On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) won their eighth straight after defeating the Baltimore Ravens (8-5) 24-19 at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Eagles, who are in first place in the NFC East after Week 13 for the third straight year, have opened at 10-2 or better in three consecutive seasons.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Philly’s ‘Big 3’ and their outstanding performances on Sunday:
DT Jalen Carter is an absolute monster. He was disruptive and was one of the reasons the Eagles controlled Derrick Henry(82 yards) and Lamar Jackson. He finished with four tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and three quarterback hits.
-You can’t stop Saquon Barkley, but you could hope to contain him. For most of the game, the Ravens contained Barkley, as he had 44 yards through the first three quarters, but he erupted in the fourth. Barkley had 63 of his 107 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown run that basically put the game away for the Eagles. This was Barkley’s eighth 100-yard game in 2024; he’s the first back to go over one hundred yards against the Ravens this season.
-Zack Baun has had an amazing season, and he keeps making Howie Roseman look good each and every week. On Sunday, Baun had 13 tackles and 0.5 sack. He had a great tackle on Henry on a third-down run in the second quarter that ended a Baltimore drive.
Honorable Mention:
-Jalen Hurts did not put up big numbers(11/19, 118 yards, two total touchdowns), but he did not turn the ball over, and right now, he’s playing clean football. He made enough plays to get the job done.
End of the Day:
The Eagles get another quality win on the road against one of the better teams in the league, and the formula stays the same. Barkley, a stingy defense, and a turnover-free Hurts.
At this point, the schedule works in Philly’s favor. Their final five games include four home games.
Philly should go at least 4-1, and they could definitely win all five. The Eagles may have to do that to catch the Lions (11-1), whose schedule toughens up down the stretch.
The Lions could go 3-2 in those final five games, which would open the door for the Eagles to get the number one seed in the NFC.
This would give Philly a bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
There are several different scenarios for the Eagles to get the number one seed, but the easiest is for Philly to win out and hope that Detroit loses twice.
What’s Next?
Eagles host the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.
One more thing…
Nick Sirianni is the eighth NFL head coach to produce 10-2 starts or better in three straight seasons, joining Sean Payton (2018-20 Saints), Bill Belichick (2015-17 Patriots), Tony Dungy (2005-07 Colts), Mike Shanahan (1996-98 Broncos), Mike Ditka (1985-88 Bears), John Madden (1974-76 Raiders), and Curly Lambeau (1929-32 Packers).
Leave a Reply