Eagles-Ravens preview: Five things to watch

The Philadelphia Eagles are currently rolling, having won seven straight games, mostly in impressive fashion. In Week 13 they'll face their most difficult opponent of the regular season in the Baltimore Ravens. Here are our five things to watch.

1) Eagles DC Vic Fangio vs. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Jackson has faced Fangio defenses twice in his career:

• 2021, Ravens 23 at Broncos 7: 22 of 37 for 316 yards (8.5 YPA), 1 TD, 0 INT. 7 rushes for 28 yards.

• 2023, Dolphins 19 at Ravens 56: 18 of 21 for 321 yards (15.3 YPA), 5 TDs, 0 INT. 6 rushes for 35 yards.

In 2024, the Ravens' offense is probably as good as it has ever been. They're ranked first in offensive DVOA (1st passing, 1st rushing), and it all starts with Jackson, who is currently second in MVP odds after taking home his second MVP trophy last season.

"They're just really good," Fangio said. "He's really good. They have a more complete offense now than they've ever had and they've always been good on offense since he's been there. They're really good and really versatile. They're multiple. Their run game is multiple. The play-action game off the run game is really good. They're good."

In summary, Jackson is good, and the Ravens' offense is good.

Jackson, of course, is known for his running ability, and he is still a major weapon with his legs.

The Eagles have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this season: 

In Week 11, they did an excellent job containing the Commanders' Jayden Daniels, who ran 7 times for just 18 yards.

But Jackson has also been outstanding as a passer in 2024. He leads the league in the following categories:

1. Passing yards (3053)
2. TD Passes (27)
3. Yards per pass attempt (8.9)
4. QB rating (117.9)

Fangio noted that there's no formula to stopping Jackson.

"Nobody has been really, really successful doing it one way," he said. "That's the definition of good quarterbacks. There is no one way to play them."

So, it's tough to predict what Fangio will cook up for Jackson in this matchup, but he's 0 for 2 in his career against him so far. He does have a better defense to work with this time around.

2) The Eagles' run defense vs. Derrick Henry

The other obvious star in the Ravens' offense is Derrick Henry, who is rejuvenated after landing in Baltimore as a free agent this offseason. He has 221 carries for 1325 yards (6.0 YPC) and 13 TDs. He is a 6'2, 247-pound bulldozing beast of a man who can get tough yards and wear defenses down, but also break off long runs because he has unfair speed for such a big back.

Henry leads the NFL with 14 runs of 20+ yards:

1. Derrick Henry, BAL: 14
2. Saquon Barkley, PHI: 12
3. Jordan Mason, SF: 8
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET: 8
5. Jonathan Taylor, IND, 7

Having watched Saquon Barkley all season, it's hard to imagine that another player has more 20+-yard runs then him, but Henry does.

The Eagles are allowing just 99.2 rushing yards per game, which is seventh-best in the NFL, but they haven't faced a back as good as Henry this season. (The closest to Henry would probably be Josh Jacobs, who ran 16 times for 84 yards against the Eagles Week 1 in Brazil.)

3) The Eagles' secondary vs. the Ravens' diverse receiving weapons

The Ravens don't have a "star" receiver like an A.J. Brown, but they have a lot of guys who can make plays down the field. Their receiving leaders:

Flowers and Bateman were both first-round picks. Flowers is electric with the ball in his hands, while Bateman is developing into a more consistent downfield threat. Andrews is a chain-mover and red zone extraordinaire, while Likely is becoming a big play specialist in the middle of the field. Hill is a shifty change of pace back, who is effective in the screen game.  

"Their whole offense is dynamite," Fangio said. "They run it great. They throw it great. They’ve got good receivers. They’ve got the best group of receivers there that they've had in a really long time. Two really good tight ends. Their line is blocking good... It's no accident they have the No. 1 offense in the league."

Darius Slay has not yet practiced this week, so his status for Sunday is up in the air. If he can't go, Isaiah Rodgers would likely fill in.

4) Where might the Eagles go Feastin'™️ 🍗

The Ravens' offensive line is healthy, and looks like this:

The Ravens have allowed 16 sacks this season, third-best in the NFL. They have an above average offensive line, but it is not without its concern areas.

To begin, they have the grabbiest offensive line in the NFL, as they lead the league with 26 holding penalties. The league average is 14.6. Fortunately for the Eagles, they drew Craig Wrolstad's officiating crew, which has called 31 offensive holding penalties this season, fifth-most in the NFL. They avoided some of the other crews that call holding penalties at like half that frequency.

Notes, from left to right:

• Stanley was a first-team All-Pro in 2019, but he missed 36 games from 2020 to 2023 with assorted leg injuries. He has played in every game in 2024, and he's still a good player. Per PFF, he has not allowed a sack this season.

• Mekari is the holdiest of the Ravens' holders. He has been flagged for 7 holding penalties this season. That leads the NFL. Nobody even has 6 holding calls against them this season. Spoiler: Jalen Carter is going to get held all day.

• Linderbaum is an undersized center who measured in at the 2022 NFL Combine at 6'2, 296, with 31" T-Rex arms:

The Ravens took him in the first round (25th overall) anyway, and he's been excellent for them. As you might suspect of such an undersized center, he can do a lot of athletic things that most centers cannot.

In pass pro, PFF has him down for 0 sacks allowed and 2 QB hits.

• The Ravens have the biggest player in the NFL in 6'8, 380-pound RG Daniel Faalele. He's going to have a tough time dealing with Jalen Carter's quickness.

• And finally, the Ravens have a rookie at RT in second-rounder Roger Rosengarten. The Ravens list him at 6'5, 316. He was an Eagles pre-draft visit. Good athleticism, but undersized. I wondered at the time if he might have to move to guard because of his short arms, but the Ravens have kept him at tackle. Rosengarten matches up better against Nolan Smith's speed than he would have against Brandon Graham's power, in my opinion.

FeastinMeter™️: Basically, it's going to come down to whether or not this crew calls holds. 4/10 turkey legs 🍗🍗🍗🍗

5) A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith vs. the Ravens' 31st ranked pass defense

Saquon Barkley is going to get his share of carries in this matchup, but this feels like a game that is only going to be won if Jalen Hurts is able to make plays down the field to Brown and Smith (if Smith is ready to return from his hamstring injury).

The Ravens have allowed the second-most passing yards per game in the NFL this season:

That's this team's Achilles heel.

Marlon Humphrey is still an awesome player who the Eagles will likely avoid, but there should be plenty of opportunities against fourth-year pro Brandon Stephens and rookie Nate Wiggins. 

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