Eagles rank by position after big win over Ravens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

BALTIMORE – The Eagles played a really tough team, but they were just tougher than the Ravens on Sunday.

The Eagles gave up a last-second touchdown to make it look closer than they did in their 24-19 win over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

But this was a big win for an Eagles team that has now rattled off eight straight wins since the Week 5 bye. There is no doubt that these Eagles are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

quarterback

Jalen Hurts: 11/19, 118 yards, 1 TD; 9 runs, 29 yards, 1 touchdown

It’s not a sexy stat line. Hurts didn’t even complete 20 passes in this game, and that’s a pretty modest 118 yards. But he was clean and efficient and did exactly what the Eagles needed him to do to win this game. We’ve been saying for weeks that the day will come when Hurts needs to take a breath, and maybe that’s still the case, but the formula they have is working and Hurts is doing his part. After a terrible 1-for-5 start for 5 yards in the first quarter, Hurts really bounced back in the second quarter, completing 8 of 9 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. He also ended up making some big plays on the ground in this game.

Grade: B+

Run back

Saquon Barkley: 23 carries, 107 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 catches, 10 yards

After a 255-yard rushing performance last week, this 107-yard performance from Barkley might not look very impressive. But then you remember that the Eagles faced the NFL’s best run defense and that Barkley had the knockout blow with a 25-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t a record-breaking day, but after that touchdown, plenty of Eagles fans in Baltimore chanted “MVP!” and I agree with them. Barkley makes a strong push.

Grade: A

Recipient

AJ Brown: 5 catches on 6 targets for 66 yards

There just weren’t many passes in this game. Heck, Hurts only threw five passes in the entire second half. But Brown did some damage. He accounted for all 66 yards in the second quarter and 44 of them on the Eagles’ long touchdown drive late in the first half. The only other receiver to have a catch was Jahan Dotson, who was 1-for-7. DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was ruled out of this game but could return next weekend against the Panthers.

Grade: B

Tight end

Dallas Goedert: 3 catches on 4 targets for 35 yards, 1 touchdown

Not a flashy stat for Goedert, but his catches were big. His 17-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter put the Eagles on the field as he beat Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton around the corner. And then his third-down conversion on 3rd-and-7 in the fourth, a few plays before that Barkley touchdown run, was one of the biggest plays of the game. Also some snaps in this picture for Grant Calcaterra and CJ Uzomah as blockers. Calcaterra took over the fullback role from Ben VanSumeren, who was out for the season with a knee injury.

Grade: B+

Offensive line

The Eagles were able to wear down the Ravens’ defense, and you have to give the offensive line a lot of credit. It wasn’t a perfect game, but it was tough. Jordan Mailata had the big block to pass Barkley on the 25-yard touchdown run, and Lane Johnson struck on the other side. The interior offensive linemen killed their combo blocks. And Hurts was only sacked twice in this game, so the entire line did well in pass protection.

Grade: A

Defensive line

Jalen Carter: 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 3 TFLs

In their first game without Brandon Graham, the Eagles defensive line answered the call. Carter was dynamic in this game, playing all but one snap. He has developed into an absolute game-destroyer worthy of All-Pro consideration. Milton Williams also had a strong game with five presses. Jordan Davis steadfastly withstood the run. The Eagles went to a three-man edge rotation with Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt and they all showed juice. In addition to Carter’s sack, Smith had one and Hunt had half. The Eagles also limited Derrick Henry to 82 yards on 19 carries (4.3). They did a great job of minimizing its impact and attacking it together.

Grade: A

Linebackers

Zack Baun: 13 tackles, 1/2 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL

Both Baun and Nakobe Dean continue to play at a really high level. Baun’s sack (he shared with Hunt) on 3rd-and-5 in the third quarter was huge. It ended in a 14-yard loss and then Justin Tucker missed a 47-yard field goal. Dean finished with 10 tackles, meaning he and Baun had 23 tackles combined. They were everywhere on the field. Dean had to leave briefly after running out of breath, but returned.

Grade: A

Secondary

Cooper DeJean: 5 solo tackles, 1 PBU

Without Darius Slay (concussion), Isaiah Rodgers played the entire game and held up well. On the other hand, Quinyon Mitchell continues to be a complete no-fly zone and managed to avoid injury when he was bowled over. DeJean also had another big game and his hit stick on Henry will probably be the biggest highlight of this game. Reed Blankenship suffered a concussion and was replaced by Tristin McCollum, who got in the way of a fourth down pass. Avonte Maddox is still the extra DB in the dime package and was called for an early defensive serve.

Grade: A

Special teams

Braden Mann: 6 punts, 51.2 average, 5 inside 20, 2 inside 10

The Eagles incurred some special teams penalties and those need to be eliminated. But it was still a great day for Michael Clay’s unit. Mann had an excellent day punting the ball and gunners Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown also did their job. The only punt landed at the 1-yard line was the start of a major turnaround in the game. Jake Elliott made his kicks and Justin Tucker didn’t. And Britain Covey caught his punts, but the Ravens didn’t. Those ended up being two really important differences in this game.

Grade: A-

Coaching

Record: 10-2

If we want to be picky, we can point to the opening offensive script and ask why the hell the Eagles are working on getting the ball to Will Shipley, Britain Covey and Parris Campbell. But let’s not ignore the obvious: this is an extremely well-coached team at the moment. On offense, the Eagles finally fought their way out of an early slump. On defense, Vic Fangio deserves a key to the city. His unit is playing at such a high level right now and it doesn’t matter when the backups are there. And give Nick Sirianni credit. We talked about this guy’s job security after four games and he’s pushed most of the right buttons since then.

Grade: A

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