All week, the Eagles have talked about Detroit with respect and the understanding that the Lions are one of the better teams in the NFC, and that Sunday night's game at Lincoln Financial Field (8:20 p.m., NBC) is a great test.

Another great test.

The Lions are 6-3, featuring an offense that averages 31.4 points per game and a defense that is fourth in the NFL with 30 quarterback sacks and clearly seeing this game as a barometer of sorts. Well, maybe even more than that.

"I mean, ultimately, where we see ourselves as a team, every year the standard is to battle for that number one seed," Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. "And they're one of those teams that we're going to battle with. So that's why it's a must-win in my eyes, and it's going to set us up really well for the last stretch of this season."

For the Eagles? Another "next game" mentality.

"We're viewing it as our next game," head coach Nick Sirianni said on Friday. "Obviously, every game we play in the NFL is huge, right? This isn't any other sport. In the NFL, you have a limited amount of games, so every game we're looking at as an opportunity to go out there and play to our core values and an opportunity for us to get better and that's how we'll think about this one, too."

There is a lot to watch for on Sunday night and, with that, on to the storylines …

1. The Eagles offense looks for more production

There is not a single player in the locker room who believes the offense has played at its peak this season. That's the exciting part for a team that is 7-2 and has high hopes for the remainder of the season.

The goal is to have a consistently high level of execution.

"It's been winning in a lot of different ways. It's truly been the collective of that. Playing together," quarterback Jalen Hurts said. "I think we're still searching for those things. We're always a work in progress. We're always trying to get better. We're always trying to improve. We're always trying to figure things out, and that's just the mentality we have to have regardless of what it looks like. It doesn't matter what the performance is or what the outcome is. It's about the process."

How do the Eagles attack the Lions? Hurts called the Lions' defense "disruptive," a group that mainly plays "man" coverage but, in this instance, could show some zone looks to the Eagles. Most defenses have played zone against Hurts and Co., stacking the box to contain the running game and trying to take away the early reads in Hurts's progression.

Detroit has some injury concerns on defense: Cornerback Terrion Arnold and safety Kerby Joseph, the team leader with three interceptions, were both ruled out.

2. Vic Fangio schemes against a prolific attack

Detroit has a stacked offense in every way. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, for example, put up 172 scrimmage yards (142 rushing, 30 receiving) in last week's win over Washington. He and David Montgomery form a potent tandem in the running game, one that ranks sixth in the NFL with 136 ground yards per game. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has 64 catches, 693 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 targets. Speedster Jameson Williams averages 17.6 yards on his 43 receptions. Quarterback Jared Goff has 20 touchdown passes and only three interceptions, and he's completing 74 percent of his passes. The Lions will be without standout tight end Sam Laporta, who was ruled out with a back injury.

This presents a great challenge for the Eagles defense. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio has talked about it this week. The Lions may have the best offense in the NFL. It's going to be fascinating to see what Fangio draws up for Sunday night against a team that leads the league in a very significant category: Yards after the catch. This is an explosive offense, no doubt about it.

3. Eye on the trenches

Always, right? Two of the best offensive and defensive lines meet in this game. There are no weaknesses here. Detroit comes in with the idea of playing power football on offense and attacking Hurts and the Eagles on defense. It's sometimes hard to take your eyes off the football but do so in this game. The battle along the line of scrimmage will be worth watching.

4. Four downs on every possession?

This is not going to be conventional football. Detroit has Dan Campbell, and the Eagles have Sirianni, and both coaches treat these 60 minutes each week with great confidence. What does that mean? Among other things, it means that both coaches looooove going for it on fourth down. Expect to see it many, many times on Sunday night. That puts a tremendous amount of stress on both defenses.

5. The more physical team has the advantage here

Sometimes, football is all about which team is the nastiest. Which team asserts itself. Which team wins the man-to-man battle. Campbell coaches hard, and the Lions play that way. There is nothing "soft" about the Detroit Lions. They want to push the Eagles around on Sunday night.

Thing is, the Eagles play that way as well. How often have we heard this over the years that Sirianni has been here: The more physical team will win the game. That is often how it plays out, and Sunday night will be no exception.

6. How much does homefield advantage help here?

This is the Eagles' Salute To Service game, which brings its own pageantry and patriotism. The fans are going to be jacked after a day of preparing for the game. Brandon Graham plays his first home game since un-retiring. Jaelan Phillips makes his debut in Philadelphia. Two heavyweight teams are playing in primetime.

It is a bright-lights moment, and the crowd will rise to the occasion. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 games at Lincoln Financial Field. It means something playing in front of the home folks and the crowd, and all of that passion could mean something again on Sunday night.