Eagles @ Ravens
Final Score: PHI 24 – BAL 19
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
This game was marked on our calendars as a potential Super Bowl preview a few weeks ago and very well could still be. It was all Baltimore early, as the Eagles were forced to punt on their four first possessions while the Ravens marched two drives over 50 yards for a field goal and then a touchdown from Mark Andrews. The score was only 9-0, though, as Justin Tucker missed the extra point left of the uprights. The Eagles leveraged some good field position and were able to cap off a 49-yard drive with a touchdown to Dallas Goedert. After forcing a 3-and-out, Philadelphia marched 9 plays for 68 yards down the field as Jalen Hurts nearly ran in a 10-yard QB draw but ended up scoring on a brotherly shove as he was downed inches short on the run. Tucker knocked in a 50-yard field goal to send this game into halftime at 14-12, but that’s when things fell off the rails for the veteran kicker. The first drive of the second half came up empty as Tucker missed a 47-yarder to the left and then missed another from 50 yards on a potential overcorrection to the right. Saquon Barkley blew the game open by taking one in from 25 yards out, and the Ravens had to attempt a 4th down conversion on their ensuing drive to no avail. The Eagles were able to run some clock from chunk gains from Barkley and settle for a field goal, and the Ravens made the final score look less embarrassing with an Isaiah Likely touchdown with 3 seconds left.
Two Up
- Nick Sirianni & Kellen Moore – The Eagles’ offensive did an impressive job establishing the run via a variety of run schemes, and winning the game on the ground proved to be the difference in this one. Philly was also missing Devonta Smith, so winning this game on the road shows that this offense can adapt without key pieces – something that held them back in games earlier this season and caused much turmoil in the fanbase directed at the coaches.
- Mark Andrews – After a slow start to the season, we saw his involvement take an uptick in the red zone these past few weeks. This trend has now extended into all parts of the field throughout this game, and he maintained the red zone targets. This is the type of usage we had hoped to see when drafting him as a top-end fantasy TE.
Two Down
- Justin Tucker – He’s now up to 10 missed field goals this season. After missing both an XP and FG to the left (a consistent story this season), the “I’ll just aim a little to the right” strategy backfired. Hopefully, he spends some time over this bye week to get his mindset in the right place; otherwise, the Ravens may be in a tough position with his unreliability.
- Diontae Johnson – Baltimore was without Rashod Bateman, but the potential opened the door for Johnson didn’t come to fruition. He wasn’t on the field much, if at all, and wasn’t targeted once. This begs the question of why Baltimore even brought him over from Carolina.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 11/19 118 Yards, 1 TD | 9 Attempts, 29 Yards, 1 TD
Hurts can add another game without a turnover to his resume and deserves credit for taking care of the ball. He threw the ball away a few times, and the few incompletions were in locations where only the receiver could make a play on it. He was sacked twice but for a net loss of only 6 yards. The ankle injury he’s supposedly dealing with isn’t having any impact on his mobility or inclination toward running the ball – he kept several read options and nearly scored from 10 yards out (he was tush pushed in the following play). Hurts was without Devonta Smith, and his first two passes were incomplete to Parris Campbell and Britain Covey – he didn’t look either of their ways for the remainder of the game. A deep ball to A.J. Brown went incomplete as it was a little overthrown, so the passing yard total is unsurprisingly low for only completing 11 passes. Fantasy managers should be encouraged this game essentially sets Hurts’ floor, given how much work was kept on the ground, and Smith returning will help provide him with safer hands to look for.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 23 Attempts, 107 Yards, 1 TD | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
Will Shipley: 1 Attempt, 4 Yards
We got a head-vs-head between the two leading rushers in the league, and Saquon Barkley extended his lead over Derrick Henry just a bit further. His first run went for 13 yards, but the majority of the game was hard-earned 4-yard runs. Things finally opened up in the 4th quarter as he broke two tackles en route to a 25-yard TD. The two incompletions that went his way were a wheel route that Hurts threw well out of bounds (perhaps intentionally) and another in the flat that was deflected at the line of scrimmage. He’s a true bellcow for this offense – Will Shipley’s only carry came on the first possession of the game. Philly fans made sure to serenade him with “MVP” chants as the game came to a close, and for good reason.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Devonta Smith: DNP
A.J. Brown: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 66 Yards
Dallas Goedert: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, 1 TD
Jahan Dotson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Parris Campbell: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Britain Covey: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
While it was disappointing that Devonta Smith was unable to suit up, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise after remembering how cautiously this team took the hamstring issues with A.J. Brown and Jordan Mailata. Speaking of A.J. Brown, he’s well-cemented as Hurts’ most reliable target. The first pass that went his way was nearly a 25+ bomb, but Hurts led him too far, and he caught everything after that. They were all consistently 9-15 yard chunks all over the field: out by the boundaries, quick slants, and deep ins over the middle. The touchdown went to Dallas Goedert, though, as Goedert caught a ball in the flat and broke a tackle from Kyle Hamilton to rumble his way in for 6. His 4 targets aren’t a lot, but it’s still a big share, given how little the Eagles were throwing the ball. These two and Devonta are really the only receiving options that are viable fantasy assets – but it was nice to see Jahan Dotson work his way back toward the ball to bring in his lone target.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 23/36, 237 Yards, 2 TDs | 8 Attempts, 79 Yards
Lamar’s stat line makes it look like it was a more impressive game than it was in reality. His passing was unquestionably off the mark today, missing several deeper passes and even a few short 5-yarders. One pass was nearly intercepted, and 39 of his rushing yards were on a single scramble with less than 30 seconds left in the game. He did connect with Zay Flowers for 40 yards on their first possession, and his touchdown throw to Mark Andrews was perfectly placed to allow Andrews to elevate and bring it down. Some of his inaccuracies can be attributed to the havoc wreaked by Philly’s pass rush, and they even bottled him up for 3 sacks, netting a total loss of 31 yards. This is how he plays, though: drop back extra far so he has space to work with, and if he can get away (which he does often), he looks to air it out for a big gain. One of those passes was nearly intercepted, and another was broken up by the crowd of 3 defenders he threw it into.
Running Back
Derrick Henry: 19 Attempts, 82 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards
Justice Hill: 3 Attempts, 6 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 15 Yards
The King has now gone two straight games without finding the paydirt despite doing so in each of the first 11 weeks. His longest run went for 19 yards, but the Eagles bottled him up very well aside from that. The most encouraging sign for fantasy owners is that he remained on the field for a good number of pass players, and he caught all of Lamar’s check-downs to him. This role is something we’re more used to seeing from Justice Hill, whose efficiency mirrored that of Henry’s almost exactly. Don’t panic if you have shares of this backfield; this game was nothing more than a tough matchup.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rashod Bateman: DNP
Zay Flowers: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 74 Yards | 1 Attempt, -3 Yards
Mark Andrews: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 67 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Attempt, 2 Yards
Isaiah Likely: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 38 Yards, 1 TD
Tylan Wallace: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Nelson Agholor: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions
The Ravens’ pass attack in this one was almost entirely between deep throws to Zay Flowers and chunk gains from Mark Andrews. Isaiah Likely saw 4 of his targets during the garbage time drive at the end of the game, which is also when he got his TD. Zay’s downfield targets are both good and bad – they’re huge gains, and he has great run-after-catch ability when they hit, but Lamar can be a bit streaky with his accuracy and threw one into triple coverage. Triple coverage wasn’t an issue for Mark Andrews, though, as he elevated higher than all the defenders to bring down a Moss-esque 14-yard TD. A potential TD was thrown over his head a few plays earlier, but it turns out his TD was inevitable. A few of his catches were in the flat, but he also hauled in a few intermediate routes as well. These roles for Flowers and Andrews are probably due to the absence of Rashod Bateman, whose more rounded skillset bridges the gaps. The biggest question mark is Diontae Johnson – still not being involved whatsoever, even when there’s a vacancy to open the door for him.