A Crucial Week 13 Battle: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) will travel to Charm City to challenge the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, December 1st, 2024. Both teams are coming off impressive wins on the road in Los Angeles, with the Eagles defeating the Los Angeles Rams 37-20, and the Ravens taking down the Los Angeles Chargers 30-23 in a thrilling Monday Night Football matchup.

The Eagles are riding a seven-game winning streak, the longest in the NFL, and during this stretch, they’ve defeated top teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, and Washington Commanders. Their stout defense and explosive offense are beginning to click at just the right time, as they head into what could be their most challenging matchup of the season.

On the other hand, the Ravens have shown some inconsistency but remain in the AFC playoff race. This matchup is crucial, as it will set the tone for the rest of the Ravens’ season leading up to their week 14 bye. With the Ravens currently a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the division, they find themselves in a tough position: they need to keep winning to stay competitive, or they may risk being forced to play on the road throughout the playoffs in January.

This game between two Mid-Atlantic cities promises to be an exciting showdown for football fans, with high stakes on the line. The game can be watched at 4:25 PM EST on CBS.

Running Mercenaries: King Henry and Saquon Barkley

This matchup features two of the last remaining workhorse running backs in the NFL: Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Both of these bell-cow backs left their previous teams to join two of the top rushing offenses in the league from last year. The Philadelphia Eagles currently lead the NFL in team rushing, averaging 193.4 yards per game, while the Baltimore Ravens are close behind in second place, rushing for 180.2 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions, who are third in the NFL, trail the Ravens by nearly 25 yards per game at 154.4.

While both players moved on from their former teams, their departures had some similarities, though they were handled differently. Derrick Henry left the Tennessee Titans on good terms, delivering a heartfelt speech during the final home game of the season. It was clear that the Titans were transitioning toward a rebuild, while King Henry geared up for a run at a Super Bowl ring.

Saquon Barkley, on the other hand, had a much more messy and public breakup with the New York Giants. During Hard Knocks, many Giants fans (and even the owner) were bewildered by the lack of effort to sign one of the team’s most iconic players—the best offensive weapon from the previous year. To make matters worse for the Giants, Saquon Barkley joined the Philadelphia Eagles, their bitter rivals.

Both backs have been dominant individually this season, as the only two players averaging over 100 rushing yards per game, but the success seems to translate to wins - both the Ravens and the Eagles are 7-0 when their back goes over 100 yards.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers:

These two are the cream of the crop, and both players have quarterbacks who vulture rushing touchdowns. Jalen Hurts has 10 rushing touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Lamar Jackson has 3 rushing touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens.

Trench Warfare: Battle of the Lines

Both of these teams are heavily focused on the running game on both sides of the ball, and it all starts in the trenches with their offensive and defensive lines. The Baltimore Ravens lead the NFL in yards per carry allowed against the run at 3.5 yards per attempt, while the Philadelphia Eagles are also strong in this category, ranking 10th with 4.3 yards per carry allowed.

The defensive fronts of both teams feature key anchors. For the Ravens, Nnamdi Madubuike anchors a line that also features Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, and Michael Pierce—though Pierce, who was designated to return from the injured list, won’t be available for Sunday’s game. On the Eagles side, they’ve invested heavily in their defensive line through the draft, adding former Georgia Bulldogs Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in back-to-back drafts. This has added stability to a line that lost veteran Fletcher Cox to retirement. These defensive lines will be aiming to get push upfront, allowing their linebackers—Roquan Smith for the Ravens (if he can play) and Zach Baun for the Eagles—to cover running lanes and prevent ball carriers from reaching the second level of defense.

Both teams have also revamped their offensive lines in the offseason, though they took different approaches to the task.

For the Ravens, they focused on getting younger and more athletic. They let John Simpson and Kevin Zietler walk in free agency and traded Morgan Moses to the New York Jets. In-house promotions followed, with 6th-year player Patrick Mekari, rookie Roger Rosengarten, and 3rd-year player Daniel Faalele all stepping into starting roles. Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum have led a unit that has been inconsistent at times, with an uncharacteristically high number of penalties. Both Stanley and Mekari are among the 10 offensive linemen in the league who have committed 9 or more penalties this season. The group also leads the league in holding penalties with 26, well above the NFL average of 14.6. Another key loss for this group was the passing of longtime position coach Joe D'Alessandris during training camp, which has had an emotional impact on the team.

The Eagles, on the other hand, revamped their offensive line through a mix of free agency and the draft, assembling one of the largest offensive lines in NFL history. All four non-center starters (Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Mekhi Becton) tower over 6'6" and collectively weigh a massive 1,053 pounds—making them the four heaviest offensive linemen in the league (that’s some serious beef). The Eagles also brought in Mekhi Becton in free agency from the New York Jets, where he converted from tackle to right guard. To replace Jason Kelce—who retired after last season—the Eagles moved Cam Jurgens from guard to center, strengthening an already powerful front.

LAMAR JACKSON: NFC Assassin

In 24 starts against NFC opponents, the Baltimore Ravens have lost only once when Lamar Jackson lined up under center. Jackson will look to continue his dominance in what could be his hardest NFC test of the season. This year, he’s already tallied wins against the Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Dallas Cowboys. He’ll look to complete a sweep of the NFC and the NFC East with victories in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and in Week 15 against the New York Giants (the only NFC team to have beaten Jackson).

Lamar Jackson has a career passer rating of 103.1 with 5,012 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in 24 starts against the NFC. He’s also added 1,755 rushing yards with 9 additional rushing touchdowns, showing why he is one of the most dynamic players in the league.

Bomb Squad: Preventing Explosive Plays

Both of these teams have been incredibly dangerous for opposing defenses, particularly with their ability to generate explosive plays. Explosive plays are defined as runs of 10+ yards and passes of 20+ yards. The Baltimore Ravens lead the league in total explosive plays with 99, including a league-high 58 rushing explosive plays, making them a top threat in both the air and on the ground.

The Philadelphia Eagles, however, are one of the few teams that can stake a serious claim to the big play throne. The Eagles trail the Ravens by just 6 explosive rushing plays (58 to 52) and 5 explosive passing plays (41 to 36). It’s worth noting that the Ravens have played one additional game compared to the Eagles, making their totals even more impressive.

Both teams have the ability to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field, whether it's in the air or on the ground. We’ve already seen it in action: Derrick Henry has the longest run of the season (87 yards for a touchdown), while Saquon Barkley has the fourth longest (72 yards).

Ravens fans will be hopeful that Henry can replicate his 87-yard scamper, which occurred on the very first play from scrimmage during their rout of the Buffalo Bills.

The Eagles will also keep the Ravens on their toes with AJ Brown and potentially Devonta Smith stretching the field. Despite dealing with injuries to their top two wideouts this season, the Eagles’ passing attack continues to challenge defenses by keeping them honest deep down the field. The Ravens will need to bring their best effort, as their defense has allowed the second most explosive pass plays in the league, with 50 explosive passing plays allowed this season. Expect the Ravens to follow AJ Brown with Nate Wiggins or Brandon Stephens, using safety help over the top, while Marlon Humphrey will likely shadow Devonta Smith when he lines up in the slot. The deployment of Kyle Hamilton will be key, as this matchup is very much a pick-your-poison scenario for the Ravens.

Meanwhile, the Ravens will continue to build on their passing attack, which has been improving with each week. They'll look to exploit an Eagles secondary that will be without their top cornerback Darius "Big Play" Slay and pass rusher Brandon Graham. The Ravens will likely take full advantage of this situation with a steady diet of play action.

Battle Tested: Two Different Stories

A valid question to ask about the Philadelphia Eagles is something they have no control over: their schedule. Coming into the season, the Eagles were projected to have the 8th easiest schedule in the league based on Vegas Win Total projections. While they can only play who is on their schedule, the Eagles’ only wins against current playoff-caliber teams have come against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and the Washington Commanders in Week 11. Other notable wins include victories over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams.

The combined winning percentage of the teams they’ve beaten stands at just .398, and their strength of schedule so far is .416. In comparison, the Baltimore Ravens have a strength of victory at .527 and a strength of schedule of .526, showcasing a tougher path to their current position.

This matchup will be a huge test for the Eagles on the road, as they face one of the most battle-tested teams in the AFC in the Ravens, who have faced a significantly tougher slate of opponents.

Broken Wings on the Mend: Key Injury Report

Both teams are waiting on the status of key players heading into this crucial matchup.

The Baltimore Ravens are hopeful that star linebacker Roquan Smith will be able to play through a hamstring injury after missing last week. Smith was a full participant in practice on Friday, so there’s optimism he’ll be ready to go. Kyle Van Noy, who shares the Ravens’ sack lead with 8 sacks, is doubtful for the game with both a hamstring and neck injury. Travis Jones will not make his return this week, leaving a gap in the defensive line. Additionally, Charlie Kolar was added to the injury report with a broken forearm and is expected to miss 4 weeks.

On the Philadelphia Eagles side, they are optimistic that speedster wide receiver Devonta Smith will be able to play through his hamstring injury after missing last week. Smith was limited in practice on Friday and is officially questionable for Sunday’s game. In the secondary, cornerback Darius Slay will be out with a concussion, leaving the Eagles with a potential hole in their coverage. The Eagles also suffered a huge blow with the loss of longtime defensive end veteran Brandon Graham, who is out for the season due to a torn tricep. This injury likely marks the end of Graham’s illustrious career as the Eagles' longest-tenured player.

Prediction: Ravens Control the Pace in Week 13 Victory

The Philadelphia Eagles' offense struggles to sustain consistent drives that end in touchdowns. A couple of big plays from the Eagles' offense will make this matchup seem closer than it is. However, the Baltimore Ravens will take full advantage of the Eagles' key injuries on their pass rush and secondary, allowing the Ravens to dominate the time of possession battle. The Ravens will control the pace of the game and head into their bye week with a division title firmly on their minds while Lamar Jackson improves to a staggering 24-1 against NFC opponents.

Ravens win 24-20, cover -3