5 reasons why the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles could take the NFL by surprise in 2021

Scour through the list of teams tipped to compete for the biggest honors this season and you'll find that two of the lowest-ranked teams in the NFL are the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Eagles and Lions fans are understandably not too upbeat heading into the season. That said, the NFL is full of surprises. Teams are known to spring a surprise every now and then.

With every franchise still at 0-0 this season, here are five reasons why the Lions and Eagles could surprise the league in 2021.

Why the Lions and Eagles have a chance in 2021

Detroit Lions

#1 - Jared Goff has been a ray of sunshine before

According to the NFL zeitgeist, Jared Goff is the worst quarterback to ever play the game and needs to retire. However, his worst season since his rookie year saw him go 9-7. A record like that would be a solid season for the Detroit Lions. If Goff can finish a couple of wins over .500, like he's done multiple times in his career, the Lions will be just fine.

#2 - Penei Sewell

There is a lot of hype around right tackle Penei Sewell after he was drafted with the seventh overall pick this year. Jared Goff is expected to have a cleaner right side of the pocket than Stafford did last year. This could allow the franchise more time to let plays develop, leading to big completions.

Okwara had an incredible rep vs. Penei Sewell with a nifty spin move. Also applied at least one pressure during 11s. Have a feeling they may use him a lot on third downs.

— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) August 6, 2021

#3 - TJ Hockenson

Tight end TJ Hockenson is heading into his third year in the NFL and is poised to be one of the best tight ends in the league. In his rookie year, he earned only 367 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, his production grew to 723 yards and six touchdowns. He only played 12 games last year, though. If he plays all 16 games, Hockenson will likely earn over 1,000 yards in 2021.

#4 - Frank Ragnow

Earlier in the offseason, Ragnow signed a massive extension with Detroit. He earned it, too, after some high-quality play through the campaign.

His rookie season saw him earn a grade of 66.5, per PFF. His second season was even better at 74.9. Last year was his best yet, earning an 80.3 PFF grade. He started solid and has been getting better ever since.

#5 - Better play-action game this season

It is no secret that Jared Goff is at the top of his game when there's a great play-action presence. With a decent offensive line around him, Goff's running backs are poised to play bigger roles and earn greater gains. When that happens, defenses will focus more on running backs so that the play-action fakes out linebackers better, leading to open receivers.

If the Lions can get this to work, Goff could be just as deadly as Stafford was in the passing game.

Philadelphia Eagles

#1 - Hurts' second-year jump

People were already writing off the Buffalo Bills after Josh Allen's 6-10 rookie year. Look at the Bills today. Jared Goff's rookie season was also a tragedy when he finished 0-7. The Rams later ended up going to a Super Bowl with the quarterback. Hurts could make a similar jump for the Eagles in his second year.

#2 - DeVonta Smith

The Eagles may have gotten the best wide receiver in the draft with Devonta Smith. He is a big reason why Mac Jones was drafted in the first round. In his final season of college, Smith earned 1,800 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games. If he can be even half as good in the NFL, the Eagles will have a solid number one receiver, one of the building blocks of a good offense.

#3 - Jalen Reagor

Jalen Reagor is heading into his second season with the Eagles. While Reagor was a bit shy in his rookie season, earning 396 yards and a touchdown, he could make a second-year jump as a decent receiver.

As a second-string receiver, Reagor should be facing easier competition, which could be an opportunity to separate himself from depth cornerbacks.

#4 - Fletcher Cox

Fletcher Cox is still one of the better pass rushers in the NFL. Last year was the third-best season of Cox's career and his aim will be to keep it moving. Over the last three seasons, Cox has earned 20.5 sacks. If he can earn around seven sacks this year, the Eagles will have a solid foundation to build on with the other pass rushers.

#5 - Travis Fulgham

Travis Fulgham may be the Eagles' best kept secret. Last year, as a third-string receiver, Fulgham earned 539 yards and four touchdowns. With the addition of DeVonta Smith, Fulgham is likely to drop into the fourth-string spot.

Philadelphia Eagles v Arizona Cardinals

This means that an already solid third-string receiver will be facing fourth-string cornerbacks. The move brings massive potential for routine mismatches that could unlock the Eagles' passing attack.

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