If Philadelphia was at full-strength, it could run away with the NFL East–the league’s worst division. But they’re not and, this week, they go up against a much better team.
WHAT: Week Six at Philadelphia Eagles
WHEN: 1 p.m. (ET); Sunday, October 18
WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (69,796)
RECORDS: Ravens, 4-1; Eagles, 1-3-1
LIFETIME SERIES (regular season): Tied, 2-2-1; in Philadelphia, the Eagles have won both meetings, the first in 2004 (15-10), and the second in Week 2 of the Ravens’ 2012 championship season (24-23). Both games took place at Lincoln Financial Field, but the teams have an extensive preseason history that dates back to the since-demolished Veterans Stadium. Baltimore has won eight of 13 preseason meetings, including the first game in franchise history (1996) at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.
LOCAL MEDIA: WJZ-TV, Channel 13, WIYY-FM, 97.9
REFEREE: Shawn Smith
About the Eagles
—The Eagles franchise began operating in 1933 (the same year as the cross-state Pittsburgh Steelers) after the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt two years earlier. After prolonged negotiations, Bert Bell, a Philadelphia resident and eventual commissioner of the National Football League, purchased the team. The team’s nickname was inspired by the Blue Eagle logo of the National Recovery Association, the linchpin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program.
—Philadelphia has appeared in the playoffs 27 times in 87 completed seasons, tied with the Boston/New England Patriots for the seventh-most in league history. That total includes 14 division titles with 11 coming since the NFC East Division was formed in 1970 after the AFL-NFL merger and 13 wild-card berths. They won NFL titles in 1948, 1949, and 1960 and have played in three Super Bowls (15, 39, 52), losing to Oakland and New England in the first two and topping the Patriots in the most recent game. The Eagles have an active streak of three straight playoff appearances, including division titles in 2017 and 2019.
—In a move borne out of necessity (due to wartime cutbacks), in 1943, the Eagles franchise combined with the Pittsburgh Steelers to help keep the NFL operating during World War II. The franchise combined the two teams’ nicknames and was called the “Steagles.” The team operated for one year, and the two teams resumed their separate operations in 1944.
—In the modern-day NFC Championship Game, the Eagles have made seven appearances, posting a 3-4 record. Three of the four losses came in consecutive years (2002-04) and, again, in 2008 on the day that saw the Arizona Cardinals reach their first and only Super Bowl. The Eagles also won an Eastern Conference playoff in 1960. Because it was an even-numbered year, that gave the team home-field advantage for the NFL title game, which it won by beating the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers.
—Lincoln Financial Field will host a limited capacity of 7500 for this game–the largest crowd to see the Ravens this year. LFF is the sixth principal home-field venue that the Eagles have occupied in their long history. The Eagles began playing there after 32 years at the bland, multi-purpose Veterans Stadium. Opening in 2003 after two years of construction, it has also been the home to Temple University football and the Army-Navy game, as well as many international soccer matches, college lacrosse tournament games, and concerts featuring U2 and Metallica. It was built at the cost of $512 million, with $125 million of renovations taking place in 2013. The venue has 172 luxury suites and features a Northbridge Bermuda grass surface.
—When the Baltimore Colts were part of the NFL, they played against their Interstate 95 rivals nine times, winning five of those games. The Colts were 3-1 against the Eagles in games played in Baltimore and 2-3 in road contests. In 1974, the two teams met at Veterans Stadium on a chaotic afternoon that not only saw the Eagles win, 30-10, but it was the day that Colts’ owner Robert Irsay called down from his suite demanding that a certain play be run. When head coach Howard Schnellenberger refused, he was fired on the spot.
—Philadelphia is one of five road venues where the Ravens franchise has never won a regular-season NFL game. The others being New England, Indianapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago. That can change in 2020 and 2021 because the Ravens take on the Eagles, Patriots, and Colts this year and are scheduled to go to Chicago next season. The Ravens have played 13 preseason games against the Eagles (the 14th being canceled due to unplayable Veterans Stadium turf in 2001).
—The Eagles are one of five remaining teams with which the Ravens are tied in the all-time regular-season series (2-2-1). The others are Denver (6-6), Minnesota (3-3), Seattle (3-3), and Tennessee (10-10). Baltimore had also been tied with the Washington Football Team but broke that tie with its Week Four win at FedEx Field.
—Since the NFL instituted a regular-season overtime rule in 1974, the Eagles have had five games go scoreless in OT and end in a tie–the second-most in the league over that span to Green Bay (six). The Eagles have played in five of the league’s 26 ties since overtime was established. One of those ties occurred earlier this year when the Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals played to the second tie between those two teams. The other took place in 2008. Coincidentally, the only tie in Ravens’ history came against the Eagles, 10-10, on a windy day in November 1997 at Memorial Stadium. Ravens’ kicker Matt Stover and Philadelphia counterpart Chris Boniol both missed OT game-winning kicks, with Boniol’s miss coming as the clock ran out.
—The Eagles are playing a rather streaky schedule this year. Three of their first five games are on the road, followed by three straight at home before the team’s bye week. The game against Baltimore is the first of the consecutive trio of home games. Following the bye, Philly faces a torturous stretch of five road games in a seven-week span. The schedule includes visits to Green Bay and Dallas.
—The Eagles’ three losses this season have come by a total of 37 points, which means they’ve been in games. But the team’s offense often disappears in the second halves of games. The Eagles have been outscored 83-45 over the final two quarters this year, with a 38-14 margin in the third quarter alone. And this team is woefully out of balance–running the ball 123 times and passing it on 215 plays (including sacks allowed).
—Contributing to the problem is the team’s minus-6 turnover ratio (tied with Denver for second-worst). The figure includes a league-high nine interceptions thrown and only two pickoffs by the defense. On the bright side, the Eagles have lost two of their eight fumbles. Still, the Eagles’ 11 total giveaways are tied with Dallas for most in the league.
—Philadelphia has been charged with 31 accepted penalties through five games. The total is tied for the sixth-most in the league and six higher than Baltimore’s. The Eagles are averaging one false start call per game, but they have committed four unnecessary-roughness penalties–one behind Jacksonville for the league lead. Individually, six players have committed at least two penalties, each with five of those players on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Jalen Mills has been hit twice for pass interference, as has teammate Darius Slay. The Eagles have also been credited with five dropped passes this season (the same number as the Ravens).
—Through five weeks, Philadelphia is ranked 28th in total offense (18th rushing, 26th passing, 23rd scoring) and is converting 48.6 percent of its third-down plays, the seventh-best rate in the league. However, the team has missed on four of six fourth-down conversion tries. It also has a rather pedestrian possession-time average of 29:24, which ranks 19th in the league, just below the middle of the pack.
—Defensively, the Eagles are ranked 13th overall (17th vs. rush, 17th vs. pass, 23rd scoring, allowing 29 points per game). The team’s red-zone defense is allowing touchdowns at a 73.6-percent pace, the NFL’s sixth-worst.
—In 2016, former NFL journeyman quarterback Doug Pederson became the 23rd head coach in Eagles franchise history. Pederson sports a 43-31-1 record (including postseason). He played 12 years in the NFL for four teams and got a Super Bowl 31 championship ring as Brett Favre’s backup in 1996. Pederson was the starter for Miami the day head coach Don Shula set the NFL head-coaching wins record. Ironically, that game took place in Philadelphia.
—Pederson began his coaching career as the Eagles’ offensive quality control coach before being elevated to quarterbacks coach. In 2013, he became the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator before taking the helm in Philadelphia after Chip Kelly was fired. Pat Shurmur served as a one-game interim head coach. Pederson guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 title with a win over New England in Minneapolis–its first championship since 1960. Notable coaching-staff hires under Pederson include senior offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg (Ravens quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, 2015-18), defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (Mt. St. Joseph’s; Maryland assistant, 1989; Ravens assistant, 1996-98), and assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley, who played for the Eagles for seven seasons (1997-2003).
—Fifth-year quarterback Carson Wentz (6-foot-5, 237 pounds) came to the NFL from the dominant FCS (Division I-AA) program at North Dakota State. He authored that team’s 2013 national-championship win over Towson, which was part of a run of five straight championships for the Bison. Wentz is one of only six quarterbacks in league history to have 20 or more touchdown passes with ten or fewer interceptions in three straight years. The others are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson. Wentz holds single-season Eagles franchise records for passing yards, completions, and touchdowns.
—Wentz, who has been both a Pro Bowl and All-Pro pick, has faced the Ravens only once (2016 in Baltimore). That day, he went 22-for-42 for 170 yards, an interception, and a sack (for a 52.7 QB rating). Still, he almost pulled out a win. That outcome was thwarted when CJ Mosley broke up a two-point conversion pass in the final minute. This year, Wentz has completed 60 percent of his passes with six touchdowns, a league-high nine interceptions, and a 68.5 rating. He has three rushing touchdowns and is averaging 5.3 yards-per-carry.
—Philadelphia’s feature back is Miles Sanders, a second-year player from Penn State, who labored under Saquon Barkley’s shadow. Sanders has blossomed. Last year, he set the Eagles’ franchise record for rookie rushing yards (818) and had 13 plays of 20 or more yards. This year, he has three rushing touchdowns, including a 74-yarder, and is averaging 5.1 yards-per-carry. Together, Sanders and Wentz have 85 of the Eagles’ 123 carries. Reserve Boston Scott also will see action, and backup quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was taken in this year’s draft in the second round from Alabama, has carried the ball five times.
—Part of the problem with Wentz’s numbers in recent years is the lack of passing-game targets. Age and injuries have ravaged that unit. Veterans DeSean Jackson (hamstring, ten catches, 12-yard average) and Alshon Jeffery (foot) have been affected, as has JJ Arcega-Whiteside (calf), the only one of that trio to play against Pittsburgh last week. A possible savior has surfaced in Travis Fulgham, a second-year player from Old Dominion, who played in Detroit last year. In the last two weeks, Fulgham has 12 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns and is averaging over 17 yards per reception. He had a career-best ten grabs last week. Also with two scores is the team’s leading receiver, Greg Ward, who has a pedestrian total of 22 grabs in five games. Sanders has 11 out of the backfield.
–The Eagles have a solid tight end corps led by Zach Ertz. The eight-year veteran from Stanford has been to three Pro Bowls. Ertz caught the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl 52. His 525 receptions over his first seven seasons led all NFL tight ends in that span. In his only career game against the Ravens, Ertz caught six passes for 80 yards. Former first-round pick Dallas Goedert has a 34-yard touchdown to his credit this year, but he broke his ankle during the Eagles’ recent tie game with Cincinnati and is in the midst of a three-week absence.
—The Eagles’ offensive line has allowed a staggering 19 sacks. As with its other units, injuries and turnover have caused problems. Lane Johnson stands tall as a veteran presence. Johnson, from Oklahoma, is in his eighth year has made three straight Pro Bowls and the All-Pro team. But with one notable exception, the rest of the line is rather young. Left tackle Jordan Mailata (6’8”, 346) is in his third year, while left guard Nate Herbig is in his second season. Right guard Matt Pryor was a 2018 sixth-rounder (TCU), while center Jason Kelce (brother of Kansas City tight end Travis) has started 94 straight games– most among active centers. Kelce has made three Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro squads.
—The Eagles usually get a good push from its front four on defense. The line’s principal members have contributed 11.5 of the team’s 18 sacks–a total that is the league’s second-highest (Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams have 20 each). DEs Josh Sweat (12 tackles, three sacks) and Derek Barnett (13 tackles, 2.5 sacks) have been the most productive. But Brandon Graham has ten tackles from the opposite side, along with a trio of sacks. Javon Hargrave, Malik Jackson, and Fletcher Cox form a solid inside rotation. Cox, who had a sack and fumble recovery against the Ravens in 2016, was a 2012 first-round pick (12th overall) from Mississippi State and has five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro first-team berths to his credit. His 48 career sacks coming into this year is a franchise record for interior defensive linemen.
—Like many teams in this pass-happy era, the Eagles have no qualms about deploying two linebackers and five defensive backs on many occasions. In fact, the Eagles have committed only $4 million in cap space to the second level, the lowest figure in the league. The two principal linebackers are Nathan Gerry (team-high 40 tackles) and Duke Riley. In his fourth year from Nebraska, Gerry was third on the team in tackles last year and had two interceptions as well. Atlanta drafted Riley (25 tackles, fifth on the team) in the third round in 2017 before being traded to Philadelphia last year. Backup Alex Singleton has one of the team’s two interceptions, running it back for a 30-yard touchdown. But through the season’s first five games, opposing tight ends have exploited this group for 32 catches and five touchdowns.
—The secondary is paced by a pair of aggressive cover corners, Jalen Mills and former Detroit Lions standout Darius Slay, who was acquired in an off-season trade. Mills is third on the team with 28 tackles (1.5 sacks). Slay is fourth with 27. Since 2013, Slay has deflected an NFL-high 107 passes, and his 19 interceptions (since 2014) are the league’s third-most. Rodney McLeod (33 tackles, second on the team, one interception) and Marcus Epps (17 tackles, seventh) team up at safety with Nickell Roby-Coleman also contributing. Roby-Coleman has played for Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams. He’s notable for not being flagged for pass interference against New Orleans late in the 2018 NFC Championship Game.
—The Eagles’ kick and punt return game is among the NFL’s worst. Wideout Greg Ward has made six fair catches on punts, running back five for the paltry total of 19 yards with no return longer than eight yards. The team’s 3.6-yard punt-return average is second-worst in the league, bottomed only by Arizona. Running back Boston Scott has returned seven kicks for a mere 17.7-yard average, fifth-lowest in the league, with no runback longer than 25 yards. Conversely, the Eagles’ coverage teams are quite good. They are allowing 5.7 yards per punt return (ninth-best) and 21.2 yards per kick runback (15th).
—In his fourth season from Memphis, placekicker Jake Elliott quickly became a fan-favorite when he kicked a franchise-long 61-yard game-winner against the New York Giants during his 2017 rookie season. He also has the team’s postseason record with a 53-yarder. Last year, Elliott was granted a lucrative five-year contract extension, a rare occurrence for a kicker. This year, Elliott has hit all ten extra points and is 7-for-9 on field-goal tries, with both misses coming from beyond 50 yards.
—Punter Cameron Johnston is part of a wave of Australian punters who’ve made their way to these shores. An All-America and All-Big Ten Conference pick at Ohio State, in two seasons, Johnston has set Eagles’ franchise records for highest gross average (47.2) and net average (42.5). This year, Johnston has placed ten of 21 punts inside the coffin corner and has just two touchbacks. He is grossing 51.4 and netting 45.7 yards per punt.
Prediction
If the Eagles were at full-strength, the bet is that they would run away with the NFL East–the league’s worst division. But that’s not happening because of the team’s injury-fueled slow start. Despite that reality, the Eagles are only one win behind division-leading Dallas. Conversely, the biggest reason the Ravens have been contenders for so long is that they have been mostly healthy.
The problem for Philly this week is that it will face a much better team. Catching the ‘Boys will be on hold.
Baltimore 31, Philadelphia 13
