DETROIT – There won’t be any mud puddles on the field when the Detroit Lions host Philadelphia this Thanksgiving. No snow, either.
These two teams – who have a bit of a history of bad-weather games – will play indoors in the comfortable confines of Ford Field, where Chip Kelly’s offense (and that of his opponent) can operate unencumbered by any wintery elements.
After two consecutive losses, the Eagles are still only a game out of first place in the NFC East, but a loss at Detroit on Thursday would leave Kelly and his team facing even more criticism in what’s been a trying season so far. Kelly’s third year as Philadelphia’s coach has been the most difficult, but there’s still time to salvage it.
“I think sometimes people panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Kelly said. “I think we have a really good football team, and I’m very confident in those football players.”
The Eagles (4-6) still have one of the higher-ranked offenses in the league – they’re eighth in yards per game – but the defense unraveled last weekend in a 45-17 loss to Tampa Bay. Detroit (3-7) isn’t exactly humming along offensively. The Lions have won two in a row, but scored only 18 points in each of those games.
Philadelphia hasn’t played at Detroit on Thanksgiving since 1968, when the Eagles won 12-0 at Tiger Stadium in a game remembered largely for its muddy conditions. The last time the teams met anywhere was in December 2013, when the Eagles won 34-20 during a Philadelphia snowstorm.
