All eyes were on Philadelphia’s matchup against Baltimore this past Sunday. Even for neutral fans, a plethora of hefty storylines increased the magnitude of this matchup. With Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry locked in a battle for the Offensive Player of the Year award and their respective teams projected as Super Bowl contenders, the game was an opportunity for either Philly or Baltimore to prove themselves. The Ravens were given the edge, as they held home field advantage and a defense line that could prove problematic for the Eagles’ run-first offense. For Philadelphia, AJ Brown and Dallas Goedert were poised to cause fits for a porous Baltimore secondary. Few were expecting a low-scoring, physical bout where the Eagles outlasted the Ravens to secure their eighth straight win.
In a strange game that featured five fumbles but no turnovers, it was the Eagles’ rookies and backups that made the difference. The Eagles entered this game already missing some of their best players in corner Darius Slay, wide receiver Devonta Smith and defensive end Brandon Graham, who suffered a season-ending tricep injury in Los Angeles. It was therefore less than ideal when Reed Blankenship sustained a concussion in the second half and was ruled out, making the secondary even thinner. But this young Philly squad was up for the challenge. On 3rd and 8, rookie Cooper DeJean popped off the screen with a dominant tackle on Derrick Henry, lifting the 247-pound running back into the air before slamming him into the turf. The tackle prompted plenty of celebration from the Eagles’ sideline. DeJean also helped with a nice pass break-up on a deep throw to Nelson Agholor, and fellow corner Quinyon Mitchell only surrendered two catches for 4 yards. The biggest surprise was Tristan McCollum, the backup safety for Blankenship, who swatted down a pass from Jackson on 4th and 8 to force a turnover on downs. Overall, the defense only surrendered 12 points and 302 yards prior to Baltimore’s garbage time touchdown drive. Entering this matchup, the Ravens were averaging 29.9 points and 426.7 yards per game. The Eagles’ defense has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Local fan Jerry shared his appreciation for the defense with me while out catching up on errands.
“Every time the Ravens got momentum, the defense would shut it down,” he said. “Our defensive line was just a huge factor in the game, they were putting pressure on Lamar all game long. And that guy we signed—Baun! Man, he was chasing Lamar all game. I remember him getting that sack, too.” When asked what he liked about rooting for Philly, Jerry responded, “It’s just a physical team. Just look at the way Barkley runs. He’s a force of nature.”
With the playoffs around the corner, fans can’t help but think of Philadelphia’s chances with playoff seeding and NFL awards. Saquon Barkley’s amazing 2024 campaign is putting him in the MVP conversation; he needs only 109 yards to break the Eagles’ all-time rushing record set by LeSean McCoy in 2013, and 605 to break the NFL rushing record of 2,105. Four of the Eagles’ next five opponents are bottom of the league in run defense, so Barkley will look to take advantage of these favorable matchups and write his name in the history books this season. Doing so would almost guarantee him the MVP award over the current favorite, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, if it were not normally biased to quarterbacks. The last non-QB to win MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012.
On the defensive side of the ball, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are both in the top five favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Though it is indicative of their impressive play, it’s unlikely either Eagles cornerback will win it. Mitchell has done everything this year except secure an interception, and it’s those highlight-reel plays that will ultimately be the difference maker for voters. DeJean is suffering from the same lack of turnovers, though he has also performed solidly.
With the win over Baltimore, fans can feel confident that they’re watching a Super Bowl-worthy team take the field in Philadelphia, and the postseason is coming into focus. As the NFC playoff picture currently stands, the Eagles would get a massive boost if Detroit were to lose against Green Bay on Thursday. Doing so would put the Eagles in control of their own destiny; if they win out, they secure the 1 seed. To clinch the NFC East, the Eagles need to win their next two matchups. The first step to both the 1 seed and the division is winning against the Carolina Panthers in Philadelphia this Sunday, where the Eagles look to feed their momentum with another dominant victory.
Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read more of Helen’s Then & Now series featuring local history-related topics here.
