lions team.

This is a must-win for the Eagles if they are going to have a chance to win the division. They aren’t playing well, and the Lions are — especially on defense. That carries over. Lions take it.

The Eagles’ time has run out, writes NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison, and Mark Sanchez isn’t going to save them. Give him the Lions, 24-14.

It was this time last year, on Thanksgiving Day, when Mark Sanchez arguably played his best game of the season. That won’t happen this time around. Will Sanchez be a turkey? (I am probably the 58,769th sportswriter to use that horrific, but timely cliché. Bill me.) While Sanchez won’t necessarily be the problem, the Eagles’ secondary presents the perfect opportunity for Matt Stafford to rebound. The Detroit defense has allowed a combined 29 points over the last two weeks, despite not forcing a single turnover. We’re still holding out hope that Sam Bradford plays.

Don Banks of Sports Illustrated has lost faith in the Birds, and he’s taking Detroit in a low-scoring affair, 19-16.

After losing 11 times in 12 years on Thanksgiving from 2001 to 2012, Detroit is actually on a two-game winning streak on the holiday, routing the Packers and Bears the past two years. The Lions don’t have as much to play for as they did in those seasons, but at least they’re responding to the recent coaching and front office changes in the organization and making a decent run at saving head coach Jim Caldwell’s job. At least I think that’s what they’re doing. These are the Lions, and they move in mysterious ways.

Just two of SB Nation’s seven panelists expect the Eagles to pull out a win in Detroit on Thursday.

Eleven of ESPN’s 13 panelists think the Lions come away with the victory.

Beat Writer Predictions

Zach Berman, Philadelphia Inquirer: Lions win, 24-23.

Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer: Lions win, 27-20.

Martin Frank, The News Journal: Lions win, 27-20.