The up-tempo Philadelphia Eagles look to keep their offense in high gear when they battle the Baltimore Ravens Saturday on NFL Network. The Eagles put up a league-high 36 points in their preseason opener cashing the over for the eighth time in nine preseason games under head coach Chip Kelly.
ODDS
The Philadelphia Eagles have won four consecutive preseason home games following last week’s victory over Indianapolis and they get another game in their own yard where they opened as 3.5-point favorites. The over is 8-1 in Philly games under Chip Kelly and the total is 44.5.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco is expected to play more than the one series he did against New Orleans last week. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 33 yards and had a 17-yard scamper leading the Ravens to a touchdown. Backup Matt Schaub will likely get a majority of the reps as he learns the system with No. 3 Bryn Renner in line for a series or two late. Schaub hit on 11 of 18 attempts for 134 yards with a touchdown last week and Renner was 6 of 14 with a pick.
Sam Bradford will get his first game reps when the Eagles host the Ravens. Bradford sat the preseason opener and coach Chip Kelly liked the idea of getting him in against Baltimore, who the Eagles will practice jointly with in advance of the game. That should give Bradford some familiarity with what to expect. Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley will also get some reps and, depending on the flow of the game, we might see Tim Tebow. Kelly used three quarterbacks in last season’s second preseason game but he had a healthy group. There has been no update on the number of snaps Bradford will play.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been as successful during the preseason as he has during the regular year, and it isn’t a coincidence. The Ravens are 20-9 in the preseason during Harbaugh’s tenure and haven’t lost in two years. The players believe the foundation of a perennial playoff team comes from the way Harbaugh prepares them in the summer. The coach preaches situational football. He wants his players as tough mentally as they are physically. Another reason why the Ravens have been so successful is Harbaugh’s attention to detail. He wants to make sure every scenario is covered, and his players know how to handle it. “The idea, basically, is that we want to train to win. We think that if you practice like you play, then you’ll play like you practice,” the coach said.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I feel like coach Kelly wants to push the tempo as much as he can. It worked in college at Oregon. I understand where it’s coming from. If you can get the defense on their heels, plays open up. I feel like, starting with our offensive line, they did a good job of pushing the tempo.” – Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
With tight end Zach Ertz out for the preseason with what coach Chip Kelly called a “core muscle injury”, a battle for playing time behind incumbent Brent Celek is underway. Second-year player Trey Burton had an excellent game last week and excelled on special teams. He should have more of an opportunity to showcase his talents this week. Eric Thomlinson, Andrew Gleichert and Justin Tukes will also get significant looks as the Eagles are likely to carry four tight ends on the roster once the season opens.
INJURIES
As mentioned above Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is out for the remainder of the preseason but should be ready for the regular season opener. Also, projected starting inside linebacker Kiko Alonso has not been cleared after sustaining a concussion last week in practice.
Rookie receiver Breshad Perriman, the Ravens first-round pick, was expected to take on a starting role this year and was being counted on to give Baltimore the kind of deep threat it lost when Torrey Smith left this offseason. Unfortunately, he injured his knee the first day of camp and recovery has been slow. He likely will not play before the regular season gets started.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Eagles will get more of a fight this week than they did last week from Indianapolis. Baltimore prides itself on competing during the preseason, posting a 20-9 record under head coach John Harbaugh, with a thrilling comeback win against the Saints last week. Both teams are expected to extend their regulars a little more than last week and after a few days of joint practices, there probably won’t be too many new tricks to be shown, though you never know with Chip Kelly. The Ravens have a deeper roster and should win this one in the second half.
Baltimore 31, Philadelphia 29
BookMaker sent out the NFL online odds for this Saturday game at Philadelphia -3.5 with a total of 44.5. Use BookMaker’s live betting feature to bet on this game while it’s happening.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The game between the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles is slated for Saturday, August 22, 2015, at 7 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The matchup will be televised live on the NFL Network.
