ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions are right back in the thick of things in the hotly contested NFC standings as the season heads into the second half.
Through the next five games, the Lions play three of the top conference contenders. They start with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (7-2) this weekend on Sunday Night Football. They host the Green Bay Packers (5-3-1) on Thanksgiving. Then, they hit the road to face the Los Angeles Rams (7-2) and surging quarterback Matthew Stafford in early December.
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast fielded reader-submitted questions for this week’s episode. Hosts Kory Woods and Ben Raven discussed the stakes of this weekend’s trip to Philadelphia, while taking note of those big-time games against the Packers and Rams that will be here before anyone can blink.
“The Eagles, Rams and Packers games are the ones with a big time circle for me. If you want to win the division, if you want to get a home game or two in the playoffs. You’ve got to go at least 2-1 across those games,” Raven noted.
“If they win this game at the Eagles this weekend, that’s just a huge, huge, huge prime-time statement.”
With Dan Campbell taking over calling the offense last week, it’s another opportunity for him to put himself in the running for coach of the year with a hot finish. The Lions coach has finished in the top three voting in back-to-back years, and inside the top 10 in three straight seasons.
Woods and Raven were quick to note that Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen is the deserving front-runner at this stage. But if the Lions grab a three-peat inside the NFC North and take down a couple of those NFC heavyweights with Campbell calling the plays, then he should be right there in the mix at the end.
**See below to listen to the latest Dungeon of Doom podcast episode. There were a ton of voice memos featured on this week’s episode. If you want to hear directly from the guys, then send a question or voice memo to dungeonofdoom@mlive.com:**
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