What Is Happening With The Ravens And Eagles? Two Super Bowl Hopefuls, In Very Different Scenarios, Look Lost

The sample size to determine whether a team is good or not is just starting to get big enough to make educated opinions. The fluke 0-2 (Kansas City) and 2-0 (Cardinals) teams have started to find their level balance, and with some exceptions most teams and fanbases know by now whether or not they should have any level of excitement/expectation moving forward.

There's two fanbases in particular, both with realistic Super Bowl aspirations, that are stuck between a rock and a hard place. One fanbase who can't and won't come to grips that their team stinks, and another who's convinced their team stinks despite their record and recent past.

The Ravens and Eagles are the opposite ends of the win/loss column, yet both teams feel lost in translation. Both teams feel a sense of emptiness compared to what they thought they'd feel at this point in the season. And both are surprising in their own right.

Disclaimer: the real number one takeaway from this weekend was posted on Monday. Read here if you'd like to be reminded

The Baltimore Ravens: 1-4

Before the year I predicted the Ravens would be the number 1 seed in the AFC, and in my mind they were the best team in football. They had nearly their entire 2024 roster return, a roster that dominated much of last regular season and was a dropped two-point conversion in Buffalo away from playing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

Their offense had all the same weapons and added veteran DeAndre Hopkins. Their offensive line was still slated to be top tier as all five starters were rostered last year. And their defense was returning 10 of their 11 most impactful players, a unit that was top 10 in points and yards allowed a year ago.

So what the hell is happening in Baltimore?

Lamar and the offense put up 40 in Buffalo opening weekend but lost because of a costly Derrick Henry fumble and the inability to stop Josh Allen in the fourth quarter. Never has one loss seemed to derail a team more than that, as a comfortable win against the Browns week 2 (even though they were statistically outplayed) is still their only win of the season. Derrick Henry hasn't matched his week 1 total in yards in weeks 2-5 combined. He has as many fumbles as he does TDs in that span, and has just a singular rush for more than 14 yards. A lot of RB play is predicated on the offensive line, but that unit according to PFF is still borderline top 10, so maybe the question needs to be asked: is Derrick Henry's no longer Derrick Henry? For years people have assumed the inevitable RB falloff would happen with the first ballot HOFer, but every year he surprises. Every year he makes you feel like an idiot for passing on him in the first round of your fantasy draft. But maybe this is the year it happens. It's still early, and every year Henry only gets better as the season progresses and the weather gets cold and defenders don't want to tackle him, so I won't make any bold proclamations just yet. But it's at least worth asking the question.

What's undoubtedly more concerning for the Ravens is their defense, or lack there of. As I mentioned this was a top 10 unit last year, without much turnover coming into this season in terms of roster or coordinator. So how they've managed to be the second worst defense in yards (both passing and rushing) and EASILY the worst team in points allowed, so far allowing 20 more points scored than the second worst defense in the league, is mind blowing.

They've given up 37 points or more in four of their five games this year, something they only did once in the shootout against the Bengals and Joe Burrow last year. They've given up 380 yards or more in those four contests, and lost the turnover battle in all of them as well. They've produced just 2 turnovers all season (only the Jets have less) and are tied for the third worst turnover differential in the league.

The defense is banged up, I get it. Madubuike is a big loss, and several other players have missed time. But this unit being this bad is inexcusable, and frankly confusing. The Ravens, likely without Lamar this week, are playing the Rams who just let a game slip away from them against a roster of backups. Assuming that doesn't happen again, Baltimore will be 1-5 heading into their bye. They still have the talent to make a run, but they'll need an all time run just to sneak into the postseason. This is the most shocking team for me personally so far this season.

The Philadelphia Eagles: 4-1

The Eagles are starting to really annoy me. I've never seen a team that is so good be so bad at the exact same time. A team that has drama about how bad they are and how upset everyone is despite winning every week. A fanbase who after one loss looks and acts like they're in the same spot as the Browns.

In a twisted way I get it, but Philly fans are insane so I don't want to give them credit. This team isn't playing good football, especially offensively. But they are half the time?? It's very confusing.

Over the last three games, the Eagles have played three incredible halves of football and three halves that look like the local middle school game that's played at halftime in the Linc.

In the second half of the Rams game, and the first half of the Bucs and Broncos games, the Eagles have scored 60 points, gained 661 total yards and had a point differential of +44. Against three playoff teams mind you.

In the first half of the Rams game, and second half of Bucs/Broncos, Philly has scored just 21 points, gained 168 total yards (not including the -34-yard safety at the end of the Tampa game), and have a -35 point differential. 14 of the 21 points have been scored on short fields coming off a turnover in plus territory, and the third was a big play to Saquon right out of the half against Denver.

Excluding the three TD "drives", in those three halves, Philly has had 13 three and outs on 16 offensive possessions (4/4 vs LA, 6/7 vs TB, 3/5 vs Denver). Those 16 drives have netted a total of 34 yards, 45 of which came on the last drive against Denver as the defense was playing soft coverage. If you're doing the math in your head, that means the 15 drives in which the defense actually played defense they netted -11 cumulative yards. It's hard to believe.

How can a team that is so good, that has so much talent, that looks so dominant for half of a game look so completely inept for the other half? On a consistent basis too. I can't answer the question. To try, they need to give Saquon the ball. Against Denver, while leading for the majority of the second half, he had one rush attempt. One! Your most dynamic and explosive player, especially with a lead, needs to get the ball. Even if you're in obvious passing situations, which Philly found themselves in for most of the half, design a screen. Hit him in the flat. Get your best player the ball and let him do something with it.

Teams are starting the catch on to the AJ Brown slant route and Devonta Smith out route on third and short/medium, evidenced by Pat Surtain in the second half. The passing game doesn't seem to have much creativity, which doesn't bode well when you consider that Philly doesn't even try to run it. Wanting to get the ball to the guys who are complaining about not getting the ball makes sense, but not if you're steering away from the type of football that separates your team from the pack, and led you to a Lombardi trophy in February.

The Eagles will likely be fine, especially after somehow starting 4-1. But just because they're the defending champs and have the best record in the football doesn't mean they should be viewed as such, at least not right now. This version of Philly feels eerily similar to the 2023 version, who started 10-1 despite never feeling like they were playing well, squeaking by opponent after opponent until the wheels fell off in December, then got trounced out of the playoffs on Wild Card Weekend.

Right now they're lost, which is crazy to say after being 4-1 against a really tough schedule. They have a lot to work to do, on both sides of the ball. But my gut tells me they'll fix them, and Thursday night against the Giants feels like a great place to start.