Photo: Bob Goldsmith, used via CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Another NFL season is upon us, which means it’s once again time for Joe and John to go on the record and predict how they think each Eagles game is going to turn out and then argue about who was less bad at it for a week afterward.

Week 1 sees the Birds head to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions. There are high expectations for the Eagles in 2022, while the expectations for the Lions…are not. But that’s why they play the games; so who comes out on top this week?

Joe won – lost? – the coin flip, so he’ll go first.

Joe (0-0-0): THE COIN WAS FAKE, I DEMAND A RECOUNT

There’s not a lot of mystery here; it was just a few days ago that John and I both declared this game a victory. And if the Eagles are going to be the team people say they’re going to be, then this is a game you win.

I’m very much not a big Jalen Hurts guy, but this is a game where the Eagles might have the better quarterback. Jared Goff seems to regress every year, and with a remodeled Eagles pass rush, the chances are good that Goff will get to refresh his memory as to what the inside of the roof of Ford Field looks like. I also expect the turnover battle to go in favor of the Birds as well.

This is also a game where, for professional reasons, I won’t be able to see the first half, and those games usually go well for the Eagles. Part of me wants to hedge, but this just smells like a year where everyone is incredibly excited about the team and gets their dreams shattered later down the line, in January, instead of in September. Eagles 31, Lions 14.

Offensive Standout: Dallas Goedert

Defensive Standout: Haason Reddick

John (0-0-0): Could the Eagles lose in Detroit? Sure, anything’s possible in the first week. It shouldn’t happen this week. Even if the Eagles are slow out of the gate, they have enough talent to eke out a win over the moribund franchise in Detroit. 

A.J. Brown was ignored in the first preseason game. I don’t expect that to happen again. Jalen Hurts will (or at least should) look for his new weapon early and often on Sunday. 

On defense, Haason Reddick will be a focal point, but there’s one player on defense who has even more to show. It’s a homecoming game for Brandon Graham, a guy who is also looking for a bit of a comeback of his own this year. Eagles 28, Lions 17.

Offensive Standout: A.J. Brown

Defensive Standout: Brandon Graham