During Detroit’s Week 3 win at Baltimore, ESPN’s Troy Aikman praised Lions coach Dan Campbell for his “ big onions .” On Sunday night, those onions came up empty.

The Lions went for it five times on fourth down against the Eagles. They failed to convert a single one of them.

Last night, a predictable habit of aggressiveness wasn’t necessary. In a low-scoring game, engaging in a field-position battle makes more sense. Taking three in lieu of rolling the dice on seven becomes more prudent.

It’s the water’s edge of analytics. For some games, it makes sense to throw caution to the wind. In some games, it makes more sense to play it safe.

In some games, the bigger picture must be considered.

The Philadelphia offense had been the top NFL story of the week. From A.J. Brown’s comments on

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