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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell knows what to expect when his team heads to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday night to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. Before coaching, Campbell played tight end in the NFL for 10 years, including seven seasons with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys — two of Philadelphia's top rivals in the NFC East — and Birds fans didn't make things easy for opposing players. "It's a great place to play," Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. "I mean, it's electric. Had batteries thrown at us, spit on. It's just the classic stuff. It's probably the most hostile place to play." Campbell told a story about a game he played at Veterans Stadium with the Giants in 1999 as a rookie. The Eagles and Giants were in overtime, and Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan returned an interception for a touchdown to end the game. Campbell and his teammates went to celebrate with Strahan in the end zone after the game-winning play, but he noticed something troubling on his way. As Campbell got closer, he said, an Eagles fan took a 64-ounce cup of what he said was tobacco spit and poured it on Strahan's back. "I backed off at the last minute," Campbell said. The Eagles and Lions haven't played each other since the 2022 season, and Sunday's Week 11 matchup will be crucial for playoff seeding in the NFC. Heading into the game, the Eagles (7-2) are the No. 1 team in the conference, while the Lions are No. 3. with a 6-3 record. The Eagles and Lions nearly met in last season's NFC championship game, but Detroit was upset by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. While Campbell knows the environment at the Linc will be a challenge, he said he's going to prepare his team as much as he can. "I'm going to give them a very good snapshot of what this is going to be like," he said. "Keep your poise, and man, every play matters. Every play matters. This is a heavyweight. This is a heavyweight match, and one missed step can cost you this game."
