Game ball, three stars, and snap count analysis: Week 11, Eagles vs. Lions

In their Week 11 win over the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles played 72 snaps on offense and 59 snaps on defense. Let's just get right to the snap counts, some notes, and some special recognition.

Quarterback

• 72 snaps: Jalen Hurts

Notes: Hurts had a bad game. He misfired on throws for the better part of the night. 14 of 28 for 135 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs.

I do think it's fair to note that the high winds very likely affected both quarterbacks. Jared Goff led the NFL in completion percentage heading into this matchup, at 74.0%. Last year he finished second on the NFL with a completion percentage of 72.4%. He was 14 of 37 last night.

The Eagles will be in a dome next Sunday against a bad Cowboys defense. Hurts will be expected to play much better in that matchup.

Running back

• 58 snaps: Saquon Barkley

• 8 snaps: Tank Bigsby

• 7 snaps: Will Shipley

• 1 snap: Cooper DeJean

Notes: Barkley carried 26 times for 83 yards (3.2 YPC). Holes aren't as wide as they were a season ago. Still, there seemed to be a few times there was a crease that Barkley could run through last night, but he hesitated and they closed up.

Bigsby has really become a nice spark plug for an offense that desperately needs one. He had 4 carries for 34 yards (8.5 YPC), and has shown some juice.

Wide receiver

• 70 snaps: A.J. Brown

• 67 snaps: DeVonta Smith

• 23 snaps: Jahan Dotson

• 3 snaps: Darius Cooper

Notes: Brown got 11 targets, 12 if you include the pass interference call at the end of the game. That was a season high, after he had just 3 targets in Green Bay against the Packers last Monday night. There was a feeling that Brown could have more success against a Lions defense that (a) plays a lot of man coverage and (b) was missing both starting outside corners (Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed) as well as starting safety Kerby Joseph. He caught 7 of those targets for 49 yards.

I wondered if the Lions would play more zone against the Eagles' offense, given the Birds' struggles against zone, but they didn't really change much of what they normally do. Brown actually got 7 targets against man coverage. Here's what they looked like, mostly working again Rock Ya-Sin, who is the Lions' CB5, at best:

I know A.J. has a lot of fans who love him, and rightfully so. He's been an amazing player for the Eagles the last three seasons. And yes, I know, I know. It's the quarterback, or the offensive coordinator, or the scheme. There's certainly room for criticism of all of those things. But be honest — does that 👆 look like the same guy we've become accustomed to seeing?

Smith didn't have a very good game either. He had one clear drop, and another contested catch that he was unable to hang onto. He had just 1 catch on 5 targets for 8 yards.

Dotson made a big play:

He is averaging just 1.7 targets per game, but he leads the team by a pretty wide margin with 11.4 yards per target.

Tight end

• 65 snaps: Dallas Goedert

• 34 snaps: Grant Calcaterra

• 15 snaps: Kylen Granson

• 1 snap: Cameron Latu

Notes: It was a quiet night for Goedert, with 2 catches on 5 targets for 24 yards.

I believe that this is a fair criticism of the Eagles' offensive staff:

Grant Calcaterra played 34 offensive snaps and was used as a blocker on 30 of them. It's also worth noting that Calcaterra is legitimately one of the worst blockers in the NFL.

— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) November 17, 2025

One of a long list of fair criticisms, to be clear.

Offensive line

• 72 snaps each: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen

• 62 snaps: Fred Johnson

• 61 snaps: Cam Jurgens

• 14 snaps: Lane Johnson

• 11 snaps: Brett Toth

• 4 snaps: Matt Pryor

Notes: Lane got through the 2024 season unscathed, and he said it was as good as he had felt after a season in a long time. He has had a tough 2025 season:

He left the Rams game with a neck injury, did not return.
He left the Buccaneers game with a left shoulder injury, did not return.
He left the Packers game with an ugly-looking ankle injury, somehow returned in the second half.
He left the Lions game with a foot injury, did not return.

He could miss some real time with his Lisfranc injury and Fred Johnson has played well as a fill-in whenever needed.

Jurgens also went down in this game, and did not return.

Edge defenders

• 45 snaps: Jalean Phillips

• 36 snaps: Jalyx Hunt

• 22 snaps: Nolan Smith

• 8 snaps: Brandon Graham

Notes: Here's Phillips and Hunt meeting at the quarterback on a 4th and Goal stop while beating Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker, for your viewing pleasure:

Phillips has been awesome in his two games with the Eagles, and Hunt has become a legitimately good NFL starter.

Side note: The idea that Sewell is anywhere near Lane Johnson's prime as a pass protector is laughable.

Graham had some good reps as well. This was also on a 4th down stop, via @JakeRabadi.

Smith is easing back in, it seems. That's probably the right approach with him.

What was looking like a weakness a few weeks ago now looks like a significant strength.

Interior defensive line

• 53 snaps: Jalen Carter

• 37 snaps: Moro Ojomo

• 29 snaps: Jordan Davis

• 6 snaps: Byron Young

Notes: Davis and Carter combined for 5 batted passes. One of Davis' batted passes led to Cooper DeJean's INT.

Davis, Carter, and Ojomo were all particularly disruptive against the Lions' two-headed monster of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Awesome night for the defensive line, in general.

Linebacker

• 59 snaps: Zack Baun

• 40 snaps: Nakobe Dean

• 20 snaps: Jihaad Campbell

Notes: There was no guarantee that Dean would look anything like he did last season after rehabbing a torn patellar tendon injury, but he has been fantastic in his return to the field. He is arguably playing better than he did in 2024, especially as a blitzer. He has sacks in consecutive games.

Baun had 7 tackles, which led the team as usual.

Cornerback and safety

• 59 snaps each: Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Reed Blankenship, Andrew Mukuba

• 57 snaps: Adoree' Jackson

• 1 snap: Michael Carter

Notes: Mitchell had Lions receivers on lock.

Quinyon Mitchell did not allow a reception on any of his 6 targets, tied for the most targets without allowing a reception in a game over the last two seasons.
Mitchell has allowed a 41.9% completion percentage this season, the lowest by any player since 2018 (min. 50 targets).… pic.twitter.com/cbrbygdGY2

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 17, 2025

If he starts intercepting passes he has a chance to be an all-timer.

Blankenship and Mukuba have struggled at times this season, but they have been good the last two games against the Packers and Lions.

Jackson gave up separation to Jameson Williams, who then ran away from Jackson after the catch for a TD. Williams does that sometimes. I do think Jackson did a good job of putting that play in the rear view mirror and making a big pass breakup on a 4th down stop late in the game.

Special teams

Bonus! We don't normally cover special teams here, but I just wanted to briefly say that Cal Adomitis, the long snapper fill-in for the injured Charley Hughlett, looks fine to me as a long snapper, and he had 2 tackles last night. I think Hughlett might be getting Wally Pipp'd.