Eagles Get Wings Clipped – Fall Short Against Ravens

The Philadelphia Eagles notched their 4th loss of the season Sunday afternoon, falling short of an epic comeback against the Baltimore Ravens. Trailing the entire game and losing key players along the way, Carson Wentz once again brought his team back from the brink. However, it would not be enough as the Eagles came up just 2 points short of a tie. Many mistakes made this brutal to watch, but overall the Eagles looked great in the second half. Let’s get to it.

A First Half to Forget

The Eagles started out receiving in the first home game of the season with fans. The roaring crowd filled with cutouts and diehards cheered on during the opening drive. Sadly this drive lasted exactly four plays as the birds went three and out following a painful John Hightower drop on a dime from Carson Wentz. The Ravens defense was hungry from the start, getting their hands on Wentz twice in the first two plays. Following a quick punt, the Ravens took advantage, storming up the field and leaving with 7. After too many three and outs and a Carson Wentz fumble, the Eagles found themselves down 17-0 in the second quarter. The Eagles finally got their first first down of the day, with 4 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter. A Miles Sanders endzone drop paired with an unsuccessful 4th down conversion put a cap on a great drive, giving the Ravens the ball back. With less than 20 seconds to play, the Eagles made one last push. Travis Fulgham almost came down with a hail mary, but the resulting interception was nullified anyway, putting kicker Jake Elliott in range. A missed field goal ended a miserable half, sending both Birds to the locker room.

Eagles Fly in the Second Half

The Eagles defense came out motivated, stopping the Ravens on their first drive. It wasn’t long until Miles Sanders broke free running for 75 yards. He ended up fumbling and forking over the score to disappointing sophomore JJ Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles and Ravens went back and forth for a while, with Carson Wentz padding his stats. Wentz gained 213 yards in the air and 49 yards on the ground. He also added 3 TDs. Wentz and company found themselves down 18 points heading into the 4th, and QB1 took over. A quick score in the 4th and a 2 point conversion brought the Eagles within 10. The Ravens would only answer back with a field goal. Down 13, losing Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz, Wentz led a team of 3rd stringers back. With 2 minutes to play, Wentz dialed his number and snuck the ball in for the score. However, an ugly read option would be the downfall of the birds. After failing to convert, the Eagles would lose the outing by two points, but outscoring the Ravens in the second half 28-13. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Eagles came close to the comeback win Sunday afternoon. Due to a few killer mistakes, the Eagles left at least 10 points on the board in the second quarter alone. Carson Wentz had a rough first half but bounced back wonderfully. He put 22 points on the board in the 4th quarter. Wentz looked calm under pressure and threw great passes all day long. While his completion percentage of 52% might not have shown it, Carson Wentz was money Sunday. Wentz also played a role in the ground game, rumbling for 40 yards in the second half. Wentz ran, threw, blocked, and scored all day Sunday.

Miles Sanders had another brilliant run, which has put him at #3 on the NFL rushing list this season, with only the 16th most carries. However, the Eagles would lose Sanders and Ertz for 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. The Eagles offensive line has also been stripped down to 3 3rd stringers. The defense had a nice day on Sunday, minus Nate Gerry giving out touchdowns to Lamar Jackson like candy. Overall, the Eagles looked fierce in the second half of the game. Carson Wentz has proven he is not only a leader but the most passionate player each gameday. The Eagles look to keep rolling, with an easy divisional matchup against the Giants for Thursday Night Football.