Roob's Observations: Late magic from Saquon caps off statement win in Baltimore

Roob’s Observations: Late magic from Saquon caps off statement win in Baltimore

Roob’s Observations: Late magic from Saquon caps off statement win in Baltimore originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The fourth quarter once again was magic for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles, and if the Ravens and their No. 1 run defense can’t stop him, who can?

Nobody can.

Nobody had rushed for more than 63 yards against the Ravens this year and Barkley did it in the last 12 minutes.

The Eagles keep winning and after this statement in Baltimore against a very good Ravens team, I’m not sure when they’ll lose again.

Or if they’ll lose again.

The Eagles are now 10-2 with an eight-game winning streak and watch out. They keep getting better.

Eagles 24, Ravens 19, thanks to a late Ravens touchdown that made the score deceptively close. But really this was a 24-12 game until the final three seconds and it was a spectacular performance in all phases for the Eagles.

1. Just a tremendous performance by the Eagles’ defense against a super-charged Ravens offense averaging 427 yards and 30 points per game and 7.0 yards per play. Against the Eagles until the final minute, they managed 302 yards, 12 points and 4.7 yards per play, stats that the Ravens padded with a meaningless last-minute drive. The Eagles didn’t get any takeaways against a team that rarely turns the ball over, but they pressured Jackson and hit him early and often and contained him when he wanted to run. They kept Derrick Henry in check, and they got big stops in huge moments. They gave up nine points in the first quarter and three on the Ravens’ next nine drives. And they did it without their defensive captains and leaders Brandon Graham and Darius Slay, they did much of it without Reed Blankenship, who suffered a concussion in the third quarter, and they did some of it without Nakobe Dean and Quinyon Mitchell, who missed plays in the second half. But this was a monumental defensive effort and you look out there and Tristin McCollum is covering Mark Andrews and Avonte Maddox is running down the field covering Nelson Agholor, and that’s not ideal, but the subs played fine, the starters were spectacular and if there were any question before just how good this defense is – and there shouldn’t have been – they’ve all been answered. A defensive masterpiece.

2. And the defense kept the Eagles in it until it was Saquon time and his 4th-quarter heroics continued against the best run defense in the NFL because why wouldn’t they? He’s Saquon. You can stop him for 30 minutes, 40 minutes, 45 minutes, but you can’t stop him for an entire game. Early in the fourth quarter, he had 13 carries for 51 yards. Ravens had him bottled up. Nowhere to run. Eagles get the ball back four minutes into the fourth quarter and there goes Barkley for 14 yards and then 25 yards for the clinching touchdown with eight minutes left. Nobody had rushed for more than 63 yards against the Ravens this year and Barkley had 107 – 61 of them in the fourth quarter. It’s insane how good he is and insane how well this offensive line blocks for him. They just get stronger and stronger as the game goes on and if the Ravens can’t stop 4th-quarter Saquon nobody can. Nobody. He’s the best player in the NFL and that was obvious to anybody watching this game. What he did Sunday in Baltimore – what he’s done all year – is no less than magnificent. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.

3. How about a shout-out to Tristin McCollum, forced into action in the second half with Reed Blankenship out with a concussion. McCollum had played all of 93 career snaps coming into the game, in his third year undrafted out of Sam Houston State, and on the Ravens’ critical fourth down – 4th and 8 from the Ravens’ 42 with 6:18 left and the Eagles up nine – it was McCollum who batted down a Lamar Jackson pass intended for Zay Flowers to end the suspense. You’ve got to give this kid so much credit. This was his 12th career game and he was ready for the moment. You’ve got to love it. Nick Sirianni has a developmental period at the end of practice where the guys who aren’t getting a lot of reps at practice or in games get some extra work with the coaches and there’s no doubt that’s one of the reasons guys like McCollum are mentally and physically ready when they do get that opportunity.

4. Jalen Carter is giving the Eagles some of the best interior line play they’ve ever gotten. And by ever I mean including Fletcher Cox, including Jerome Brown, including – heck I’ll go back to Bucko Kilroy and Floyd Peters. Not that I saw them play, but Carter is playing at a simply astronomical level right now and his ability to impact the game snap after snap is mind-blowing. His disruptiveness doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it sure did Sunday with a sack, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. He’s now got 4 ½ sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 12 QB hits in 12 games. All-pro numbers for an interior lineman. Fletch put up those numbers twice in a full season and he’s a borderline Hall of Famer. What Carter is doing for this defense is preposterous.

More coming …

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Tags: NFL