Week 13 features a marquee matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens on a Sunday afternoon the weekend after Thanksgiving. This will be a run game showcase between Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, the two leading rushers of the NFL. The Eagles are flying high currently after 7 straight wins after the bye and they’re feeling themselves after a convincing 37-20 win over the Rams on Sunday Night. The Ravens got the better of the rising Chargers on Monday Night and both Philadelphia and Baltimore are travelling cross country from Los Angeles to a what should be a brilliant game on national television. It should be a high quality game and will be a very exciting game from M&T Bank Stadium.
First off, could this be the year after over a decade where a running back wins a MVP award? Saquon Barkley has been out of this world for the Eagles who look like a real threat to win the NFC after Barkley’s dominant displays week in and week out. Last regular season, the Eagles averaged 128.8 rushing yards a game and 354.4 total yards a game but this season, they’re averaging 193.4 rushing yards a game and 389.1 total yards (ESPN). Their QB Jalen Hurts has the 22nd most pass attempts in the league and it’s all because of how much they can rely on Barkley (ESPN). His running has impacted the offense as a whole and all their numbers are up from last year. He’s averaging approximately 20 carries a game and 6.2 yards a carry which are true workhorse numbers (ESPN). I really think this could be the player who can push Philly over the edge and into the Super Bowl because I believe they can beat the Detroit Lions now. I’ve never thought of Hurts as a Mahomes, Jackson, or Allen level player because I don’t see him as a player who can carry the Eagles to continuous wins like some of these other high level quarterbacks. Having Barkley in the backfield makes it easier on Hurts and it lessens his workload. Hurts doesn’t have to have the Lamar Jackson numbers because he doesn’t need to do it all. Using their run game, the Eagles are brilliant at taking time off the clock and wearing down defenses which are great assets to have as only 5 weeks remain in the regular season. We aren’t hearing A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith too much right now but in those decisive moments, this team will get a clutch performance from the receivers. I think this will be a scary team down the stretch and they have another gear ready to kick in.
It’s another season where the Eagles defense is good and carrying their weight. The stats that stood out to me were that the Eagles have the 3rd best third down defense, they have the fewest defensive penalty yardage, and Philadelphia allows the least total yards a game (ESPN). They’re so efficient and when they have chance to get off the field, the Eagles defense do their job. Hiring Vic Fangio over the offseason has worked out and has made their defense one of the league’s best.
On the other side of the field, the Ravens have another MVP contender, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is going for his third MVP honor. Jackson also won the award in 2019 but what stood out to me was how different this year and the year 2019 looked for him in terms of stats. He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards five years ago and was a mediocre passer but now he leads the league in practically every passing stat, yards, QB rating, passer rating, and touchdowns (ESPN). His growth as a complete quarterback has been sensational and it’s transformed him into beast of a player. He runs smarter now and he’s such a more proficient passer than he has ever been. When the league started to recognize his running, he’s done a tremendous job of adapting and his repertoire has broadened now. This is the best version of Jackson that I think the NFL has seen so far. He was wondrous last MNF against the Chargers and he fully exemplifies how important a good quarterback is to a team. The rest of the team though, I know they have more to give.
This team is on the verge of breaking through and being a Super Bowl favorite but it’s the secondary that is keeping them from that. They’re second to last in passing yards a game and are 25th in 3rd down % (ESPN). I’m not concerned about their run defense that’s among the best in the league but when they play teams that have receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the secondary will get torn apart. Additionally, they have to get more turnovers because they rank 23rd in that currently (ESPN). Relying on the offense to win these big games isn’t going to cut it and the Ravens need to force more takeaways. They say that defenses win championships and once the Ravens find the defense they had last year, they have a real chance to lift the Super Bowl.
My prediction for this game is that the Eagles will win 33-31. Baltimore is the second best run defense while Philadelphia is the seventh best so while it could come down to who breaks the run defense more, I believe it’ll be a passing competition. The Eagles clearly have that advantage as they have two strong receivers against a lackluster secondary which is why they’ll win. They can play more physical and as long as Jalen Hurts doesn’t get loose with the football, Philadelphia will get the road win. For both these teams, third down is a key because both are excellent on this down and prolonging a drive matters in a huge game like this. The Eagles are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and they have more weapons on their team which points me towards a win for Gang Green. You can watch this game on CBS and Paramount+ at 4:25 PM EST on 12/1/2024 from Baltimore, Maryland.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to start off December than a football game between two teams who have their eye on being in New Orleans for the Super Bowl next February. It’s a colossal interconference battle this Sunday and it’s two team who could meet each other in the Super Bowl. Will the Baltimore Ravens make a statement at home by beating Nick Sirianni’s Eagles or will Philadelphia emerge victorious and continue their winning streak?
It’s going to be a fun game to watch with these two competitive teams! The Ravens defense are going to have a tough time stopping Saquon. Great analysis, Raghav!