Eagles vs. Ravens recap: Birds fall just short after aggressive finish

Eagles fall just short after an incredible drive from Carson Wentz.

First half review

Offense:

• Eagles try to set the tempo on the ground to start the game. It doesn’t work out very well. Two runs for two yards.
• Interception. Wentz throws one off his back foot that ends up in the hands of Zach Orr. Ravens get the ball.

Defense:

• Touchdown. Joe Flacco takes advantage of the turnover and immediately hits Kamar Aiken for a score.

Offense:

• Another bad showing from the offense. On third and long, Wentz rolls to his left and fails to throw the ball away. Wentz fumbles, but the ball bounces out of bounds. Lucky break there.

Defense:

• Eagles get some momentum and force a three and out. Defensive line did a good job getting to Flacco on that series.

Offense:

• Ryan Mathews runs hard and picks up a first down. Ran through several Baltimore defenders to get past the sticks.
• Wentz feels pressure and is once again forced to run for his life. Luckily, he gets rid of the ball before anything awful could happen. Eagles settle for the field goal. Eagles trail 7-3.

Defense:

• Michael Campanaro, who the Ravens just brought up from the practice squad, burns the Eagles for a 39-yard end around run. Longest running play of the season for Baltimore.
• Eagles stop Ravens on third down. Flacco looks for Steve Smith in the middle of the field, but the ball hits the dirt. Rainy conditions starting to impact the game.
• Justin Tucker is automatic. From 53 yards out, Tucker knocks one right down the middle. Ravens lead 10-3.

Offense:

• Wentz’s bad day continues. Wentz can’t handle the snap from Jason Kelce and sprawls out to keep the ball in Eagles possession.
• Wentz drops back on third down and throws the ball away! Better than an interception. Eagles punt.

Defense:

• Jalen Mills has a nice pass breakup on second down. No finger wag, however. Strange.
• Fumble! Nigel Bradham gets to Flacco and Fletcher Cox recovers. Eagles start the drive in the red zone.

Offense:

• Touchdown! Ryan Mathews fights his way into the end zone on the first play after the turnover.
• With the heavy wind, Doug Pederson elects to go for the two-point conversion and it works! Mathews takes the handoff and springboards himself over the Ravens defensive line to cross the plain. Eagles lead 11-10.

Defense:

• Jordan Hicks blows up a screen pass for a loss. Sniffed out the screen from a mile away. Phenomenal recognition from Hicks.
• What initially looked like a sack turns into a first down for Baltimore. Flacco runs away from a swarm of Eagles and finds Kamar Aiken for the third down conversion.
• Another big play for the Ravens on third down. Flacco finds Terrance West for a 16-yard gain.
• Eagles finally stop Baltimore on third down. Flacco throws short of the sticks and Eagles bring Kyle Juszczyk down for a small gain. Unsurprisingly, Justin Tucker makes the field goal from 47 yards out. Ravens reclaim the lead.

Offense:

• Ryan Mathews starts off the drive with an eight-yard run. Good day for Mathews thus far.
• Eagles convert on 3rd and 8. Wentz finds Kenjon Barner on a screen for a gain of 10. Barner stays down on the field, however. Looks like an injury to his right leg. Not good.
• Strange play call from Doug Pederson on third down. Eagles have been dominating on the ground, but elects to throw on 3rd and 1. Nelson Agholor can’t hold onto the throw.
• Eagles go for it on fourth down. Wentz finds Zach Ertz, who runs for the first down and much more. Wild couple of plays from Philadelphia.
• Fumble. Ryan Mathews runs for 13 yards, but fumbles at the end of the play. Luckily, Ertz is there to bat the ball out of bounds.
• The Eagles drive finally stalls. Wentz throws incomplete on 3rd and 15 and Eagles settle for the field goal. Philadelphia leads 14-13.

Defense:

• Another nice effort from Jalen Mills, but he’s called for pass interference. Ravens get a first down.
• Flacco finds Kyle Juszczyk for a first down. Ravens driving.
• Touchdown. Flacco goes deep for Steve Smith, who beats Jalen Mills for the 34-yard score. Ravens lead 20-14 going into the half.

Up and down first half for Philadelphia. Eagles ran the bell effectively, but were unable to get much going through the air. Ravens were opportunistic in the first half and were able to make plays when they needed them. The Eagles weren’t. Eagles need an all around better performance in the second half.

Second half review

Defense:

• Eagles start the half off as badly as they could. Terrance West breaks out for a 41-yard scamper. Ravens record the longest run of their season twice in one game.
• Sack! Eagles make up for their bad start to the half. Fletcher Cox brings down Flacco on third down and forces a Baltimore punt.

Offense:

• Brent Celek is made of concrete. Celek catches a short throw from Wentz and is immediately hit hard by a Baltimore defender, but Celek shrugs off the tackler and reaches out for an extra yard.
• On third down, Wentz hit Ryan Mathews, who scampers for the first down and more. Eagles are moving the ball well.
• Wentz catches a lucky break. What looked like a Ravens interception would be negated by an illegal contact penalty on a Baltimore defender.
• Eagles are stopped on third down and elect to go for it on fourth down. Unfortunately, they are unable to convert. Ravens start their drive with terrific field position.

Defense:

• Vinny Curry sniffs out a running play and takes down Terrance West behind the line of scrimmage for a big loss. Good day from the Neptune, New Jersey native.
• Ravens are unable to get anything going this drive. Eagles force a punt.

Offense:

• Byron Marshall is a shapeshifter. Jukes a Ravens defender out of his shoes and runs for 12 yards. On the very next play, he runs for 10 more.
• Wentz hits Ertz for a 24-yard completion. Eagles are driving.
• Third and 3, wideout Bryce Treggs takes the handoff from Wentz and converts for the first down.
• Ryan Mathews picks up 12 yards on a run up the gut. Eagles are unstoppable on the ground.
• Eagles strangely abandon the running game in the red zone. Wentz throws two consecutive incompletions, forcing the Eagles to go for the field goal. Eagles still trail 20-17.

Defense:

• On third down, Flacco hits Steve Smith past the sticks. Smith and Malcolm Jenkins have some words after the play.
• Kenneth Dixon breaks loose for a big gain, but the Ravens were caught holding. Play is called back.
• Bennie Logan is called for a face mask penalty. Ravens get an easy first down.
• Touchdown. Kenneth Dixon breaks a run to the outside and bursts past the Eagles defense. Ravens lead 27-17.

Offense:

• Dorial Green-Beckham makes his first catch of the day. Honestly forgot that he even exists.
• 19-yard run for Ryan Mathews. One of the few bright spots for the Eagles on the day.
• Eagles are stopped just short of the sticks on third down. Pederson elects to go for it on fourth down. Nelson Agholor takes the end around, but steps out of bounds before picking up the first down. Ravens ball.

Defense:

• Joe Flacco hits Mike Wallace on third down for a 54-yard catch and run. Ravens in the red zone.
• Interception! Jordan Hicks reads Flacco’s eyes, picks him off and returns it 34 yards!

Offense:

• Ryan Mathews breaks off another big run. 19 yards. Eagles aren’t dead yet.
• Eagles are driving. Wentz hits Ertz, who muscles his way for a first down. Eagles are in the red zone.
• Wentz looks for DGB on third down, but can’t come down with the football. Hard to imagine he’ll be back in Philadelphia next season. Eagles settle for the field goal. Still trail 27-20.

Defense:

• Eagles hold Baltimore to a three and out. This is about to get interesting.

Offense:

• After several short completions, Wentz finds Ertz downfield for a big gain. Ertz had to work to get both feet down inbounds.
• Wentz looks for Agholor in the end zone, who is interfered with! Eagles get the ball within Baltimore’s five-yard line.
• Touchdown! Carson Wentz rolls to his left and runs his way into the end zone! What a play from the rookie.
• With nothing left to lose, Pederson elects to go for the two-point conversion. Wentz drops back, looks for Jordan Matthews in the end zone, but the ball falls incomplete. Ravens win it 27-26. What a game.

Overview

Much will be made about whether or not the Eagles should have gone for the two-point conversion, but with nothing left to lose, the call is hard to argue against. In any other game, Carson Wentz leads his team down the field and ties the game. This late in the season, why not give the rookie his chance to make a play?