![\"Lions](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2242697101-e1763148721202.jpg\")
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In the\u00a0NFL, as in all of sports, giving your opponent any extra motivation ahead of any given game is usually frowned upon.<\/p>\n
In some cases, though, it\u2019s totally fine. Especially when you can back it up.<\/p>\n
Detroit Lions\u00a0edge rusher\u00a0Aidan Hutchinson, the second highest paid defensive player in NFL history, can very much back it up. And he very much has the\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0on his mind ahead of a Week 11 showdown in Philadelphia between the defending Super Bowl champions and one of the favorites to knock them off their pedestal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really have had this circled on the calendar for a long time,\u201d Hutchinson told\u00a0NBC Sports Philadelphia\u2019s John Clark\u00a0on Friday, November 14. \u201cWe really see this as a must win.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lions are 6-3 and tied for first place in the NFC North Division with the\u00a0Chicago Bears. The Eagles are 7-2 and in first place in the NFC East Division.<\/p>\n
The Lions had the greatest regular season in franchise history in 2024 by going 15-2 and earning the NFC\u2019s No. 1 overall seed. The main thing that held them back from advancing in the playoffs was the absence of Hutchinson, who suffered a gruesome fractured leg which cost him the final 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs, where the Lions were upset at home by the\u00a0Washington Commanders\u00a0in the NFC Divisional Round.<\/p>\n
This year, it\u2019s Super Bowl or bust for the Lions and Hutchinson, who signed a 4-year, $180 million contract extension on October 29.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a reason the Lions paid big for Hutchinson \u2014 he\u2019s been mostly unblockable since Detroit selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the\u00a02022 NFL draft.<\/p>\n
Hutchinson, 6-foot-7 and 268 pounds, had 11.5 sacks in 2023 and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He followed that with 7.5 sacks through 5 games before his injury in 2024 and has 7.0 sacks through the first 9 games in 2025.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also the second-highest paid defensive player in NFL history behind just\u00a0Green Bay Packers\u00a0edge rusher\u00a0Micah Parsons, who signed a 4-year, $186 million contract extension just over a month before Hutchinson got his deal.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t just be a typical fan and follow the ball with your eyes when the Lions and Eagles square off. Please give some attention to the absolute master class in trench warfare that\u2019s about to occur between Hutchinson and 6-foot-8, 365-pound Eagles left offensive tackle\u00a0Jordan Mailata.<\/p>\n
According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata\u2019s 95.3 overall grade since the beginning of the 2024 season is 1st among NFL offensive tackles and Hutchinson\u2019s 94.3 overall grade since the beginning of 2024 is 1st among NFL edge rushers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t speak about this (Lions) defense without talking about\u00a0Aidan\u00a0Hutchinson,\u201d\u00a0Bleeding Green\u2019s Jonny Page wrote on his official X account on November 14.\u00a0\u201cWho, as we all know, is a superstar. He\u2019s an exceptional pass rusher who barely ever comes off the field, but rarely seems to tire. He can play both sides and can also rush the A-gap in obvious passing situations. Simply put, he\u2019s very very good!\u201d<\/p>\n
Las Vegas, NV<\/strong> \u2014 As the Las Vegas Raiders prepare for their high-stakes Week 11 clash against the Dallas Cowboys, an unexpected storm erupted on the practice field, shaking up the team just days before the game. In a shocking display of frustration and rivalry, quarterback Geno Smith and defensive star Maxx Crosby reportedly clashed during a heated drill, with tensions running so high that teammates had to step in and break them apart.<\/p>\n “It got out of hand,”<\/strong> Smith admitted after the altercation. “Maxx and I were both fired up, and things got intense. We\u2019ve got a lot of passion for this game, but sometimes that can spill over. It\u2019s all good now. We\u2019re focused on Dallas.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n