Lions prepare for ‘hostile’ Linc, but some call fans a ‘nonfactor;’ why Dan Campbell wants the Tush Push to stay

The Eagles will be back in prime time for a second straight week as they host the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.

After their Monday night 10-7 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, the Birds will face off against another formidable NFC North foe. Entering Week 11 at 6-3, the Lions are tied for the division lead with the Chicago Bears.

The Lions drubbed the injury-riddled Washington Commanders last week, 44-22. With head coach Dan Campbell calling the offense, Detroit will try to carry over last week’s scoring output into Sunday night’s matchup with the Eagles.

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Here’s what the Lions are saying ahead of their first matchup with the Eagles since 2022, and their first at Lincoln Financial Field since 2019 …

Jared Goff had high praise for the Eagles in his Wednesday media availability. The Lions quarterback said the matchup between two NFC division leaders in prime time will be “fun.”

“They do a lot of things right,” Goff said. “They have really good players. They were the Super Bowl champs last year for a reason, and we’ll have our hands full, but we’re ready.”

Aidan Hutchinson said the Lions have had the team’s matchup with the Eagles circled on the calendar. The defensive end went a step further than Goff when talking about the importance of Sunday night, calling it a “must-win” game.

“Ultimately, where we see ourselves as a team, every year the standard is to battle for that number one seed,” Hutchinson said. “They’re one of those teams that we’re going to battle with. So, that’s why it’s a must-win in my eyes.”

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Campbell stopped short of designating a Week 11 contest as a “must-win” game, but the Lions coach did recognize that the Birds are a significant test for his team. Detroit is vying for playoff seeding in the NFC — and a tight NFC North — as it tries to beat the Eagles for the first time since 2019.

Campbell told reporters Wednesday that part of the Eagles’ success under Nick Sirianni is playing “sound football.”

“They don’t beat themselves,” Campbell said. “When they need a critical play, they come up with a critical play. That’s what champions do. That’s why they’ve been able to have the success that they’ve had.”

During a Tuesday radio appearance on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, Campbell said Philadelphia was “probably the most hostile place to play.” Campbell, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, including four with the Giants and three with the Cowboys, amplified his admiration for the Eagles’ home environment during the week.

“You go on the road and it’s you against everybody else,” Campbell said. “And it’s very clear that it’s you against everybody else there. You go some places and they wave at you like, ‘Man, we’re so happy you’re here to play against us.’ This is not one of those places. It’s as far from that as you can possibly get. I love playing in atmospheres like that.”

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While Hutchinson did not play at the Linc in his first three seasons, the defensive end mirrored his coach’s excitement to play in Philly. He said intense away environments remind him of his college days at Michigan.

“I know it’s hostile, to say the least,” Hutchinson said. “But I think those are fun environments to play in. You get in those college football-esque games … To me, it really invigorates my soul.”

Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said he’s not someone who feeds off an opposing crowd, adding that he’s typically too focused on the game to notice the environment in the stands.

“I think maybe some guys feed off it,” St. Brown said. “But I feel like once you’re in the game, you don’t even realize it. You’re so locked in to what you have to do, trying to make a play, and all the details that half the time you don’t even hear the noise.”

Jameson Williams said he’s aware of the Linc’s reputation as a tough place to play, but the Lions receiver has also never played in Philly. Williams says if the Lions execute their game plan, the crowd will have no impact.

“If we go out there and do our thing — make plays, execute — the crowd and the fans, they’ll be a nonfactor to us,” Williams said.

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The Lions were one of the 10 NFL teams that voted to keep the Eagles’ Tush Push this offseason, with Campbell as a vocal advocate for the play. This week, Campbell said his support of the play is rooted in his desire to keep football physical.

“I’m a purist, man,” Campbell said. “You take something else out of the game, then we’re taking the next thing out of the game. Then we’re taking another thing out of the game. Pretty soon we don’t have pads anymore, and then pretty soon you’re only playing 30 minutes. That’s why I don’t want to take it out of the game.”

Campbell said that the Lions have a plan in place to counter the Tush Push on defense, but Kelvin Sheppard, the Lions’ defensive coordinator, said personnel is more important when trying to stop teams in short-yardage situations on third or fourth downs.

“When you talk about the game of inches, [our players] take pride in it, and they’ve thrived in those situations,” Sheppard said. “But I credit the players, and it starts with that interior. D.J. Reader — you turn on all those [plays] — he’s a force. You can’t move him. Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez.”

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Hutchinson recognized the strength of the Eagles’ Tush Push, while also identifying Reader, a 330-pound defensive tackle, as a key part of the Lions’ defense against the play. Hutchinson called the push “a battle of will.”

“I don’t think anybody’s quite cracked it yet,” Hutchinson said. “I trust big D.J. Reader and the middle to get the job done. He’s stopped a few QB sneaks in his day.”