Eagles-Lions preview: 3 things to watch for

The Eagles will look to feed LeSean McCoy Sunday against Detroit. Credit: Getty Images

Three things to watch for in Sunday’s Eagles-Lions tilt at the Linc (1 p.m., FOX):

1. Gone streaking: Nick Foles will look to break Peyton Manning’s touchdown without an interception streak. The quarterback is sitting on 19 straight and needs two more to set the new mark. He’ll have to do it against a patchy Lions secondary. Detroit has given up a ton of yards in the passing game, but rank in the middle of the pack in interceptions with 12.

2. Spread Shady out: We all know how valuable LeSean McCoy is running the football. He’s the second-leading rusher (1,088) in the NFL, after putting 79 yards on a very good Arizona run defense. However, pay attention to what he’s doing as a pass-catcher. McCoy is on pace for 580 receiving yards, which would be his second-highest total for a season since coming into the league.

3. Stopping Megatron: The Eagles cornerback trio of Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher and Brandon Boykin draw the unenviable task of slowing Calvin Johnson this week. The Lions like to split Johnson out in a variety of formations, much like Arizona did with Larry Fitzgerald. It will be mainly up to Williams and Fletcher – Boykin to a lesser degree, if Johnson lines up in the slot – to contain him. Neither is tall enough to out-leap Johnson, but both play a physical, stick-to-your-man brand of football that just might work against the game’s best receiver.