Fly Eagles Fly: Can Philadelphia Soar Over the Ravens?
The Eagles travel down I-95 to Baltimore in the most anticipated game of this week’s NFL slate. For Philadelphia, a victory against Baltimore would keep them within a game’s reach of the one seed in the NFC, trailing only the Detroit Lions. On top of that, Baltimore is arguably the Eagles’ toughest opponent of the season. They have one of the faces of the league in quarterback Lamar Jackson, and a superstar behind him in running back Derrick Henry. Overall, the Ravens rank second in scoring offense, which should pose a significant test for the Eagles’ defense. How can the Eagles secure their eighth consecutive victory against a talented Ravens squad?
For Philadelphia, the chances of winning this game will come down if they can contain Lamar Jackson enough to give the offense a chance. Jackson is having a career season in the air, and the Eagles pass-rush must show urgency in pressuring him early. The middle of the field is where Jackson can capitalize on the ground, so linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean are sure to have a busy day. Ideally, the Eagles will work their best to keep Jackson in the pocket and not allow him to scramble in hopes of stretching plays downfield. Not only do the Eagles need to worry about number eight, but Derrick Henry is also a significant threat on the ground. He is second in the NFL in rushing and is having a career season to this point. It will be interesting to see who has a better day between the two stars on Baltimore’s offense.
For the Eagles’ offense, the formula should be clear and concise. Feed Saquon Barkley, and let his production open up the play-action for Jalen Hurts to feed others throughout the field. For Barkley, he is coming off of a career-high 255 yards against the Rams last week. It will be vital to see how he can follow up on his legendary performance. DeVonta Smith is currently questionable to return to the lineup tomorrow, as he has been dealing with a hamstring injury. It would certainly give the Eagles a greater window of opportunity to capitalize if Smith can return to the lineup. If DeVonta can return to alleviate some pressure off A.J. Brown, Philadelphia has a substantial chance of pulling away with a win. For the Eagles, this game will be a great parameter to what this team stands to be with playoff football not far away.
