ALLEN PARK — Kelvin Sheppard has garnered significant praise through his first nine games as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, and the numbers back it up.

The Lions are fourth in sacks (30), fifth in turnovers (six), and seventh in yards allowed per game (294). So far, it’s proof that Dan Campbell made the right call promoting him, as the defense is playing above expectations despite missing key pieces at different stretches of the season.

As strong as Sheppard’s unit has looked, Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles — the reigning Super Bowl champions — presents a different type of challenge. It’s the kind of matchup that tests whether a coordinator has truly arrived.

When asked how long he’d been looking forward to this specific test — stopping an Eagles offense that’s contr

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