Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Key Match-Ups

Here are my 3 key match-ups for Sundays game featuring the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sunday is a very important game for the Baltimore Ravens.

After a 30-23 loss against the Patriots on Monday night, it is time for a bounce back game. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a game ahead in the division and the Ravens will most likely need to win out in order to make the playoffs. Their match-up on Sunday features a struggling Eagles team.

The last time these two teams met in the regular season, the Eagles were a much different team. Michael Vick was at quarterback and he led the Eagles to a 24-23 win over the Ravens. That same season, the Ravens went on to win the Super Bowl. Now the Eagles have rookie head coach Doug Pederson and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz at the helm. The two teams did meet in the preseason, but players like Joe Flacco did not even see the field.

Since starting the season 3-0, the Eagles have lost 8 of their last 10. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has seen his struggles and injuries have hurt the Eagles on both sides of the ball. The Eagles are now out of the playoff picture this season, but are contenders for the future.

The Ravens should not take this game lightly. They are on a short week from playing on Monday night in a physical game against the Patriots. This is their last home game of the season and they need to take advantage of it. The following two games are on the road against division rivals Steelers and Bengals.

Here are my 3 key match-ups for Sunday’s game

Match up #1: Carson Wentz vs. Ravens D.

Carson Wentz has been a viable option for the Eagles at quarterback this season. The 2nd overall pick was originally not expected to play this season, but extenuating circumstances changed that. He arguably got thrown into one of toughest environments to play in Philadelphia. The fans are some of the most relentless in the game.

In the John Harbaugh era, rookie quarterbacks have not fared well. They have a combined record of 0-7 and have thrown 9 interceptions.

Even after a poor performance against the Patriots, the Ravens defense will need to get after the rookie quarterback. At 6’5″ and 223 pounds, he will not be easy to bring down. Luckily for the Ravens, they come up against Ben Rothlisberger twice a year.

He will come up against a Raven’s secondary who got torched against the Patriots last week. Tom Brady had his way and threw for over 300 yards. To make matters worse, the Ravens #1 cornerback Jimmy Smith will be out a significant amount of time with a high ankle sprain. Cornerbacks Jerraud Powers and Shareece Wright are going to see increased playing time this week.

Wentz is only a rookie and can be prone to making mistakes. He has already thrown 12 interceptions on the season. It is going to be an interesting match-up to watch.

Match up #2: Zach Ertz vs. Ravens Linebackers

The 4th year pro has proved that he is a threat in the passing game. Last week against the Redskins, Ertz caught 10 passes for 112 yards. With limited options at receiver, the tight end will be one of Wentz’s top receiving options on Sunday. Wentz has targeted him 28 times in the past two games and there will be many more targets on Sunday. He will come up again two very good linebackers in the Raven’s front seven.

C.J. Mosley has emerged as one of the leaders on the Raven’s defense, but struggled against the Patriots. Most notably, he got beat by Marcellus Bennet for a 19 yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter. He was also beat by James White on a crossing pattern down the field.

Aside from Mosley, Zachary Orr will cover Ertz in the passing game. The undrafted rookie out of North Texas currently leads the Ravens in tackles and has been very impressive this season.Ertz is the security blanket for Wentz and the linebackers must take him away.Both are capable of covering in the passing game and are going to be crucial in stopping him from catching the ball.

Match-up #3: Kennith Dixon vs. Fletcher Cox

Rookie running back Kenneth Dixon is becoming the future of the Baltimore Ravens. Against the Patriots, Dixon had arguably his best performance of the season. He only rushed for 39 yards, but also caught for 42 yards and a touchdown. He is efficient in the ground and pass game. It does not look like the Ravens aren’t going to completely shy away from Terrance West, but Kenneth Dixon will be heavily involved on Sunday.

Dixon faces a tough challenge against one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in Fletcher Cox. Over the summer he signed a huge contract with the Eagles, making him the highest paid defensive lineman in the league.

Cox has not had his best season stats wise, but is always a threat. The 298 pound lineman can easily move around guards and centers to get to the football. Dixon will need to keep his feet moving and fight for every yard on Sunday. He is going to have his hands full with Fletcher Cox and company on the defensive line.