Week 13 of the NFL season has come and gone, much like pages turning in a book. It began with Thanksgiving and concluded with Cyber Monday. This bustling holiday period coincided with a packed slate of NFL games.
One of the premier matchups during this football week pitted the Philadelphia Eagles against the Baltimore Ravens.
Our NFL Team of the Week for Week 13 is the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jalen Doth Hurts the Ravens
Jalen Hurts effectively navigated the impressive Baltimore defense, completing 11 of 19 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown. While this wasn’t his highest yardage game of the season, Hurts managed to put up this performance without any turnovers against a highly opportunistic defense. His lone touchdown pass went to tight end Dallas Goedert, who finished the game with three receptions for 35 yards. Additionally, A.J. Brown contributed five catches for 66 yards, while Jahan Dotson added one catch for seven yards.
DALLASSSSSSS [GOEDERT] TD IN BALTIMORE 😤@goedert33 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/zEv1PQwwPq
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 1, 2024
Saquon MVP?
Week in and week out, Saquon Barkley has demonstrated why he should be considered an MVP candidate, even as a non-quarterback. There have been moments this season, particularly during this past game against the Ravens, when he has carried the Eagles’ team on his back.
In this particular game, Barkley had 23 carries for 107 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. He also contributed as a receiver, ranking third on the team with two catches for 10 yards.
Does Barkley have a legitimate chance to win MVP? Well, the last time a non-quarterback won the award was in 2012 when Adrian Peterson achieved this honor. That season, Peterson rushed for a career-high 2,097 yards.
Currently, Saquon has 1,499 rushing yards — with at least four games left in the season and the playoffs still to come. Barkley ranks among the top three in the NFL in yards, carries, and touchdowns. Over the last seven games alone, he has accumulated 733 yards and six touchdowns. According to ESPN.com, he is projected to finish the season with 2,146 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
The Defense Kept Lamar in Check
The Eagles’ defense, coached by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, successfully kept Lamar Jackson in check during the game. Jackson recorded only 237 passing yards and two touchdowns. The defense applied constant pressure on him, with linebacker Nolan Smith, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and linebackers Jalyx Hunt and Zack Baun all managing to sack the elusive quarterback. Additionally, Baun led the team with eight solo tackles.
The City of Brotherly Love saw its league-best defense contain Derrick Henry, another MVP candidate, limiting him to arguably his worst performance of the season, with 19 carries for just 82 yards. Notably, those 82 yards were the highest total achieved by any Ravens player in this contest.
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NFC Playoff Picture
The NFC playoff picture currently stands with the Detroit Lions as the top seed, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles as the No. 2 seed. Therefore, if the playoffs were to start tomorrow, the Eagles would face the No. 5 seed, their division rival, the Washington Commanders.
With the updated playoff format, only the top team in each conference receives a bye week. However, there is a chance the Lions could drop a few of their upcoming games, as they still have several divisional contests to play. If the Lions do start to slip and the Eagles continue to win their upcoming games, Philadelphia could slide into the first seed and secure a bye. This scenario is highly possible since Philadelphia has the second-easiest strength of schedule remaining, while Detroit faces the second-hardest schedule ahead.
As the season progresses, the playoff picture grows increasingly important. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC and earn a bye week. Given their performance against the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, this goal is attainable.
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