Vic Fangio and Howie Roseman have rebuilt the Eagles defense that won a Super Bowl

It’s the goal-line stand that will have everyone talking, and rightly so, since it was the sort of set of plays from which hard-nosed, November NFC football is made.

The Lions had the ball, second-and-goal from the 6, trailing by seven points, late third quarter. Safety Reed Blankenship hit Jahmyr Gibbs on first down for just 2 yards. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter limited Gibbs to 1 yard on the next play. Deadline addition Jaelan Phillips pressured Jared Goff and forced an incompletion on fourth down.

The Lions never got inside the 29-yard line again.

The Eagles won, 16-9, Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field despite an offense aptly described by wideout A.J. Brown as a “bleep-show.”

Why?

Because that Eagles defense, which led them to a Super Bowl win nine months ago, suddenly, again, is elite.

“The defense is [bleeping] balling right now,” said grateful offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.

But, elite?

Nakobe Dean, who shined all night, paused and considered.

“We gotta continue to get better,” he said.

They’d just held the Packers to seven at Lambeau Field, then allowed the NFC’s highest-scoring offense its fewest points in 16 games, counting playoffs. The Eagles travel to Dallas on Sunday, where the Cowboys are shaking in their boots.

Really, how much better can the Eagles’ defense get?

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After a virtuoso performance in Game 9 last Monday night at Green Bay, the defense — constructed by general manager Howie Roseman and coordinated by Vic Fangio — delivered a tour de force six nights later. Zones and man, blitzes and stunts, batted passes and sacks and so much more.

Most important: Sixteen points surrendered against two very good quarterbacks who play for playoff-likely teams that are above .500.

Two touchdowns in eight quarters.

Good job, Vic.

But …

Bravo, Howie.

Bravissimo!

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“You saw those guys, all those guys, out there making plays,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts, appreciatively.

Phillips, Carter, and Dean featured all night. Among them, only Carter had featured before Game 5, since Dean was hurt and Phillips was in Miami, and frankly, Carter didn’t feature much, since he wasn’t in shape until Game 6.

Sunday marked the first game that the Eagles defense played as it originally was comprised. Thanks to Roseman, it also featured reinforcements.

For the first time this season both Dean, the middle linebacker, and defensive end Nolan Smith started without snap-count limitations; Smith had been hurt, too.

“Holy [bleep],” Mailata said. “Them coming back — game-changer. Really a game-changer.

They were joined by Philips, a pricey trade-deadline pass rusher who’d debuted brilliantly Monday night in Green Bay, and by old friend Brandon Graham, who’d unretired four weeks earlier and also had played his first game as a 2025 Eagle in Green Bay.

Not coincidentally, the Eagles surrendered just seven points to the Packers, their stingiest performance of the season … by 10 points. The seven-point allowance was 17 fewer than the Packers’ average, which ranked 14th.

The Lions averaged 31.4 points entering Sunday night, second-best in the league. They scored 22 fewer than they averaged.

The Lions entered with a pedestrian 37.5% third-down conversion rate, but ranked fourth in fourth-down conversions at 72.2%.

They converted 3 of 13 third downs, or 23%.

They converted zero of 5 fourth downs, or, yep, 0%.

“Those are turnovers in our mind,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “Five-for-five, the way we look at it.”

How?

Playmakers all over Lincoln Financial Field, wearing the midnight green.

First series: Dean covered the running back out of the backfield, Jordan Davis pushed the pocket and deflected the pass, and Cooper DeJean intercepted it. That led to a field goal.

Second series: Phillips sacked Goff, which led to a punt.

Third series: Carter dropped David Montgomery for a 2-yard gain on third down, which led to a punt.

Fourth series: On fourth-and-1, Moro Ojomo grabbed Gibbs low, Carter hit him high, and they stoned him at the line of scrimmage.

Fifth series: Dean hit Goff on third down, which forced an incompletion that forced fourth down, and the Lions tried a fake punt and failed.

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Then, a Detroit touchdown on two long passes. Nobody’s perfect.

The Eagles came close.

Dean, a linebacker, covered star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and helped force a turnover on downs.

Then, the goal-line stand.

Later in the second half, Dean would blanket Jameson Williams. On the next play, he’d sack Goff.

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Phillips had another pressure.

Jalyx Hunt pressured Goff twice in three plays with just under six minutes to go.

If there was a standout, well, it was Dean’s day, but name them all. Carter, Phillips. Ojomo for a minute. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell — superb.

They all were good. So, so good.

Just like Vic called it. Just like Howie built it.