Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday should be a Happy Homecoming for Jim Schwartz

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jim Schwartz will be chomping at the bit to get back to the motor city that drove him out of town in 2013.

Jim Schwartz was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009. Then he got the axe after the 2013 season. In 2016, he was hired by Doug Pederson to be the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. Schwartz’s scheme and style, coupled with the personnel on the field, has made this arrangement look like a match made in heaven.

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Granted, they are currently one of only two teams to have already had their bye week. Some might say it was premature, but “General Schwartz’s” unit has surrendered a mere 27 points this season. That’s an average of nine per game. No other team is close to that except the Minnesota Vikings, who have given up 50 points, averaging 12.5 points per game. The incredible thing is these numbers for the Eagles are a little skewed seeing as how seven of those points came courtesy of a late Eddie Royal punt return on Monday Night Football during week two in Chicago. This team is currently undefeated at 3-0.

This defensive domination led by stalwarts such as Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Jordan Hicks and Malcolm Jenkins, have had Schwartz literally fist pumping like a champ and running around the sidelines. It was almost like a kid, on Christmas morning in 1999, opening up his last gift and discovered a Nintendo 64 inside. The fiery coordinator will surely be all business as the Eagles get ready to head to motor city and play the Lions.

Sep 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Connor Barwin (98) reacts after Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) recovers a fumble in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

The Lions’ offense, most notably quarterback Matthew Stafford has exceeded expectations after the sudden retirement of wide receiver Calvin Johnson following last season. Schwartz will be eager to put an end to this, and you can bet your bottom dollar he’ll be more than happy to do so. This is the very city that ran him out of town after the 2013 season, and there’s a good chance he’ll be successful. The Eagles held the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers to a total of 3 points when they met in the battle of Pennsylvania (or Wentzlevania as some would say). The Eagles are absolutely firing on all cylinders.

Of course, there is also the very good chance that the Eagles can come crashing back down to Earth. They’re a rather young team, and it may be easy for them to get their head in the clouds. This type of squad can always get their world rocked. Coming off of a bye, particularly one this early, doesn’t help either. Could this game serve as a reality check? With Schwartz running the show defensively and given his history with the Lions, it’s safe to say that the Lions will be held in check offensively. The question of who wins is a different story entirely.

We can at least expect a few more fist pumps on the sidelines from “General Schwartz” this upcoming week. May the Schwartz be with you. Always.

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