The Ravens’ run defense hasn’t been tested much, but that will change against the Eagles

The Baltimore Ravens have the second stingiest run defense in the league (measured by rushing yards allowed per game) behind the Minnesota Vikings. They also allow a league-low 3.5 yards per carry. But for a variety of reasons — from the Ravens jumping out to some big leads to teams looking to attack Baltimore’s faltering pass defense — it still feels like they haven’t been tested much in this area.

That will change Sunday afternoon when the Philadelphia Eagles, winners of seven straight and with the best rushing attack in football – and the hottest running back in the league – arrive at M&T Bank Stadium. The Eagles are the second team in NFL history with at least 150 rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns in six consecutive games. During that span, Saquon Barkley averaged 179.2 yards from scrimmage per game and scored seven touchdowns.

“Where do you start with Saquon Barkley?” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “He’s just a really difficult guy to deal with. His vision is really good. … His ability to see edge-to-edge and the full distance, whenever there’s a gap that’s not being defended, he can see it. Don’t just see it, come see it. All the other highlights are there too, but his ability to make a defense pay for not being in the right spot is probably what stands out to me the most.”

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The game features several intriguing subplots. The Ravens’ best offense against the best defense in the league. The league’s top two rushers (Barkley and Derrick Henry) share the field, along with the three legitimate MVP candidates Barkley, Henry and Lamar Jackson. The NFL’s two best rushing attacks call the shots. The most critical matchup may be the Ravens’ ability to slow down the running game of Barkley and the Eagles.

The Ravens have held teams under 100 yards rushing in nine of 12 games this year. They haven’t allowed more than 125 yards on the ground in a game all season. But they didn’t face a defender like Barkley (who rushed for a league-leading 1,392 yards), too many dual-threat quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts or an offensive line as strong as Philadelphia’s veteran group.

The last time the Eagles had fewer than 160 yards rushing in a game was Week 6.

“We’ve played a lot of good offensive lines this year, but we have the same mentality – try to get to them,” Ravens fullback Odafe Oweh said. “We will try to dictate it as much as possible and not let them do that.”

The Eagles have a number of weapons, from the dynamic Hurts, two standout wide receivers in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, and a quality tight end in Dallas Goedert. But for the Ravens, it all starts with containing Barkley.

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Throughout game weeks, we’ll examine some of the storylines, matchups and questions facing the Ravens heading into the contest. This week’s first-and-10:

1. If Sunday’s game turns into a shootout, it could take a while to happen. Both teams struggled offensively early in the games. It was a season-long problem for the Eagles. They average 1.5 points per game in the first quarter, the lowest in the league. They didn’t score their first points in the first quarter until Week 9. This is a recent problem for the Ravens. In each of their first five games, they scored on the first possession. In seven games since then, their first possession resulted in four punts, an interception, a lost fumble and a turnover on downs. Their 48 points in the first quarter are by far their fewest in a quarter, and Jackson admitted this week that the slow starts are a concern.

2. The Eagles are in the NFC, which means there is an obligation to point out that Jackson is 23-1 in his career against the NFC. This is the best win percentage by a non-conference quarterback in league history. In those starts, Jackson has thrown 40 touchdown passes with nine interceptions and scored nine points. Vic Fangio’s defense blitzed on just 18.6 percent of opponent dropbacks, the fourth-lowest rate in the league. This will be a game where Jackson can showcase his improvement in reading the field and reading defenses.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is 3-0 in starts against NFC teams this season. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

3. No one uses light boxes more than the Eagles, but that hasn’t stopped them from having one of the best run defenses in football. Philadelphia hasn’t allowed more than 100 yards rushing in a game since Week 4. It has also been weeks since they faced a dynamic running game. A Henry-heavy game plan similar to what the Ravens ran against the Los Angeles Chargers, another team that plays lightly in the penalty box, would make a lot of sense.

4. Baltimore’s converted right defenseman Daniel Faalele, one of the team’s biggest question marks early in the season, has shown improvement after a rocky start. On Sunday he faces one of his biggest tests. Eagles second-year prospect Jalen Carter has emerged as one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders. This season he has 3 1/2 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss and one forced fumble. According to Pro Football Focus, Carter played 389 snaps at the left defensive tackle spot. That would put him face to face with Faalele. Expect Carter, the ninth overall pick in 2023, to see double teams.

5. The Ravens have used Kyle Hamilton primarily as a deep safety over the last two games, but it will be interesting to see if that continues on Sunday. It must be pretty tempting for Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr to get Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage as often as possible. He’s one of the team’s best and most physical tacklers, and moving him forward could be part of the plan to deal with Barkley and Hurts running the ball. Of course, the ability to hit Brown and his colleagues from distance will also be a priority. Brown is averaging 13 yards per target this season.

6. Harbaugh and Fangio likely won’t exchange holiday greetings before the game. Fangio was part of Harbaugh’s first coaching staff in Baltimore and then coached with John’s brother Jim at Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers. So it surprised Harbaugh when Fangio, then the Denver Broncos head coach, blasted him after the Ravens chose to make a play rather than go for it in the final seconds of Baltimore’s 16-point win over Denver in 2021 Knees to go. Harbaugh wanted to extend the Ravens’ streak of 100-yard rushing games. An angry Fangio said the Broncos expected it because “that’s the way they operate there. Player safety is secondary.” Harbaugh responded that he wouldn’t “waste a second of thought” about the criticism. The Ravens faced Fangio’s Miami Dolphins defense last year and scored 56 points. That included backup quarterback Tyler Huntley’s touchdown pass to Charlie Kolar with 2:28 left in a game in which Baltimore had a 30-point lead.

7. The Ravens wanted a cornerback in the first round of the 2024 draft, and when they went at No. 30, they had a choice of two they liked: Clemson’s Nate Wiggins and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean. The Ravens chose Wiggins, and he did not disappoint. He leads all rookies with 10 pass breakups to go, 21 tackles and a forced fumble. He has allowed 22 receptions on 45 targets. His role in an evolving Ravens secondary is growing. The Eagles, on the other hand, are thrilled with how things have turned out for them. They got Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at No. 22 and then traded him for the No. 40 pick to go for DeJean. Both were outstanding players. The two rookies are the main reason the Eagles have one of the best pass defenses in football.

8. The Ravens performed their own version of the “tush push” in Monday’s win over the Chargers when tight end Mark Andrews took a direct snap on the fourth-and-1 and pushed forward while Henry and fullback Patrick Ricard pushed him from behind . However, despite the retirement of center Jason Kelce, the Eagles are in a league of their own when it comes to their in-game efficiency. Harbaugh said the Ravens studied the game and would have a plan to defend it. The plan should focus on not allowing a lot of third and fourth-and-shorts because the Eagles are almost automatic.

9. Could this be the week the Ravens have a game-changing game on special teams? It would certainly be helpful, just as it would be helpful for the Ravens to avoid special teams penalties that force their offense to start deep in their own territory. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott had similar problems to Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, as he missed all four of his kicks at 50+. This week’s special teams matchup is father versus son. Randy Brown’s son, Tyler, the Ravens’ senior special teams coach and kicking guru, is an assistant special teams coach with the Eagles. Brown’s daughter Ryan will sing the national anthem before the game.

10. The Ravens’ only big decision before Saturday’s roster deadline at 4 p.m. is whether nose tackle Michael Pierce will be added to the 53-man roster. Pierce, who has missed the last four games with a calf injury, returned to practice this week and is in the middle of a 21-day training window. Harbaugh said Pierce has a legitimate chance to play and the big nose tackle would be a welcome addition against the league’s best running attack. The Ravens can clear a roster spot by placing Kolar, who has a broken forearm, on injured reserve. If Pierce isn’t ready, the Ravens will likely have to move nose tackle Josh Tupou from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Tupou is not in training, squad increases. It seems highly unlikely that the Ravens would falter defensively against a team that leads the league in rushing attempts.

forecast

Eagles 30, Ravens 24

It’s probably stupid to pick Jackson against an NFC team these days, but it’s more a reflection of how well the Eagles are playing than a statement about the Ravens. This is an Eagles team that can beat you in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball. When it comes down to it, the Eagles offensive line and defense are much more trustworthy than the Ravens offensive line and defense. This game will likely come down to the wire, but the bet is that it’s the Eagles who make the big plays late.

(Photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)