The Eagles did what the Eagles do, and added another quality win to the ledger, besting the Ravens 24-19 in Baltimore to get to double digit wins Sunday afternoon.
It's getting harder and harder to deny the Eagles' Super Bowl contention case, as they remain just one game behind the Lions for the best record in the NFC and a first round bye. They also keep running away with the NFC East.
A win over a team like the Ravens is not going to be a quiet one, and the thriving Eagles will surely be a topic of discussion all week on TV and talk radio. Before we turn the page to an easy one next week against the Panthers, here's a look at a reason for optimism and for pessimism after Philadelphia's eighth straight win:
Stock up — Bread and butter 📈
The Eagles seem like they want to reinvent the wheel sometimes. In a sport that highlights innovation and the next new thing, it sort of makes sense. But the Eagles are good at what they do, and it could get them to a second Super Bowl in three seasons. That is if they humbly stick with it.
It might not be sexy, but handing it to Saquon Barkley and throwing it over the middle to A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert wins football games.
On their first second quarter scoring drive, the Eagles ran six plays. Four players touched the football. Barkley ran for eight yards. Brown caught a slant. Jahan Dotson caught a pass. Hurts scrambled. And Dallas Goedert scored a touchdown on a pass and run.
After trying to manufacture touches for guys like Britain Covey and Will Shipley early — and coming up empty and with a 9-0 deficit — the Eagles' decided to stop overthinking. The Eagles forced a Ravens punt and proceeded to complete three consecutive passes to Brown and a fourth to Goedert. After two runs, a tush-push put the Eagles ahead for the first time.
With DeVonta Smith — the other member of the Eagles funnel offense out — the Eagles still got a ton of mileage out of their go-to-guys in the same kinds of go-to plays that have them 10-2. Barkley was the closer, getting yet another monster rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter as part of his 117 total yard effort. And Brown and Goedert combined for eight catches for 101 yards (Hurts only threw for 118).
MORE: Saquon Barkley is the ultimate closer
Stock down 📉
Entering Sunday, the Eagles had a plus-3 turnover differential on the season. This after going minus-6 on turnovers through seven week. The Eagles ended a streak of five consecutive games with a turnover caused on defense against the Ravens. They have caused 12 over that span (for plus-9).
Against the Ravens, Philly forced three fumbles but somehow they failed to recover any of them. They tipped a bunch of passes from Jackson — nearly taking a big interception on a fourth down in the final quarter — and created a lot of pressure throughout the game. But they did not get that takeaway.
Nick Sirianni has yet to lose a game when he loses the turnover battle — so lucky for him the Eagles did not cough up the ball on offense either.
Still, the defense was spectacular, holding the Ravens to 12 points and 302 yards prior to a garbage time touchdown drive at the end of the fourth quarter. They will likely continue to have the among the best defense by yards allowed in the NFL. They also got their luck in a different way in Week 13. Instead of creating turnovers, Philly saw the continued demise of kicker Justin Tucker continue as the one-time best kicker in football missed two field goals and an extra point.
The excess of empty drives undid the Ravens when the Eagles ball hawks couldn't.
MORE: The pivotal plays from the Eagles' statement win over the Ravens
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