The Eagles have watched so much film this week, and the consensus is that the Detroit Lions have a great offensive machine coming into Lincoln Financial Field.

The scheme is terrific. The weapons, as good as any in the league. The offensive line, certainly one of the very best in the NFL, from tackle to tackle. The quarterback, Jared Goff, is playing the best football of his career.

Detroit averages 31.4 points per game, has amassed a 6-3 record to date, and has the Eagles' full attention ahead of Sunday night's Salute to Service game at Lincoln Financial Field.

"I think this is one of the best offensive lines we'll face," defensive tackle Moro Ojomo said. "One of the best running attacks we're going to face and we're excited. We've been playing the run game better and we're focusing on playing the run game better and that's what we want – to go out there and stop the run."

The goal is to always make an offense one dimensional, but in the case of the Detroit Lions, it isn't easy to do, and the alternative isn't all that attractive, either. If you haven't paid attention to the star power that Detroit brings to town, here are some names to remember: Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, a backfield tandem that mixes game-breaking plays (Gibbs as both a runner and receiver) and a power ground game (Montgomery); tight end Sam LaPorta, who has 40 receptions and three touchdowns to go along with 489 receiving yards; wide receivers Amon Ra-St. Brown, who has 64 catches for 693 yards and eight touchdowns, and speedster Jameson Williams, who just torched Washington with six receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. He averages 17.6 yards per catch.

So, how do you stop the Lions? The ideal scenario is to stop the run and attack Goff, but the Lions have a tremendous offensive line that is athletic and powerful and has chemistry and is very well coached.

This one, Eagles fans, is perhaps the greatest test to date this season for an Eagles defense coming off a bravo performance in Monday night's 10-7 win over the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Dan Campbell started calling the offensive plays for the Lions in last week's win over Washington, and it worked: Detroit averaged a whopping 8.0 yards per play in the 44-22 victory.

"They had (448) yards [last week], and about half of it was running and half of it was passing, so they were really good," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "They got a lot of talent on that side of the ball. They got the best O-line in the league, a quarterback, according to Dan (Campbell), playing the best he's ever played, two good running backs, the receivers are all fast – it's a good unit to be calling plays for."

Fangio has done a brilliant job incorporating a lot of new faces and blending his scheme, putting the players in position to accentuate their skill sets. The No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL one season ago, the Eagles are 10th in the league in points allowed per game (21.3), and they think their best ball is in front of them.

First, the Lions.

"They're an explosive offense," cornerback Jakorian Bennett said. "They want to run the ball, run the ball, and get explosives off of that and when everyone starts to respect that a lot, they got good receivers – Jameson and St. Brown. Two good receivers. And I feel like they have a good scheme. They definitely bring some challenges and whatnot, but the opponent is in the room. We just got to focus on us, do our job, and feel like everything will handle itself."

This is the kind of matchup that truly tells you where you are – in every phase of the game for the Eagles. For this defense, one that re-loaded after last season and has adjusted throughout the course of this year due to retirements, trades, un-retirements, and multiple personnel moves, is going to learn a lot on Sunday night.

Every week is a specific challenge in the league, to be sure. A week later, the Eagles play in Dallas against the high-powered Cowboys offense. For Fangio and his defense, there is a lot to be learned and gained starting Sunday night against a Lions offense that seems to have it all.