Every win matters at this stage of the NFL season. In the wake of Sunday's big home win over the visiting Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles improved to 8-2 on the season in their 16-9 victory. This win not only gives the Eagles the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lions moving forward, but gets them even closer to winning another NFC East title. Philadelphia is the defending Super Bowl champs.
One of the biggest standouts from Sunday's game in Philadelphia was the Lions' decision to almost always go for it on fourth down. It is a calling card of a Dan Campbell-led Lions team. Philadelphia was able to stop Jared Goff and the Lions' offense on all five fourth-down attempts they went for it. Former Georgia star linebacker Nakobe Dean took umbrage with Detroit believing it could convert.
Dean's quote on the matter says it all. Again, this is arguably Philadelphia's biggest win of the season.
"For sure, almost disrespectful. Almost disrespectful. Even if it wasn't disrespectful towards us, I think it's disrespectful to our offense because they'll get okay field position. They're just not defensive-minded. I really don't take it as offense. I know the type of team they are over there and we expected it to be a game like this, so we just had to nut up."
Dean had three tackles and one sack on the evening in the Eagles' impressive victory over the Lions.
Nakobe Dean puts Detroit Lions in their place with this postgame quote
While it has been a few years since Dean last starred Between the Hedges at Georgia, these are the type of games he almost always put forth for the Red and Black. As one of the greatest linebackers in program history, Dean's football instincts were always on display in college. If not for a hurt shoulder, he might have been a first-round pick like his past, present and future teammate was in Jordan Davis.
The thing that jumps off the page in Dean's brutally honest assessment is this is the exact type of response you would expect out of a Philadelphia star on a team trying to turn the corner. It has not been smooth sailing for the Eagles all season long, but they are 8-2 in the middle part of November. Nobody is catching them in-division. All that matters at this point is making its way through the NFC.
Ultimately, Dean is the perfect type of leader this year's Eagles team needs. Every team is different. Just because the Eagles won the Super Bowl a year ago does not mean they are guaranteed to do so again. There is a certain standard they must achieve. Philadelphia was playing with its food a bit. In the end, Dean is an emotional leader and the perfect cornerstone for any team, both college or pro.
If Dean and the Eagles defense can continue to play like this, Philadelphia could come out of the NFC.