NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 3 PFF ReFocused: Detroit Lions 27, Philadelphia Eagles 24

Matthew Stafford impressed as he led his team to a 27-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.

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Final Score

Detroit Lions 27, Philadelphia Eagles 24

Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford was at his best in this one. He didn't force any spectacular throws but consistently made plays in key situations, staying poised in the pocket and delivering pinpoint passes against a Philly secondary that looked overmatched.

While he won't look back on Nelson Agolohor‘s touchdown with great fondness, it was an impressive day for Justin Coleman. He drew the short straw in the slot, forced to defend two-way releases that were often long- developing crossing routes. But he matched up well for the most part and did a great job slowing down the Eagles' offense.

Rookie Takeaways

It was a tough day for rookie T.J. Hockenson, who failed to make much of an impact catching the ball and struggled to maintain his blocks on the edge. After his explosive start, the last two weeks represent the reality of the NFL.

Jahlani Tavai also had a quiet day. It's never easy adjusting the faster and stronger athletes at the professional level, but Tavai was completely overmatched for most of the day.

Philadelphia Eagles

It was an up and down day for Carson Wentz, who will be going to bed tonight wondering “what if.” His receivers dropped balls and collected flags for offensive pass interference, and ultimately, he wasn't good enough to overcome that.

It's never ideal for an offense when you end up playing three guys at left tackle. Jason Peters never looked right all game as he suffered from an illness, while Andre Dillard struggled his way through five snaps before falling to injury. Peters returned to the game in the second half and put a commendable effort in, but a guy of his talents isn't used to getting beat as much as he did today.

It wasn't a great day for the Eagles' defense as a whole, but Zach Brown really impressed. While Nigel Bradham was often engulfed in the run game, Brown put forth a sterling effort and led the team in tackles.

One of the hallmarks of this Eagles team is that their defensive line. Much was expected of them against the Lions, but its two heaviest hitters failed to land consistent blows, with both Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham having their worst games of the season so far.

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