Eagles Physicality On Display In Beating Ravens, 24-19

There hasn't been a more physical team than the Philadelphia Eagles during their 8-game winning streak, though the Baltimore Ravens were supposed to be able to match them. They didn't.

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws as Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) applies pressure during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

BALTIMORE – There hasn’t been a more physical team than the Eagles in their eight-game winning streak.  The Baltimore Ravens were supposed to be their equivalent. Not.

Tough and physical. Those were the two key words head coach Nick Sirianni used repeatedly in the aftermath of the Eagles' 24-19 win over the Ravens on Sunday. a win that pushed them to 10-2 with four home games in their final five of the season, beginning Sunday with a visit from the Carolina Panthers.

“They had to match our (physicality)," said the coach. “We know we are a physical team, (and) we know they are a physical team. That was our message going in, that they have to match our physicality.

“We just kept coming and with resilient effort to the football. They were very determined to show how physical we were.”

You know when a team is losing the physicality battle? In the fourth quarter, as the clock ticked toward nine minutes left. That's when Saquon Barkley ripped off a 14-yard run that was followed by a Jalen Hurts 11-yard dash. Then Barkley scampered 25 yards for a touchdown that basically put the game out of reach and sealed what would make the Eagles 10-2.

Nov 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (3) celebrates with linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) after Dean sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (not pictured) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images / Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

“Whenever you play a physical team, and you call yourself a physical team, you find out who’s going to be physical, and who’s going to quit,” said receiver A.J. Brown. “Two teams bumped heads (Sunday), and, I think (Sunday), we were the tougher team.”

On Barkley’s touchdown run, Jordan Mailata pulled inside and sealed off the Ravens, then receivers Jahan Doston and Parris Campbell made like they were running routes to draw the defense away then delivered blocks down the field to give Barkley a lane to score.

The Ravens were beaten right then and there.

“Our identity is physical and if you’re going to challenge that, then we’re going to show up and be more physical,” said linebacker Zack Baun, who was, once again, superb, making 13 tackles, with a half-sack, a forced fumble, and a tackle for loss.

“I think a lot of guys on this defense and this team have been underdogs for a long time, having a chip on their shoulder. I know I have, and I know Nakobe has … We want to grind on teams, and we want to wear them out, and that’s what we did.”

Dean also made 10 tackles. Jalen Carter turned in another dominant game, recording a sack, which gives him 4.5 this season, and three tackles for loss on Derrick Henry. Jordan Davis also contributed to a rushing defense that held Henry to 82 yards and 4.3 yards per carry, well below his season average of 6.0. Nolan Smith keeps improving, too. He had eight tackles with another sack, which gives him 4.5 this season.

“Coach can only say so much,” said safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. “You gotta want to go out there and tackle one of the best running backs in the game, want to chase one of the best two-way quarterbacks in the league. That’s a ‘want-to game.’”

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